Following a recent Main Issues Report consultation, planning manager David Berry revealed the new changes to the plan at a CNPA Planning Committee meeting last week.

He said: “There are some changes recommended in response to consultation comments, including a limited number of new site allocations that are considered appropriate to include in the next LDP, subject to a short consultation on these during August.

“Furthermore, with regards to settlements, there are some changes required with new information available to better inform us. We propose to extend the boundary – although not the capacity – of the H1 site in Ballater to take account of new flooding information and changes are suggested in Dalwhinnie and Braemar, also as a result of new information from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. And in Carr-Bridge we propose to reduce the capacity of the Carr Road site to 36 dwellings.”

Despite some changes, the preferred options outlined in the MIR will be used as the basis for the plan.

Eleanor Mackintosh, convener of the CNPA planning committee, added: “I would like to thank the team for their hard work in going through each and every submission in detail and taking this report back to the planning committee. The debate in the room today has been really good with regards to site allocations, housing needs and how we ensure protection for the Park’s special qualities. I look forward to the next stage in the process when we will be presented with the proposed LDP, which will go out to consultation towards the end of 2018.”