Congratulations and thank you to members of the Group to Stop Development at Culloden (GSDC) who can now rejoice, as can we all, on the unprecedented decision taken today by Scottish Ministers to refuse planning permission for the house at Culchunaig.
The proposed luxury house at Culchunaig is marked number 8 on the GSDC map and is located on a hugely sensitive site within Culloden Battlefield.
A previous application was approved by Highland Council and the council was minded to grant the second application.
The GSDC worked hard to get the second application called-in by the Scottish Government, which happened.
An appointed Reporter then recommended that planning permission be granted.
This was overturned and the Scottish Ministers’ decision to refuse is final.
A momentous turnaround of events, and one that we all sincerely hope marks a new dawn for the protection of the Culloden Battlefield especially with still four live applications awaiting determination, including a holiday resort.
Congratulations again to all who objected, with special mention to Professor Christopher Duffy and Andrew Grant McKenzie.
Selected extracts of the Scottish Minsters decision follows.
Directorate for Local Government and Communities Planning and Architecture
Planning Decisions
17 November 2020
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997
PLANNING APPLICATION 18/04194/FUL (CONVERSION OF STEADING TO
FORM HOUSE AND ERECTION OF OUTBUILDINGS AMENDED DESIGN (TO
PLANNING PERMISSION 15/02941/FUL) LAND 120M SW OF CULCHUNAIG
FARMHOUSE, WESTHILL, INVERNESS (‘the Proposed Development’)
- This letter contains Scottish Ministers’ decision on the above planning application
submitted to The Highland Council by MRH Design on behalf of ...(redacted)….
on 8 October 2018.
- On 21 November 2019, Scottish Ministers issued a Direction calling in the
application for their own determination. The Direction was given due to the
Proposed Development’s potential impact on Culloden Battlefield which is a
battlefield of national importance.
- Scottish Ministers do not accept the Reporter’s conclusions set out in Chapter 6.
Ministers consider that the Proposed Development would have an adverse impact on
the character of the inventory battlefield and would not preserve or enhance the
character or appearance of the conservation area. Ministers also consider that the
Proposed Development is not in accordance with the development plan overall, being
contrary to Policies 35, 28 and 29 of the Highland-wide LDP. The Proposed
Development is also contrary to the overarching principles of HEPS, in particular the
Managing Change in the Historic Environment: Historic Battlefields guidance note.
Accordingly, for the reasons set out above Scottish Ministers hereby refuse planning
permission.
Full details of the Scottish Ministers planning decision can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.scot/publi…/planning-decision-nod-hld-006/
The Group to Stop Development at Culloden Facebook link is:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/817550814926691/