People and wildlife are not in conflict

Sir, I was really sad to read that local MSP Kate Forbes thinks that the Highlands can either accommodate wildlife or young couples, but not both (‘A generation at risk, warns MSP’, The Oban

Times, January 5). Generations of Highland culture have appreciated our very special environment. So does our modern tourist industry, where thousands come to our area to enjoy the very ‘artefacts’ that Ms Forbes dismisses.

Clearly, she is just not correct; people are not an endangered species, either in the Highlands or anywhere else in the world.

Although it is accepted that in our area there is a lack of housing for certain needs, there are plenty of places where homes can be built where they do not clash with wildlife. Sensitive planning can easily accommodate both people and wildlife, and it is unhelpful of Ms Forbes to set them up in opposition to each other.

For what it’s worth, at a recent local planning meeting, Highland planners stated that 95 per cent of planning applications in Highland are approved, which doesn’t sound particularly ‘draconian’.

As our MSP, Ms Forbes has a responsibility to address the many real issues that affect young people. Conflict with wildlife is not one of them. Susannah Calderan, Canal House, Banavie, Fort William.