Dear Sir,

Unhelpful advice to "only allow the national park to look after footpaths and wild flowers" - without planning powers, is provided by Roland and Lyn Wigley (letters Sep 12th). It ignores the frequently adverse impact that planning decisions have on these considerations, - public access and sensitive wildlife. There is no sense in making a National Park Authority that is inadequately equipped to do the jobs that are asked of it. These are to conserve outstanding landscape and wildlife in the national interest and safeguard quiet public recreation that depends on these and is the mainstay of the local economy.

It is a matter of lasting regret that when it comes to largely speculative profit driven proposals, like those of Eagle Star for School Wood in Nethybridge, Highland Council planners have advised approval of development that will quite unnecessarily compromise irreplaceable nationally important heritage, and hurt interests of local communities. Such recommendations while no doubt welcomed by a few individual landowners and developers are in many people's judgement contrary to National Planning Policy Guidelines and local and international responsibilities to conserve biodiversity.

Scots pine woodland is being compromised by Goldcrest in Nethybridge, but not Braemar where they were sent packing and refused planning permission. Such woodland is at risk from the proposals of Aviemore and Highland Development whose community unfriendly proposals at for example Carrbridge, and Boat of Garten are widely seen as seeking to take advantage of an outdated local plan and a careless attitude towards environmental assets. This runs contrary to the thinking embodied in such documents as the draft Cairngorms local Biodiversity Action Plan.   (LBAP)

Note:  The Cairngorms LBAP has now been published.  Click here for BSCG comment

Most local communities deplore the proliferation of holiday homes in areas that already have too many.

Yours etc  

(Dr) Gus Jones

Fiodhag, Nethybridge, Inverness-shire PH 25 3DJ