Last week news of yet another proposed major development on the western shores of Loch Lomond emerged. The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority published its response to the pre-application consultation proposals on their planning portal (see here) and this then received coverage in the Helensburgh Advertiser (see here). This post explains why the…
Author: Nick Kempe
[This post has been updated since publication to correct two erroneous claims, that not all of Balmoral is included in the East Cairngorms Moorland Partnership and that Delnadamph, owned by Prince Charles, was not a member of the partnership. See below]. The news that mountain hare numbers have collapsed in Scotland (see here for excellent…
In the run up to the National Park’s hearing on their Planning Application on Tuesday 24th September, Flamingo Land appear to have decided to go onto the offensive. Besides their attempt to discredit West Dunbartonshire Councillors objection to the application (see here) and (here), which I will consider further below, they have been feeding more…
If the declaration of a climate emergency by the Scottish Government is to mean anything, we all need to think and act differently. Continuing to look at and treat the natural environment in the same old way, as a commodity to be used and exploited, just won’t do. We need to become far cleverer about…
In March there was quite a debate on Facebook – 130 comments – about work that had recently been completed on a 1km section of the West Highland Way by Keilator Farm in Glen Falloch just before it reaches Crianlarich (see here). To their credit Gordon Baillie Contracting Ltd have not tried to remove any…
The first reason West Dunbartonshire Council gave for objecting to the Riverside and Woodbank House Planning application was that local Councillors regarded it as “overdevelopment and departure from the Local Development Plan”. In planning terms this is very important because Local Development Plans are meant to set a framework for what type of development takes…
[UPDATE: This post was prompted by an article in the Guardian claiming NTS had decided to end driven grouse shooting at Mar Lodge. This was subsequently changed – thanks to James Shooter for pointing this out. I have since checked with NTS staff who have helpfully explained they adopted a new Vision and Master Plan…
Last year in the Pyrenees, after a couple of hours walking west from Bujaruelo along the GR11 we came across a large – 50 plus – group of young people packing up camp after a night of very heavy rain. I was struck at the time that you would be very unlikely to see such…
The arrangements for taking the planning decision On 29th July the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority issued a brief news statement setting a date for their Board visit to the West Riverside site (Monday 24th September) and for the Board Hearing and meeting which will decide the Flamingo Land Planning Application (Tuesday 25th…
A couple of weeks ago Highlands and Islands Enterprise lodged yet another planning application for Cairn Gorm, this time for the creation of a beginners ski area above the day lodge (see here for planning documents). James Gibb from HIE made no mention of this at the meeting organised by the Aviemore and Community…
After my post on floods and flood prevention within our National Parks (see here), which included a brief postscript on Balloch in response to a reader’s comment, I have been sent more photos of flooding on the Old Luss Rd, which runs under the Woodbank House part of the proposed Flamingo Land development. The updated…
As the downpours continue, the Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Roseanna Cunningham, should be asking herself why so much of the recent flood damage has been within our National Parks? Examples include disruption and damage to the rail network near Carrbridge in the Cairngorms (see here), at Ardlui and north of Crianlarich in the…
Almost the first newspaper article I read on return from the Pyrenees was about an Innovation Challenge launched by Forest and Land Scotland to increase the number of seeds from trees which are planted that develop into saplings (see here). Apparently two thirds of seeds planted for forestry purposes in Scotland never make it due…
I have recently returned from my second walking trip to the Pyrenees (see here for links to posts last year). On the French side Public transport up into the Pyrenean valleys from the rail network are poor and we had to wait a couple of hours in Gedre for a connection to Gavarnie with…
Following Alan Brattey’s post The Cairn Gorm Funicular: Repair or Remove?, on Thursday Highlands and Islands Enterprise revealed at a meeting organised by the Aviemore and Glenmore Community Trust (see above) that they intend to repair the funicular as: “We have an indicative cost of repairs, which is less than the costs of removing the…
I have been thinking and discussing with various contacts the claim by James Stuart, convener of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority, that it conducts a risk based approach to planning enforcement (see here). The evidence from the Donich Water hydro scheme, situated above Lochgoilhead, which I visited earlier this year, suggests the…
Five months ago I blogged about the fly tipping which had been left for months by Loch Iubhair in Glen Dochart and commented that I hoped the Park’s new Litter Prevention Manager would help to address the issues (see here). In the last three weeks Dave Morris twice visited the parking and picnic area, which…
The night before going on holiday a couple of weeks ago, I was on the Question and Answer Panel organised by Patagonia following the showing of their fantastic film Blue Heart in Edinburgh (see here for film – 45 mins). The discussion (a podcast of the event is being produced) focused on the similarities and…
I have never met the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park’s Litter Prevention Manager, Nik Turner, but since she was appointed earlier this year she has launched a number of initiatives (see here for example) and appears to have woken the Park out of its slumber. That is welcome. Many of the problems she is…
After my visit to the Keltie Water hydro scheme at the beginning of May (see here), I complained to the Convener of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority, James Stuart, about the Park’s continued failure to address the mess left by a development which they had nominated for a Scottish Planning Quality Award. …
[Update 5/7/19: following publication of this post HIE’s subsidiary Cairngorm Mountain Scotland Ltd appear to have backtracked, having announced the ATV experience will be limited to the road up the Ptarmigan and is unlikely to take place more than once a month (see here). That appears a tacit admission that their original proposal was contrary…
The last thing I was expecting when I was writing on Tuesday about the democratic deficits in our planning system (see here) was for West Dunbartonshire Council to vote unanimously to oppose the Flamingo Land development, but that is what they did at their Council meeting last night. Tories, SNP, Labour and Community Party Councillors…
On Monday the Green MSP, Alison Johnstone, launched a public consultation on a Members Bill to introduce a ban on fox hunting and further restrict the killing of mountain and brown hares (see here). The Bill is partly in response to the failure of the Scottish Government to respond adequately to Lord Bonomy’s report into…
Democracy and the planning system – the National Park, West Dunbartonshire Council and Flamingo Land
I was honoured to be on the platform last night for the Save Loch Lomond meeting in Balloch about the proposed Flamingo Land Development…… along with five elected politicians. There were some great contributions which you can view on Independence Live (here). Flamingo Land, Scottish Enterprise and local SNP politicians, possibly in thrall to the SNP…
After the criticisms in my last post about the way the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority is being managed (see here), its good to be able to report that the Park’s management have got something right. At today’s Planning Committeethey are recommending that the Planning Application from the Wards Estate for a function…