Housing developments across Nairn put on hold
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Major housing developers seeking to build dwellings in and around Nairn have received a significant blow in a new report by the Scottish planning authority.
The publication, which represents a review of the second iteration of the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan (IMFLDP2) has recommended the removal of land on Nairn East – on which Springfield Properties has been seeking to build hundreds of new homes – from land allocated for housing, pending the building of a bypass.
Concerning the land at Nairn East – identified as NA05 – the report states: "In response to matters raised in representations and to take an infrastructure-first approach to trunk road capacity constraints, the council has suggested that the developer requirements should be modified to indicate that delivery of the A96 bypass is a prerequisite to the development of allocation NA05.
"Given the uncertainty regarding the timescales for the delivery of the A96 improvements, I consider that a precautionary approach to development on this site would be appropriate within the context of NPF4.
"If allocation NA05 is to be retained or alternatively identified as a longer-term opportunity, a developer requirement would be necessary to indicate that the development of Nairn East is wholly dependent on the completion of the Nairn bypass."
The allocation for Sandown land – which is owned by the town's Common Good Fund and was taken off the market for housing in 2022 – could now see only 150 houses rather than 350, as part of the new plan.
Nairn West Community Group chairman Alastair Noble said this was a really positive outcome for Nairn.
"The reporter has done a really good job," he said. "The real importance of it is that they have accepted that the population figures – a combination from the census data and health service population data, which we think are accurate and better reflect the housing need in Nairn.
"She is accepting the argument that if people want houses around here, they can go to Tornagrain first before going anywhere else."
He stressed the importance of developing a Local Place Plan for Nairn to advise future development.
"The reporter was clear that what will happen in Nairn will take from the Local Place Plan reflecting on what the community wants, and that's really important," he added.
Councillor Paul Oldham said that efforts to have the IMFLDP2 changed "seems to have been even more successful than we hoped" and that the news will please most people in Nairn.
