Claims tracks ‘out of control’ on hillsides

Conservation: Campaigners call for laws to protect landscape Fuel prices up for 11th week in a row

Conservation bodies have united to highlight the damage they claim is being done by tracks being “bulldozed” through Scotland’s iconic landscapes.

Campaigners says the hillside tracks are “out of control”.

A coalition of nine Scottish environmental organisations is calling for stronger laws to protect the country’s most scenic and wild landscapes from damaging vehicle tracks.

Scottish Environment Link Hilltracks sub-group carried out a three-year study into the impact of the tracks, which concluded planning legislation was still not strong enough to protect the landscape.

Despite some tightening of the procedures in 2014, the “Changing Tracks” report said the numbers were uncontrolled.

Hill tracks for agricultural land is classed as “permitted development” which exempts it from requiring planning permission.

Helen Todd, co-convenor of LINK Hilltracks group – and Ramblers Scotland’s campaigns and policy manager – said: “This major new report makes a compelling case for removing permitted development rights for agricultural tracks – to improve local democracy and help safeguard our most precious landscapes.

“For too long, landowners have been able to expand tracks further and further into wild landscapes with limited oversight from the public or authorities.”

Beryl Leatherland, coconvener of the group and also convener of the Scottish Wild Land Group, added: “The Changing Tracks report finds that the current process is confusing, undemocratic and failing to prevent ongoing environmental damage – including within National Parks, Wild Land Areas and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.”

The report concluded that the “prior notification” system did not contain sufficient scope to allow authorities to decide whether or not a track qualified for an agricultural exemption.

A spokesman for Scottish Land and Estates, which represents landowners, said: “We agree that tracks should be constructed in a manner that befits their surroundings, in line with the Scottish Natural Heritage guidance.

“Land managers work hard to ensure that high standards of hill track construction are being met through the prior notification and approval process which was implemented in 2014.”

He added: “Requiring full planning permission would add considerable cost to an already expensive undertaking.” Motorists have been hit by an 11th successive week of fuel price rises.

The average cost of a litre of petrol stands at £1.31 at UK forecourts, with diesel costing £1.35, government figures show. Fuel has not been more expensive than current levels since July 2014.

Over the past six months the cost of filling up a typical 55-litre family car that runs on petrol or diesel has risen by around £6.

Photograph by Peter Jolly ENVIRONMENT: Controversial agricultural hill tracks on the Ledgowan Estate in the Highlands.