PRESS RELEASE

11 October 2002

National Park 

Boundary

 The Scottish Executive Rural Development Committee met in Kingussie on Friday 11 October 2002 to consider proposals for the forthcoming Cairngorms National Park. BSCG provided the following press statement to the Strathspey and Badenoch Herald for incorporation into that paper’s report of the meeting.

Dr Gus Jones, Convenor of the Badenoch & Strathspey Conservation Group commented:

"BSCG agrees with Highland Council in wanting the whole of Badenoch & Strathspey to be in the Park.

However many people will be deeply concerned on the controversial issue of the boundary that the Council's Area Planning Committee Chairman spoke out against including any part of Perth and Kinross and Angus. It seems that Highland Council wants a boundary that cuts through the heartland of the Cairngorms for no apparent reason other than parochial self interest.

Many people will be further seriously concerned by the highly misleading comment "We have very few applications in environmentally sensitive areas" which the Area Planning Committee Chairman also made to the Committee of MSPs.

We need only consider

·         the controversial examples of Cambusmore, a major development in the National Scenic Area and which was opposed by SNH;

·         luxury houses at Coylumbridge in the sensitive Glenmore corridor which destroyed landscape Scots pine and wood ant nests of a national priority species;

·         40 houses in Nethybridge on an Ancient Woodland Site within 1km of 2 SPAs for capercaillie;

·         over 100 houses in Boat of Garten - a village of over 300 houses - in mature Scots pine woodland with capercaillie, that is opposed by SNH;

·         nearly 100 houses in Carrbridge in Scots pine woodland with a Red Data Book 1 Priority species of wood ant as well as other priority species;

·         and a golf course beside the River Spey SAC and partly within the National Scenic Area.

Does Highland Council really consider none of the above to be within environmentally sensitive areas? "