We reported a wave of applications in the last edition of Mountain Views and this has continued on the back of the government mandated programme to extend mobile coverage. Reaction to this has been swift. Mountaineering Scotland and the John Muir Trust have taken the lead in drawing together a group of organisations, including NEMT, which has released a joint statement calling for the scheme to be paused so that a number of issues can be addressed. The campaign has held meetings with the Minister, with Nature Scotand with the Shared Rural Network (representing the operators), sought the opinions of local authorities (thus identifying their concerns) and gained considerable press coverage.
As well as Luibeg, NEMT has objected or commented on around half a dozen mast applications within the Grampian area which we think are likely to be of concern to NEMT members. The mast proposed for the high ground north of the Forest of Birse road has now spurred numerous objections, including our own. We have also objected to a mast in Glen Gairn on the Invercauld estate and one adjacent to the Devil's Staircase in Glencoe. Interestingly, masts can be erected without the landowner's consent. The Trustees/owners of both these estates have objected, giving a range of reasons. The Invercauld Trustees note that a mast must be in the 'public interest'. They argue that its location does not meet this test. The Glen Gairn mast has now been approved, with the Devil's Staircase one being withdrawn although it is likely to be resubmitted.
NEMT considers that many of the mast applications appear to have very little public benefit. The areas covered often have no, or almost no, habitation and often seem likely to increase connectivity for only a few people passing through for limited periods. We understand that the situation is complicated by the fact that new masts need to be daisy-chained to form a network but the planning system is geared towards decisions being taken on a mast by mast basis, not in respect of regional 'clusters'. As far as we are aware, no guidance has been given regarding the landscape implications of masts in sensitive areas. The implications of all this should have been thought through beforehand but the UK government has simply left it to planning authorities to sort it out on a case by case basis.
With the future being electric, there is a pressing need to upgrade the existing grid and construct more transmission lines to bring renewable energy from off- and on- shore wind farms to population centres. Battle lines are being drawn across the UK. Objectors are arguing that more offshore cables and under-grounding is the answer; the industry is arguing that these options take longer and are much more expensive than pylons. NEMT's interest lies in the landscape implications for the hills and remoter areas.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has submitted a screening application for an over-ground power line (7km on 30m high pylons) connecting Melgarve to the Cloiche and Dell windfarms adjacent to Stronelairg. SSEN is proposing to underground the northern section for technical reasons and NEMT thinks that this should be the case along its entire length (the line from Stronelairg in the same area is underground). NEMT contacted Ramblers, Mountaineering Scotland and the John Muir Trust to ask if any of these organisations intend to campaign against this as taking the lead on it is beyond NEMT's capacity. For various reasons, including the demands of other priorities, these organisations are not pursuing this. It is fair to say that the western end of the Monadhliath is well on the way to being completely 'industrialised'.
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