Tag: planning

November 9, 2023 Nick Kempe 7 comments

Who benefits from the telecommunication masts?   The spate of new telecommunications masts which, as George Allan from the North East Mountain Trust explained on Monday (see here), threaten some of Scotland’s finest landscapes are intended to eliminate “total not spots”.  They form part of the Shared Rural Network programme and are being  funded by…

November 6, 2023 George Allan 12 comments

  Planning applications are coming in thick and fast for 25 metre communications masts in remote hill country in Scotland as part of the UK Government’s Digital Connectivity Programme – the Shared Rural Network. Some appear to have almost no public benefit and are proposed for Scotland’s finest landscapes. Anyone for near to the Falls…

October 23, 2023 Graham Garfoot 16 comments

While researching why the funicular was beams were built out of concrete rather than steel (see here), apart from being told that the beams should have been deeper, “tensioning” was mentioned. I didn’t appreciate the importance of what was being talked about at the time but then, after my last post (see here), this comment appeared:-…

October 6, 2023 Nick Kempe 9 comments

Eighty staff laid off Last week Scotgold Resources announced that the “unique package” which the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) had claimed would “deliver multiple benefits for the area” and create jobs (see above) was putting the majority of its employees at the Cononish goldmine in Strath Fillan on short-term unpaid leave…

October 5, 2023 Nick Kempe 4 comments

The Luibeg mast planning application Yesterday the planning application for the proposed telecommunications mast above the Luibeg bridge on the Mar Lodge estate (see here) was temporarily withdrawn by the developer “in light of recent consultation responses received“.  The application was rapidly developing into a test case for plans to erect similar masts (with access tracks…

August 9, 2023 Nick Kempe 2 comments

On 28th July the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) lodged a response to the Flamingo Land Planning Application (see here) which could scupper a large part of the proposed development: “The outputs of the FRA [Flood Risk Assessment]  (illustrated in Appendix G) [see map above] indicate the majority of Zone B – Riverside and part…

July 17, 2023 Nick Kempe 2 comments

The consultation on the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA)’s National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) 2024-29 has been live since 26th April and closes on Wednesday. There have been few responses so far through the online platform “commonplace” (see here) despite the LLTNPA’s attempts to frame the new plan as having a pivotal…

July 10, 2023 Nick Kempe 14 comments

Following my most recent post on the Ralia hill road (see here), I was sent further photos which  support my argument that the road upgrade work should have required full planning permission.  The Construction Method Statement accompanying the Prior Notification, which was produced by Taiga Upland in conjunction with Kilrie Trees and  approved by Highland…

June 18, 2023 Nick Kempe 2 comments

At the beginning of April a planning application (see here) was submitted in the name of Abrdn Property Holdings Ltd to build a “bothy” on Far Ralia, the property bought be the Standard Life Investment and Property Trust before it merged with Aberdeen Asset Management.  Abrdn Property Holdings Ltd was registered as a company in…

June 10, 2023 Nick Kempe 9 comments

Silt first started flowing into the Gynack River system, which flows into the River Spey, six and a half weeks ago (see here).  I reported and others reported this to both the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).  The CNPA responded that they were not sure whether the silt flowing…

May 30, 2023 Nick Kempe 2 comments

On 9th May Highland Council issued a decision on the proposals submitted on behalf of ABDN to upgrade the track to Far Ralia and construct an alternative to the Wade Bridge (see here). The way the proposals have been dealt with and the decision itself raise serious questions about how the planning system in the…