Community takes council to task over Coire Glas FOI

Highland Council has been reported to the Information Commissioner after failing to respond to a Freedom of Information request from Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry (SBRBA) Community Council within the statutory time limit, writes Fiona Scott.

Sent by email on Friday March 10, the request related to ground working hours at the Coire Glas site, in particular the continued attempts by the developer SSER to seek changes to planning consent conditions without public scrutiny.

According to the Scottish Government’s FOI online calculator a response should have been made by Monday April 10. At the time of writing (May 23) it still had not arrived.

SBRBA CC chairman John Fotheringham said: “It is just more delaying tactics by Highland Council.

“You would have thought a public body like them would be geared to ensuring they conformed rigidly with their legal obligations, but unfortunately not.”

The FOI related specifically to Condition 19 of the Coire Glas Consent from the Scottish

Government which laid the ground working hours at the site at 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday to allow those most affected by the construction periods of quiet.

Mr Fotheringham continued: “It appears an official in Highland Council’s planning department had allowed these hours to be amended to 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 2pm on Saturday – a 50 per cent increase in the operating hours without further public scrutiny.

“We want to see all the correspondence between the parties relating to this alteration of the above ground working hours but Highland Council appears somewhat reluctant.”

SBRBA CC has now been in touch with the Office of the Information Commissioner about the unacceptable delay, as well as Kate Lackie and Tracey Urry of Highland Council’s executive management team.

“Our community council and the residents on the Kilfinnan Road and other places affected by this massive construction are anxious to see more green energy and are prepared to work with the developer to mitigate its effects,” added Mr Fotheringham.

“But we will not agree to them driving a coach and horses through the fair and reasonable consent conditions without further public scrutiny.”

The Lochaber Times contacted Highland Council to ask about the delay on Friday May 19 but at the time of writing had still not received a response.

Meanwhile Thomas MacLennan, chairperson of the south planning committee, is to arrange a meeting between interested parties and officials to address the current concerns about the development.

At the May meeting of SBRBA Community Council, it was reported that the Lochaber Committee had met with SSER and that community benefit was on the agenda, but SSER were adamant it did not intend to pay until its board of directors had confirmed in 2024 that Coire Glas would actually be built.

Will Schroeder, from the Kilfinnan Road Group, told members that it was apparent the developer and its contractors were not adhering strictly to the terms of its consent and that everyone must remain vigilant to ensure the unacceptable conduct being experienced by the Kilfinnan Road residents did not become the norm across the whole area.

It was agreed that SBRBA Community Council would continue to support all those directly affected by the construction project and use its influence to ensure that the conditions laid down by the Scottish Government were adhered to.

‘...we will not agree to them driving a coach and horses through the fair and reasonable consent conditions without further public scrutiny.’