{"id":19442,"date":"2019-03-20T15:32:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T15:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/?p=19442"},"modified":"2019-03-21T17:34:56","modified_gmt":"2019-03-21T17:34:56","slug":"blow-for-wild-land-as-glen-etive-hydro-schemes-approved-again-by-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/blow-for-wild-land-as-glen-etive-hydro-schemes-approved-again-by-council\/","title":{"rendered":"Blow for wild land as Glen Etive hydro schemes approved again by council"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There was disappointment for outdoors enthusiasts and Highlands tourism businesses as a full meeting of Highland Council approved all the Glen Etive hydro schemes for a second time this afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The three schemes situated on officially-recognised Wild Land were approved by councillors by 28 votes to 13, 25 to 17 and 27 to 15. Councillor Andrew Baxter – who represents the local ward that includes Glen Etive – proposed the motion to reject the schemes due to their cumulative damaging effect on wild land, set against a power generating capability that is less than that of a single offshore turbine, but his motion was defeated. Objectors to the schemes included Mountaineering Scotland and the John Muir Trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The special meeting was held after the original planning committee decision to approve the schemes (by a narrower margin) was called in for discussion by the full council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scottish Natural Heritage, the official body which mapped and recognised Scotland’s wild land, had not objected to any of the developments despite their location. Under Scottish planning rules wild land is supposedly protected<\/a> as being of national importance based partly on its lack of modern artefacts and structures, and perceived naturalness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stuart Younie,\nChief Executive Officer of Mountaineering Scotland, said: \u201cThis is\na disappointing decision by The Highland Council. It brings into\nquestion the purpose and value of allocating special designations\nwhich are intended to help protect our finest landscapes. We\nunderstand the arguments being made in support of the proposed\ndevelopments but feel there was a wider point of principle at stake\ntoday. This was about the stewardship of a national asset and we hope\nthis decision has not set a dangerous precedent which encourages more\ndevelopment applications in our wild land and national scenic areas.\n\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mountaineering\nScotland\u2019s Access and Conservation Officer Davie Black said: \u201cWe\nare disappointed at this decision as there were serious issues raised\nabout the impact of these developments on the landscape here, an area\nof great importance for outdoor recreation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do we\nhave to do to save our best landscapes from heavy engineering? \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe would call on the Scottish Government to review this decision and to look carefully at how we protect a place that is double locked by landscape protections, between being a Wild Land Area and a National Scenic Area. These are national assets, places of outstanding beauty. It should be in the national interest to look after these areas, and yet these heavy engineering projects are to be allowed to destroy the very qualities that make these steep slopes and deep glens so special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The John Muir Trust also expressed its disappointment and warned that Scotland\u2019s wild places are being diminished in pursuit of private profit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Mountaineering Scotland, the Trust objected to just three of the seven applications in the glen, because of their potential impact on a popular and accessible scenic landscape within a wild land area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Low, John Muir Trust Policy Officer, said: \u201cWe first of all want to commend Councillor Andrew Baxter for ensuring that the full Highland Council had an opportunity to examine these applications. We note that around one third of councillors opposed the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe John Trust took a measured approach when objecting to the proposals as we are very concerned at the continued diminishing of Scotland\u2019s wild places at the hands of developers whose sole objective is private profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile we are disappointed at the blanket approval of all three schemes within the wild land area, we welcome the fact that the local community plans to monitor the developments to ensure they are properly restored after construction work.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There was disappointment for outdoors enthusiasts and Highlands tourism businesses as a full meeting of Highland Council approved all the Glen Etive hydro schemes for a second time this afternoon. The three schemes situated on officially-recognised Wild Land were approved by councillors by 28 votes to 13, 25 to 17 and 27 to 15. Councillor Andrew Baxter – who represents the local ward that includes Glen Etive – proposed the motion to reject the schemes due to their cumulative damaging effect on wild land, set against a power generating capability that is less than that of a single offshore turbine,…<\/span> <\/p>\n

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