Johnnie Grant's introduction to the meeting for the public held at the Cairngorm Hotel on September 5th 2006

Welcome

Our community has worked together for many years, has made its views known at many consultation meetings and some here tonight came to the public meeting held in November during which their vision for what An Camas Mòr could be and what it might look and feel like was shared with the professional team.

A record of that meeting and comments received is on www.ancamasmor.com and is at the back of the room. If you feel your comment has been missed out please tell me at the end of the meeting.

Since then the team has been adding some detail to this information and tonight we are going to find out if they understood what we thought you said.

There are things we asked for that it has not been appropriate to take on, for example we are constrained by National and International Policies, the Local Plan, social, economic, and environmental and considerations. It is however important that we try to develop a shared understanding of these constraints and that will be one of the tasks tonight.

There will be opportunities to revisit anything you do not agree with in the public planning process and, if planning permission is granted, to consider the finer points of building design and other detail later on. Please remember that this is just one small but important step in a process.

Because An Camas Mòr is important for many reasons I have been determined to ensure that the best advice is made available to us all so that it can become a successful community and is a benefit to Rothiemurchus, Aviemore and the Cairngorms.

You will see the team has been expanded and that that the Buccleuch Estates' Property team is here. The benefits of this include a team led by David Peck and Nick Waugh, who have a wealth of experience and drive, a long term perspective, are themselves backed up with an excellent team and which has good environmental sustainability credentials. What is more important is that they have a real interest in being involved with An Camas Mòr as a place that can meet community needs in a National Park.

Many of the team are new and tonight may be their first opportunity to meet us, others have been with us for many years, and some although new to An Camas Mòr have long experience of the area. Tonight we have the opportunity to talk to them and to be sure that they have an understanding of our needs.

In particular Kevin Murray and Jas Atwal will in future be your contacts with the rest of the team and it will be their role to ensure that we all listen to each other and to help us do it effectively.