Nairn businesses concern over housing development at Grigorhill
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BUSINESSES on a Nairn industrial estate are concerned that a major housing development planned on their doorstep could affect their operations and plans for expansion, it has been claimed.
Fears were raised at a meeting of Nairn River Community Council that the plans to build homes around an industrial site at Grigorhill.
It was claimed operators at the site, which includes the depot of civil engineering contractors GF Job and Tullochs sawmill, were "horrified" at the prospect.
Both are major employers in the town and Community Councillor Loreine Thomson said more than 100 people are employed on the industrial site.
Developers Springfield have revealed plans for up to 600 houses at East Nairn on farmland surrounding Grigorhill.
Highland Council made a U-turn when the area was included in the latest Inner Moray Firth Development Plan (IMDP) as suitable for future housing development.
This followed an ongoing battle in the community about the development of Common Good land at Sandown to the west of Nairn for housing.
Another site, Nairn South, doesn't have the backing of planners because there remains a major traffic bottleneck on Cawdor Road where there is a railway bridge crossing.
And this was despite a consortium believing that they could create an overpass across the railway line for Nairn Academy pupils.
Mrs Thomson said there had been no consultation or views sought before local Highland Council ward members agreed to East Nairn as part of the IMDP.
She said businesses had been there 40 years contributing to the local economy, and having housing as a neighbour could impact on their operations and future expansion.
She said they would be asking the council why they made the U-turn. "The businesses are angry," she said. "They are faced with being totally surrounded by housing."
Alan Calder, of Nairn East Action Group which is opposed to the development, thanked the community councils for their support and he was pleased the industrial users at Grigorhill were "singing from the same hymn sheet".
He added: "At the end of the day they established this site because it was away from housing and now they may have this foisted upon them which will have a potentially devastating impact on their current and future operations. The reason they moved there was to be away from housing.
"Some of the home owners here bought their properties because the site was non-preferred and now the council have done a U-turn."
When approached by the Courier Adrian Johnstone, from GF Job, said there were concerns over the potential impact of the proposed development.
However he said he was waiting to see the outcome of Highland Council's latest consultation process on the Inner Moray Firth Development Plan before commenting any further.
