Tracks and Masts

George Allan

Hill Tracks

The good news is that there continues to be a negligible number of applications for tracks in the Cairngorms National Park. Perhaps there are now enough of them blighting the hills to allow even the most infirm of grouse shooters to reach the butts!

With regard to the long-awaited review of permitted development and tracks, a response to a recent question in the Scottish Parliament suggests that, while this remains on the Government's agenda, we shouldn't hold our breaths as no timescale has been set. The Minister described it as 'a complex issue of interest to a wide range of stakeholders': indeed, but it is now more than five years since a review was first mooted and we still wait.

The Scottish Environment LINK hill tracks campaign group is still in existence, and can be re-activated quite quickly when the review is announced.

Telecoms Masts

Objecting to individual applications and supporting the campaign to rationalise the Shared Rural Network programme remains a major part of NEMT's work. Since the last edition of Mountain Views, NEMT has objected to a further 25 planning applications, and at time of writing:

Objections: 82
Withdrawn: 16 (but may be resubmitted; if so, recorded as new)
Approved: 18
Refused/no appeal yet: 5
Refused/appealed: 0
Refused/appealed: appeal successful: 2
Active: 41

It is important to stress that we do not object to proposed masts which would serve communities or roads, except when we think that these could be sited where they would have less detriment to the landscape: our focus continues to be on applications which have marginal or no public benefit. It is interesting to note that the companies submitting applications have begun to change their tune somewhat. As objectors have been pointing out when a proposed mast will not serve any 'local businesses, crofts or fragile communities', and so do not comply with National Planning Framework 4 - Policy 4 (Natural Places), applicants have begun to play the mountain safety card instead. NEMT's objections stress that no mountain rescue teams and no clubs or groups of hill-goers are calling for masts in Wild Land Areas or remote locations.

Applications in the Cairngorms National Park

Since the last Mountain Views, there have been no more applications which have caused us concern. The application for a mast adjacent to Ryvoan bothy has been withdrawn and, to date, has not been resubmitted. In the last edition, we noted that Highland Council's refusal of a mast by the path up Creag Dhu on Speyside was subject to appeal. The appeal has been upheld and the mast approved, a decision which NEMT feels was unacceptable given that the Reporter failed to properly address why alternative sites could not be used. In such a situation, an appeal by NEMT would be highly problematic; the potential expense would be prohibitive, and even a positive outcome would not necessarily lead to a mast being rejected.

A Rethink at National Level?

The positive news is that campaigning by the national Coalition, along with potential cost savings to the Westminster Government, really does seems to be leading to a rethink. In a Westminster debate in November 2024, Chris Bryant, the Minister responsible, stated - "It seems to be illogical simply to put masts, big masts, in places of extreme natural beauty just for the sake of saying that we've covered geographical mass. Much more important is to have masts in places where there are actually people ..." The Minister has also said that civil servants will visit Scotland to meet stakeholders, and the Coalition has asked to be involved. Building Digital UK, the executive agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has now indicated that fewer masts than anticipated will be needed. We await more detail, but we can be cautiously optimistic that at least some of the masts proposed for the most egregious locations, deep within Wild Land Areas, will no longer go ahead.

Appreciation

Thanks are due to our own trackers, who cover the Grampian area, and others covering Highland, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute Councils, for their unrewarding work of scrutinising planning websites, week in and week out.