THE community of Blairmore is celebrating after planning permission was granted for a major village project more than a decade in the making.
Blairmore Village Trust has confirmed that its long-running application for the development of land in the centre of the village has now been approved, marking a significant milestone in a process that began back in 2013.
The land, known locally as the field, sits opposite Blairmore Pier and has long been seen by local people as a site with major potential for the community.
The trust first submitted its detailed planning application in October 2022, and planning permission was formally granted on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Trust chair Agnes Harvey said the decision followed years of preparation, consultation and determination.
She explained that Blairmore Village Trust, a community interest company formed in 2007, had originally been given the chance to buy the land from its owners after years of local concern over its neglected condition.
The site had been unused for decades and was heavily affected by Japanese knotweed.
Funding for the purchase was eventually secured with 90,000 from the Scottish Land Fund, alongside money raised locally by the trust, including through its well-known Jingle Bus fundraiser.
In order to secure that support, the trust had to show strong community backing and put forward a business case demonstrating how the land could help improve the long-term sustainability of the area.
A major part of that work took place through a charrette process held between December 2013 and February 2014, when local residents, businesses and public bodies were invited to help shape a vision for Blairmores future.
Around 40 people took part in each workshop, identifying issues including limited amenities, parking problems, a lack of public toilets, few employment opportunities, poor road access and limited affordable housing.
From that process, a preferred design option emerged which included parking, public toilets, an amphitheatre for events, childrens play areas, a multi-use event space and between three and five holiday lets designed to generate income for the community.
The trust says that income would help create jobs and support local facilities without relying entirely on volunteers.
The land purchase was completed in March 2014.
As well as the main site, the project also includes ownership of the solum of stretches of Whites Brae and Blairmore High Roads North and South, where the long-standing problem of rough and potholed unadopted roads remains a major issue for local residents.
The trust said finding a lasting solution to that problem remains one of its core aims.
The project has also faced more recent setbacks, with storms in 2025 badly damaging a large oak tree in the gardens and destroying the much-loved Snow Whites cottage during Storm Eowyn.
Despite this, the trust says securing planning permission marks an important turning point and gives fresh momentum to the wider project.
Blairmore Village Trust will now host a series of informal drop-in sessions to display the approved plans, explain the journey so far and discuss the next steps.
The sessions will take place at Blairmore Hall on Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, from 11am to 4pm.
