YOUR VIEWS: ‘Knowing price of everything and value of nothing’
Last week’s Strathy reports on a narrow vote by the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s planning committee to approve a controversial play park development at Cairn Gorm.
This includes nine letters, each three metres high, spelling 'CAIRNGORM'; a 2.5m high heart; a bird 5m high x 5m wide and 12m long; a 10m x 14m plastic pillow; ball runs and a new path
Eight of the 18 committee members present commendably voted to refuse the application, describing it as ‘a step too far’, ‘tacky’, doing ‘nothing for the integrity of the mountain’ and risking ‘reputational damage to the area’.
While appreciating the desire of all committee members for a more sustainable future for the ski area, former convener Xander McDade was understandably unconvinced that this was the right development to ‘make the mountain more sustainable and continue to keep it a special place’.
He reasonably pointed out that there are ‘things that can be done that are less impactful’.
It is particularly concerning that four members, including local representatives Russell Jones and Lauren MacCallum, voted for approval but without even requiring a condition that avoided unnecessary environmental impacts.
Claimed economic benefit was presented as the justification for allowing the development.
The CNPA’s planner, advising approval, informed the planning meeting of ‘the fact’ that it ‘will improve the viability of this business’; and the applicant's agent maintained that the development ‘improves the economic viability’.
However, no business case nor financial information was presented to the committee to substantiate these optimistic claims, except that it would cost £5 to buy a wooden ball to use on the ball runs.
Indeed, when a planning committee member asked the applicant's agent: “Are you able to quantify the economic impact in terms of visitor numbers, spend and general value for the local area and any work that you have done on this in preparing this bid?” the agent's revealing reply was “No I haven't got anything.”
Thus the CNPA granted planning permission without having any substantive information provided on the project's economic viability.
Oscar Wilde famously quipped about those who "know the price of everything and the value of nothing". In this lamentable case it appears that the CNPA didn't even know the price.
Gus Jones
Convener
Top Stories
Badenoch & Strathspey Conservation Group
Nethy Bridge.
* * *
Ministers need to bin the silly ideas
Having beset the self catering tourist businesses with red tape, and driven many of them out of business, look out for Scottish Government's next exercise in nanny state compliance.
Scottish Government, the impoverished devolved one, has just given Highland Council £6.5m to complicate its waste collection services.
We will not have food waste collection but we will have half baked schemes with three different bins, three different collection patterns, and if you pay extra, you can throw in garden waste.
This was publicised at the beginning of August, when every year our glass skips contractors go on holiday at the busiest time and glass spills and spreads all over the show.
We are not like Edinburgh. We do not need a strike to have detritus...
We are going to receive lots of guide notes and stickers. Our bins will be checked to make sure that we don't put pizza boxes in the clean cardboard bin.
And back at bin collection, the self-catering provider will be responsible for making sure that visitors stick to the new confusing rules!
Tell the customer: "Have a happy holiday, but don't put plastic bags in with plastic bottles".
Only Scottish Government’s bureaucrats could delude themselves and MSPs that councils will have the resolve and resources to make these convoluted schemes work.
Highland Council publicity summarises the way forward.
In your green bin they list six items which you should put in; eight items you must not. In your blue bin, seven items you may put in, nine items you must not.
What we really need is a recycling bin for Scottish laws that have no measurable benefit.
Gregor Rimell
Newtonmore.
* * *
Getting thrill from killing our wildlife
Reading Fergus Ewing's column in the Strathy I could not but contrast his positive views on sporting estates with that of the late, much respected Highland Councilor, Sandy Lindsay .
Sandy was a truly radical member of the SNP, a species now perhaps in danger of extinction.
As a World War II Hurricane pilot he had experience of the reality of violent conflict and consistently questioned the morality of getting one's kicks killing fellow creatures (little birds which increasingly in this National Park are alien imports).
Mr Lindsay was also a strong advocate of land reform.
Are there prominent SNP politicians still of that mind?I realise
Mr Ewing has views not particularly in alignment with his party - so the strength of his deference to the huntin', shootin' and fishin' set brought to mind another good friend of the 'Ancien Regime', the Labour Party stalwart Charlie Whelan.
But as Mr Ewing makes clear in his piece, the grouse moors are no longer the playgrounds solely of Tory grandees-all monies from whatever airt are absolutely welcome.
And Mr Ewing is a fan of muirburn.
This when there is a possible move-by the more enlightened- towards cutting heather rather than happily sending smoke and CO2 skywards.
I notice Mr Williamson of Alvie is controlling at least some of his heather growth by this means.
Thoughtful approaches to estate management would seem more likely from proprietors who actually live in their estates in contrast to absentees who can consider a sizeable acreage of Scotland as their personal 'sporting' playground.
The local lairds have obviously diversified to quite an extent from the old ways-zipwires,archery, cafe, quad trips on Alvie and a range of modern attractions on Rothiemurchus.
So, of course economic argument has an important place.
But surely when so much wealth is generated and is flowing from the Highlands we can do better for Badenoch, Strathspey and the planet than just to ape the wealthy with their field 'sports '.
Mr Lindsay would have recognised that the salmon is symbollic of knowledge and wisdom. Mr Ewing is surely right in wishing for its return.
Dick Webster
Kingussie.
* * *
Please invoice us the bill
Why is it that most small or medium sized businesses will email out an invoice or a receipt without making any fuss at all, but BT, the mobile companies and energy utilities don’t?
Telecoms and energy companies take your money usually by direct debit, but will they email you a bill each time? No way. Each of these arrogant leviathans requires you to sign in to ‘your’ account or download ‘the app.’ These come with the hassle of passwords and dual factor authentication.
I am old enough to remember when utilities sent out physical bills. Now they don’t even send out electronic ones. This approach reflects the contempt in which they hold us, the little people, who pay their bills.
This arrogance should be ended by law. At the very least all the telecoms companies and the power utilities should be required to provide their domestic and small business customers with the option of free emailed invoices and receipts.
Otto Inglis
Crossgates.
* * *
Send out strong signal
It is ideal that the Scottish Government has given the green light to ban mobile phones in schools.
However the education secretary, Jenny Gilruth, instead of cracking down on indiscipline in schools by punishment has called for "high warmth and support, high standards and high expectation of socially responsible behaviour".
What drivel from a minister getting £98,045 a year.
Does she not know that teachers are assaulted by a pupil on average every four minutes, with more than 16,000 attacks in the past academic year?
Scottish exam results are at their worst level for nearly 20 years. Firm action, not waffle, is needed to solve the problem of disruptive, violent and aggressive pupils.
There is a solution.
The parents receive child benefit of £3,455 each for up to two children.
If a child is repeatedly disruptive then this taxpayer-funded £3,455 should be suspended for a year.
Hitting parents in their pockets would ensure that the parents tackle the problem perhaps by stopping pocket money, carryouts and holidays.
The child would quickly learn that serious misbehaviour will result in serious consequences.
Clark Cross
Linlithgow.
