On 16th March 2024 Prior Notification of the intention to erect a 25m high telcommunications mast east of Corrour Lodge was published on the Highland Council Planning Portal (24_00979 TPNO see here).  The proposal does not require full planning permission, even though it is close to the heart of the third most extensive Wild Land Area (Rannoch – Nevis – Mamores – Alder) in Scotland because it is not in a National Scenic Area or land protected for nature and does not require a new track.  It therefore counts as a permitted development. It is one of approximately ten being proposed for the Corrour Estate.

While there are several reasons to object to this mast, the following background research into demand might help inform objections.

This Application says “Connectivity helps these regions promote tourism, attracting visitors who can explore local culture, history, and landscapes.” [1].  Unusually for an Shared Rural Network (SRN) mast, there is a small rural business here, providing self-catering accommodation https://www.corrour.co.uk/cottages/ . What this business says in its objection to another of the applications is this:

“…guests who stay in the accommodation, or those who camp in remote places, tend to be specifically drawn to the remoteness of the location and its wildness …. the Long Run organisation estimates that only around 12,000 walkers visit each year, so a daily average of 33” [2]

To ‘serve’ these 33 potential ‘customers’ the SRN plans to build 10 masts on the Corrour Estate, so that would be 3 potential ‘customers’ per mast per day, who will have actually their phones turned off most of the time to conserve battery life.

The application says “The area around the application site currently has no connectivity at all from any MNO [Mobile Network Operator]”[3  p29].  But there is a Vodaphone base station hosted in Corrour Lodge, powered by the 1.2MW Uisge Labhair hydro scheme. [2] (The power station is actually shown on the Site Location drawing).

Actual coverage can be seen with the Ofcom online coverage map (below), set up for Vodaphone/Voice/ Outdoor/ Coverage.

This looks very different from the ‘existing coverage map’ provided in the application.  I don’t have a complete explanation for the difference, but it may be that Ofcoms Voice coverage is 3G rather than 4G.

 

The application boasts “The proposed mast and apparatus will be predominantly powered by renewables. Each solar array (4No) is 3kW nominal (full sun); but will deliver in the region of 400-600W per array average throughout the year”

If this was a serious attempt to reduce the carbon footprint (rather than greenwashing), wind turbines would have been added to the mix. To power equipment for four separate competing networks, the power demand would be ~4kW  or 35000 kWh per year. Assuming unlimited battery capacity the 4No 3kw panels proposed will generate 10200kwh per year less than 1/3 of the consumption [4]. This assumes all 4 networks will use the mast, as alleged in the application [3  p.6]. Hopefully they won’t actually all bother. 3 customers a day divided by 4 networks…!

Who, I wonder, will remove this mast when it becomes redundant? This application is by ‘Clarke Telecom Ltd on behalf of Cornerstone Telecommunication Infrastructure’. The users will be some or all of the network operators Vodaphone, O2, EE and Three.The SRN contract is managed by Digital Mobile Spectrum Ltd and funded by a UK government grant which covers operation of the masts to 2041. What can possibly go wrong?

While many people have commented on other masts proposed for the Corrour Estate – including the landowner who has objected – none have so far objected to this application.  You can do so here

References

[1} BDUK SRN BENEFITS BROCHURE provided in 24_00979_TPNO Supporting Information

[2] 23/05895/TPNO  Objection on Behalf of the Landowner

.[3] 24_00979_TPNO Supplementary Information

{4] www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/ a 1 kW panel generates 850kWh per year.