Drennan Watson
“For the foregoing reasons, I recommend that the application be refused.”
So said the reporter on the final page 238 of his report on the Lurchers Gully Public Inquiry. The site was “of outstanding scientific, scenic and recreational importance” and the development would change and damage these qualities beyond its benefits. In the covering letter from the then Scottish Office, 15th December 1982:-
“The Secretary of State accordingly refuses planning permission for the development proposal. This decision is final ----
So ended the most major issue NEMT had got involved in - the proposed development of Lurchers Gully and the northern corries of the Cairngorms (Coire an t-Sneachda and Coire an Lochain) for downhill skiing. It was the end of much, but the beginning of more.
Wide support from development agencies made approval likely. The opponents’ strategy was to force it to a public inquiry where it was the tested validity of proposal rather than political power that would count. This required opposing government agencies to object. The then Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) did so. NEMT persuaded Grampian Regional Council to do so. That left the Countryside Commission for Scotland (CCS). It held a daylong hearing from all parties. NEMT, with allies, planned an effective strategy for their joint presentation. The CCS objected. That forced an inquiry.
Among relevant NGOs, a major problem was that the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) seemed unlikely to object. Its lack of performance on environmental issues affecting mountaineers was a running issue. NEMT clubs sought allies among other clubs and forced an EGM with a motion that it set up a subcommittee to advise on ski developments. This subcommittee recommended objection which ensured MC of S objected.
Now for witnesses to give evidence. The NCC provided experts, chiefly Adam Watson with a formidable study of the corries of their scientific value, vulnerability and snow holding (or lack of it). NEMT provided Greg Strange and I with Bill Brooker joining. More widely, it enrolled Professor Kai Curry Lindahl, senior ecological adviser to the United Nations Environment Programme, who had assessed the Cairngorms as the UK’s foremost conservation area. Other important NGOs supported, e.g., the RSPB, SWT and the Scottish Countryside Activities Council (SCAC).
Then NEMT decided to climb over the fence and critique the development. A discovery was a PhD student at Aberdeen, Rod Ward, who spent three years assessing factors influencing snowlie in the Cairngorms. he gave evidence that snowholding of the northern corries was pretty poor. Then we found the late Doug Stewart a skilled road safety engineer. NEMT put him alongside Sandy Walker, expert on soils and slope formation. They largely demolished the design of the road system, including its traffic capacity.
Then NEMT presented Dr Fritz Schwarzenbach, from Switzerland - the foremost expert internationally on the design of ski developments. Assessing the ski development in Coire Cas with him provided an interesting conversation:-
How many ski developments have you assessed Fritz?
I think this is the 500th What do you think of this one?
Well, you know there are many mistakes you can make in ski development. This is the first one where they make all of them!
His assessment of the skiing potential of the northern corries was equally damning.
After it all, much happened. Adam, Kai and I wrote “The Future of the Cairngorms” urging readers write to the Secretary of State demanding action on the Cairngorms. Published by NEMT, it sold 1800 copies and had a quite wide impact. More broadly, this shock victory, in which NEMT played a major role, made staff within the Scottish Office realise the environmental movement had to be listened to. It also persuaded government something had to be done about overall management of the Cairngorms. There was another important result, again with NEMT to the fore. Before and during the inquiry, all objecting environmental and recreational NGOs cooperated closely, greatly strengthening their impact.
On behalf of NEMT, I therefore wrote to all, proposing this cooperation be permanent to share our knowledge, insight and influence on these complex, important issues. On 3rd February 1987, they founded Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Link. I was founding chairman and representing NEMT. It’s now named Scottish Environment Link, with 42 member organisations, and meets ministers regularly.
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