Nairn Matters

Public consultation event announced to update local community on Delnies development plans

The Cawdor Maintenance Trust is inviting members of the public in and around Nairn to attend a community engagement event, running over three days at the Nairn Community Centre between Wednesday 26^th and Friday 28^th August 2009 inclusive.

The event is designed to update the local community on a proposed £70 million leisure/tourist led development at the western end of Nairn, for which an outline planning application and supporting Environmental Impact Assessment was lodged with Highland Council in June 2008.

Since then, following conclusion of the statutory consultation period, the consultant project team has been involved in ongoing discussions with Council officials and Scottish Natural Heritage, addressing various technical and environmental issues and, in turn, reviewing the details of the proposals.

As a result, the concept masterplan for the site has undergone a number of changes. In particular the layout of the proposed 18-hole championship golf course has been amended to take account of ecological issues raised by Scottish Natural Heritage, while access arrangements for the site have also been revised following discussions with Council Road Officials and Transport Scotland.

Members of the planning and design team will man the exhibition and be available to answer questions (details of times below).

Including the redevelopment of existing farm buildings at Delnies, the proposals comprise:

• Tourism and Heritage Centre at Easter Delnies;
• Equestrian Centre at Wester Delnies;
• Hotel, spa and conference facilities at Hilton of Delnies;
• 18-hole championship golf course, clubhouse, academy and driving range;
• Ecological centre with associated bird watching hides and car parking;
• Community woodland;
• An integrated public footpath and cycleway network;
• Structured landscaping scheme;
• Up to 300 ‘enabling’ houses; and,
• Associated access and infrastructural works

It is estimated that in total the project is likely to create over 525 jobs, with many of these, including those in construction and services, expected to be filled by people local to the area. The value to the economy is estimated to be a planned capital investment of £70m over the period of its construction.

A sensitively developed residential element of up to 300 houses of mixed design, type and tenure, including 25% affordable housing, will ‘enable’ the tourist, leisure and community based elements of the proposals to be developed elsewhere on the site.

A strong focus on the ecology of the location is integral to the development, and includes the delivery of structured landscaping and community woodland, as well as integrated footpaths and cycleways and an ecological centre with bird watching facilities.

Exhibition dates and times

Wednesday 2^6h August – 2pm-6.30pm – manned by project team

Thursday 2^7th August – unmanned from 9am and manned by project team from 2pm-6.30pm

Friday 28^th August – unmanned from 9am and manned by the project team from 2pm-5pm

When the event is unmanned individuals will still be able to offer comments using the feedback forms provided or by visiting www.cawdorcastle.com/delnies and responding online from Wednesday 26^th August.

Further information is available at www.cawdorcastle.com/delnies.

For more information or an informal discussion, please call Alan Farningham, Project Planning Consultant, on 0131 454 3973.

The Concept Masterplan will provide a context for the future development of Delnies. Detailed design proposals will be formulated in discussions with Highland Council and other stakeholders such as Scottish Natural Heritage to ensure that a high quality living, working and leisure environment is achieved.

The Delnies site is bordered by the A96 to the south, the Carse Wood and site of the former Whiteness Fabrication yard to the west, the coast of the Moray Firth to the north and the settlement boundary of Nairn to the east.