Battle intensifies over proposed holiday development near Culloden Battlefield
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A battle over controversial plans for a holiday village near Culloden Battlefield has intensified.
Inverness Paving wants to convert the former Treetops Stables at Faebuie, Culloden Moor, into a leisure destination comprising 13 new holiday lodges, an on-site café/retail facility and a new restaurant.
Previous plans were rejected by council officials last year because of its impact on the surrounding woodland and natural environment. The bid also attracted 87 objections, mainly due to the sensitivity of the site.
In resubmitted proposals architects HRI Munro reassess the development’s impact and potential for mitigation, reconfiguring the layout and positioning of the buildings, access and circulation, services and parking , and describing a detailed woodland management.
HRI Munro says most objections are about the principle of development, but that local development plans, national policy and the Culloden Muir conservation area all allow it, subject to location and composition, consideration of the impacts and satisfactory mitigation.
But objectors disagree.
The Group Stop Development at Culloden (GSDC) maintains responses submitted in response to the application are not restricted to the principle of development, and "collectively contain a myriad of material planning considerations".
Related story: New bid for leisure resort
