Information below from The Save Glen Etive Facebook page
*****What’s happening now??*****
The Special Meeting of the full Highland Council, driven by the actions of Councillor Andrew Baxter to review three of the seven schemes, will take place on the 20th March.
The three schemes to undergo review are the Allt Ceitlein, Allt Chaorainn and the Allt Mheuran, flowing on the south side of Glen Etive within the Loch Etive Mountains Wild Land Area. These rivers are situated on the undeveloped side of the Glen, and would therefore have the greatest impact on the ecology and landscape.
****What can I do?****
We are a large movement, thank you for showing your support so far.
Those of you who live in the Highland Council region can lobby Councillors to 1. attend the Special Meeting and 2. consider the wider implications for these hydro-power schemes.
It may also be useful to contact your MSP, to make them aware of these plans and why they are of national significance.
If you live within the Highland Council region (especially if you've yet to write) please email the appropriate Councillor for your ward. You can find a list of councillors here:
https://www.highland.gov.uk/councillors
If you live in wider Scotland, please write to the national press and refrain, for the time being, from writing to Highland Council. Writing letters to the press keeps the issue live and in the spotlight, without fatiguing due process at a local level. Please highlight the same issues of landscape, planning and tourism, as below.
A list of MSP’s can be found here: https://www.parliament.scot/msps.aspx
*****What can I say?******
Please keep emails courteous, and focus on these main points:
• Glen Etive is a National Scenic Area (NSA),a Special Protection Area (SPA) and the three schemes still under review are within a Wild Land Area (WLA9). These designations are in place to ensure the landscape’s protection from inappropriate development. The International Union for Conservation identifies NSAs as Category V Protected Landscapes, therefore classifying the Glen as ‘an area of distinct character with significant ecological, biological, cultural and scenic value’. The Highland Council must recognise these designations and uphold them; to not do so would render them useless, and easily bypassed.
• Scottish Planning Policy states that regions of wild land are particularly sensitive to development. The cumulative impact of the schemes will certainly have a negative effect on the landscape. Recovery of the area after development is unlikely given the track record of similar schemes, and permanent damage that will be done to fragile vegetation, soils and rock. In addition, the developers are under no obligation to provide mitigation for the works other than that which they have mentioned in their applications, which lack acceptable detail.
• The landscape of Glen Etive provides the opportunity for a number of recreational activities such as walking, climbing, running, swimming and kayaking. It's also a highly valued tourist destination; people travel from all over the world to enjoy the visual grandeur of the area. Construction in Glen Etive would negatively impact these activities, and destroy the Glen’s international reputation.
• It is of national interest to provide cleaner energy options, however this should not be to the detriment of highly valued, sensitive landscapes. These are absolutely not ‘the right developments, in the right place’.
• It might also be worth mentioning that any decision councillors took to protect Allt Ceitlein, Allt Chaorainn and Allt Mheuran might be considered a useful compromise for all parties, given that the other 4 schemes on the west side have now been approved by the Highland South Planning Committee.
THANKYOU!