Hill Tracks

George Allan

NEMT continues to monitor planning applications weekly, commenting where applications fail to address key issues and objecting where tracks are felt to be unnecessary.

Glen Lethnot   ©Sandra Steel

A recent example of the latter is a proposed forestry track across open moorland on the Glen Banchor estate; we think that there is an alternative way to extract the timber and that the main purpose of this application is to facilitate shooting. Fears that lock down would lead to a rash of illegal track work seem to have been unfounded which is a relief. There is still no sign of the Scottish Government's long awaited review of the legislation.

When the consultation is published, the push to change the law so that tracks require full planning consent will begin.

We noted in the last edition of Mountain Views that we had objected to a mobile phone mast in the Lethnot area whose stated purpose is improved staff safety. We argued that supplying staff with satellite phones would do the job better. We still await the decision on this.

A similar application for a mast at the summit of a Corbett (Carn an Fhreiceadain) in the Monadhliath was lodged and attracted a number of strong objections, including one from NEMT. The estate has now withdrawn this. While this is good news, we are wary. Will the estate bring forward a modified proposal? As to the reasons for such masts, are demands by shooting clients to have access to their mobiles at all times a greater driver than staff safety?

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