Although the Flamingo Land Planning Application may have been temporarily withdrawn, the relentless development of the south west quarter of Loch Lomond continues from Balloch in the south to Mouldale Properties plans for Tarbet in the north. In October the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority’s Planning Committee approved plans to increase the size…
Tag: planning
In December the LINK hill tracks group revealed that the owner of the Glen Clova estate, Mr Hugh Niven, has appealed to the Scottish Government against the enforcement notice which the Cairngorms National Park Authority issued against the new hill road by the Clova hotel (see here) and (here): “It is deeply frustrating that a…
Thanks to Phil Swainson, an occasional contributor to this blog, for forwarding me the Guardian’s long read yesterday about how Alpine Ski resorts are using snow making “to battle with climate change” (see here). Its recommended reading for anyone concerned about the future of snowsports at Cairn Gorm or who is concerned about how…
This post takes a look behind Highland and Island Enterprise’s disastrous management of the Cairngorm mountain business, which includes: the failed strategy of removing other uplift capacity in an attempt to make the funicular pay; the gross errors in awarding the last operating contract to Natural Retreats (see here) and (here); the failure to manage…
I was pleased to get this letter on Scottish Power’s plans to cover land around their windfarms with solar panels into the Herald the weekend before last . While our two National Parks may have no windfarms within their boundaries, the broader issue, the impact of renewable energy developments on the carbon held in soils,…
A month after the Flamingo Land Planning Application was withdrawn on 17th September (see here), I submitted an information request to clarify further the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Board’s involvement in the whole process. EIR 2019-022 Response arrived a couple of weeks ago. It provides several insights into the Flamingo Land Planning…
The Planning Application to “smooth and regrade land” to create a new beginner’s ski area at Cairn Gorm will be considered by the Cairngorms National Park Authority Planning Committee tomorrow. Officers have recommended the application should be approved. While the revised application does go some way to address issues that have been raised on…
This post reveals two further examples of how CairnGorm Mountain is being mismanaged. These confirm that there is something rotten at both Highlands & Islands Enterprises (HIE) and Cairngorm Mountain Scotland Ltd (CMSL). Both these organisations are in desperate need of a clean-out if what was once Scotland’s premier ski resort is to return…
The visual impact of electricity pylons in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding National Beauty have been a political issue for some time in England and Wales. In response to public pressure, a £500m UK wide fund was created to help underground powerlines. Scotland was allocated a share of this but development of proposals…
I first came across the newly constructed Gynack flood diversion channel above Kingussie by accident in October 2017, when visiting the three hydro schemes on the river. I have visited three times since, all in poor weather (as is evident from the photos!). On my most recent visit I found that the overflow…
The Cairn Gorm ski area: Voluntary Organisations call for an open debate about the future A group of voluntary organisations (The Cairngorms Campaign, Campaign for a Better Cairngorm, North East Mountain Trust, Ramblers Scotland and the Scottish Wild Land Group.) has produced a ‘vision’ for the future of the mountain (below). Key elements include the…
In September the Balavil Estate submitted a Prior Notification to Highland Council to upgrade/create 8 roads AFTER it had started construction work on one of them (see here). By the time of that post Balavil had agreed with the Cairngorms National Park Authority to suspend work on the new road and they had also withdrawn…
Prior to the serious flood damage to some of the hydro schemes in Glen Falloch (see here), I had been trying to persuade the Convener of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority, James Stuart, that there have been some serious planning failures in respect to hydro schemes in the National Park which his Board…
I was pleased to be quoted in Sunday Herald article “Call for crackdown on unregulated Scottish hill tracks” (see here) which was published at the weekend. The article contains some very interesting quotes from the the landowner and owner of the Glen Clova hotel, Hugh Niven, about the apparently unlawful road which is now…
Following the great rainstorm of 5th August, which swept away part of the West Highland Line, I was expecting to find significant damage to the seven hydro roads in Glen Falloch when I visited at the end of September. In the event found that the damage which the storm caused to the hillsides, in…
The Funicular Railway on Cairn Gorm has now been out of service for more than a year. Its future remains unclear although Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have said that it is their intention to have it repaired. Parkswatch has previously had a look at this from the point of view of skiers (see here) …
Back in February 2018 Parkswatch called for the Cairngorms National Park Authority to start taking enforcement action against the unlawful hill roads in Glen Clova (see here). The CNPA responded to say that in most of the cases it was unable, whatever it thought of the roads, to do so. This was either because…
Last Thursday Moulsdale Properties Ltd held a pre-planning application consultation event on its proposals to create a large new development in the village of Tarbet (see here). I went along to the Three Villages community hall in Arrochar to have a look at their proposals and hear more. This post takes a critical look at…
At the beginning of August Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd, Highland and Islands Enterprise’s subsidiary which operates their business at Cairn Gorm, submitted a Planning Application to create a new beginner’s ski area (see here for planning documents). Parkswatch has covered this several times already (see here), (here) and (here) but the more you look at…
In my last post on Glen Falloch (see here) I considered the impact that the very heavy rainfall of 5th August had had on the hydro intake pools. I argued that the serious infilling and damage in some cases appears to be a fundamental design flaw which results from schemes being constructed in unsuitable places. …
The camping byelaws in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park cease to have effect from midnight tonight. Before then you commit a criminal offence if you “set up, use or occupy a tent, wigwam or bivouac at any time” within one the four “camping management zones” the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority…
Ever since the storm which swept away part of the West Highland Line on 5th August I had been wondering what impact this had had on the hydro schemes there. I had been expecting it would have caused significant erosion of the hydro tracks, but never anticipated its impact on the hydro intakes. The extent…
Parkswatch was sent photos a couple of weeks ago of new road construction on the Balavil Estate. Earlier this year Balavil was granted planted permission by the Cairngorms National Park Authority to construct a controversial new road over into the heart of the Monadliath Wild Land Area (see here) and (here). (Work on that…
Today Scottish Enterprise and Flamingo Land issued a joint news release (see here for full text) announcing they had withdrawn their planning application for “Lomond Banks” at Balloch, which was due to be considered by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Board next week. The news release makes it clear this is only…
Last week I welcomed (see here) the recommendation by officers that the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Board should reject the Flamingo Land planning application. I praised the fact that part of their recommendation is based on the Sandford Principle which states that where there is a conflict between the statutory objectives of…