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YOUR VIEWS: Mistakes made by public bodies with Glenmore roadside works





Held up: Glenmore work has been suspended
Held up: Glenmore work has been suspended

Thanks to past land managers, the splendid pines by the road at Loch Morlich were spared the fellings of even the First World War.

According to hearsay, this was squarely down to their landscape value and character.

Today, these larger and older trees continue to have special importance: as well as their cultural significance, they are particularly valuable for storing carbon, supporting biodiversity, enhancing the landscape, and offering the kind of inspiration that many people visit national parks to experience.

The Scottish Government has recently committed to protect at least 30 per cent of our land and sea for nature by 2030.

Happily, a new opinion poll has shown overwhelming public support for this.

In addition, in the field of planning, the latest draft of the National Planning Framework 4 highlights the need to protect individual trees, proposes stronger protection for ancient woodlands and veteran trees, and states that development proposals will not be supported if they will result in any loss of, or harm to these.

Regrettably, when Highland Council embarked on controversial excavation and re-profiling of the roadside by Loch Morlich at Glenmore earlier this year, as part of the parking works, there was a lack of respect for the environment including the old roadside pines.

This work was undertaken without adequate coordination among partner agencies which include landowners Forestry and Land Scotland and funding partner Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).

Problems identified by the agencies include root damage to these veteran trees, landscape impacts, the creation of unstable steep slopes and further safety issues for the public.

Even the British Standard (BS 5837 2012) which Highland Council routinely requires others to abide by, was somehow ignored by the authority.

Contrary to Ray Sefton’s misleading allegation in this column (Strathy Letters, December 15) that this work was stopped ‘after’ my intervention, the work was in fact stopped by the agencies before the Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group (BSCG) was in any way involved.

Sadly, this was not before mistakes had been made and damage inflicted.

Mr Sefton also misleads readers in relation to the nationally and internationally designated sites in the vicinity of the roadside parking works.

He appears to be under the misapprehension that in terms of impacts on the environment, damaging work can be undertaken as long as it takes place outwith the boundary of a protected area.

In fact, the legal test is whether an activity may have a negative impact on a designated site, irrespective of whether it takes place within the boundary, or not.

In relation to the ‘Old Logging Way’ trail between Aviemore and Glenmore opened in 2008, Mr Sefton makes another misleading allegation, regarding BSCG’s role in this project.

In fact, BSCG was an active member of the group that instigated this route and it is a matter of record that the work by the group’s volunteers on the ground to reduce natural heritage impacts, was valued by the CNPA at the time.

On the roadside works at Glenmore, much is yet to be put right and we have questions that still remain unanswered.

However, we hope it is encouraging that the agencies have clarified that ‘mistakes have been made’ and that ‘we genuinely want to learn lessons’ and that they should have applied for planning permission before undertaking the work.

In terms of environmental damage caused, we hope the agencies’ recognition that they need to ‘implement remedial work’ and that the initial work, undertaken without environmental assessments, was inconsistent with their Biodiversity Duty, will genuinely result in improved working practices.

Considering the pressing need to address the climate and nature emergencies, we look to the agencies to focus attention on delivering active and sustainable travel in the Glenmore area (for which the CNPA has already received funding), and to fully align their work with government targets and commitments, as well as the majority public opinion that wishes to see nature properly protected.

Gus Jones

Convener

Badenoch & Strathspey Conservation Group

Fiodhag

Nethy Bridge.

* * *

Blister pack pick-ups stopping in Grantown

Christine Clasper with some of the many bags of blister packs which have been recycled.
Christine Clasper with some of the many bags of blister packs which have been recycled.

I’m really sorry to say that I am having to suspend the empty blister pack collection. For 18 months I have been collecting the blister packs twice a week from my box in Lloyds chemist in Grantown.

They have then been taken to Superdrug in Inverness but they are no longer accepting them. There is no other organisation accepting them for recycling in the Highlands.

If I find another recycling partner I will set it up again. Until then thank you for all your support, there is clearly a need and a willingness to recycle.

Special thanks to the staff at Lloyds who have been amazingly helpful and to those who helped get the sacks to Inverness.

We have collected at least 120 sacks – that is over 90,000 blister packs saved from landfill.

Well done Grantown!

Chris Clasper

Grantown.

* * *

‘Inept’ NHS Highland is failing some elderly

The vaccination saga rolls on, with NHS Highland continuing to display staggering levels of incompetence and indifference.

After reading the accounts in the Strathy, back in October, of people turning up for their appointments, only to find that they had been unexpectedly cancelled, I decided to check out my own, scheduled for early November.

My call to NHS Highland was answered by a very polite woman who nonchalantly informed me that my appointment had indeed been cancelled.

When I asked why I had not been informed of the cancellation, she replied that she thought some patients had probably been informed, but it was not possible to contact everyone.

This is despite the fact that they had known for several weeks in advance. I was offered a new appointment, but not until December 10th, which I reluctantly accepted.

I turned up on time for my December appointment only to be greeted by a locked door and a notice which informed me that the session was “Cancelled due to adverse weather conditions”.

This was rather surprising, as it was a pleasant windless day with a mere 2cm of lying snow. What do they expect at this time of the year?

And who’s to say that conditions will not be equally ferocious for any rearranged appointments in the weeks ahead? More cancellations, no doubt.

Each time that an appointment is cancelled without prior warning, those affected find themselves pushed to the back of the queue.

As a result, I’m now in the bizarre situation that my adult children, and even my grandchildren, have all had their Covid booster and flu vax, but I and many other older and vulnerable people are still left waiting for ours, due solely to the ineptitude of NHS Highland.

I now have another appointment just two days before Christmas. Given that the protection from both the booster and the flu jag does not take full effect for two or three weeks, they will offer little extra protection over the busy festive period, which is what they were supposed to achieve.

I have spoken to several people who have had the same experience, many of them elderly and not so mobile, and who have been seriously inconvenienced. The lack of consideration shown by NHS Highland is very disappointing.

Ron Dutton

Tigh na Fraoch

Aviemore.

* * *

Thanks to the Strathy

As a regular correspondent to your excellent newspaper I must thank the editorial team for the fairness and insight in which business is conducted.

May I wish you and all your staff joy at Christmas and every good wish for the year ahead.

In this troubled but beautiful world, may the warmth of a smile brighten each day.

However in the magnificent words of F. Scott Fitzgerald:

It was only a sunny smile

And little it cost in the giving,

But like morning light it scattered the night

And made the day worth living

Slainte Mhath

Grant Frazer

Newtonmore.


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