Saturday September 14th 2024
Stobo Hope is in a secluded glen in the Upper Tweed area of the Scottish Borders, lying in a designated National Scenic Area. Photo credit Stobo Residents Action Group.
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
People power has forced planting on a Borders commercial forest to a grinding halt.
A legal challenge by Stobo Residents Action Group (SRAG) against the government-backed woodland creation scheme in Peeblesshire led to operations being stopped this week.
Now if a review by Scottish Forestry sides with the protesters, thousands of recently planted trees could be uprooted to allow for the hillsides to be restored.
SRAG is campaigning to protect nature at Stobo Hope, located amidst the scenic splendour of the Southern Uplands of Scotland, for future generations.
Stobo Hope lies in a designated National Scenic Area and is a valuable moorland habitat hosting a wealth of wildlife, traversed by the John Buchan Way and has many features of archaeological interest.
Over 10 square kilometres of land was purchased by the Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund, supported by £2m in funding from Scottish Government.
The proposed works, which had started, include a predominantly Sitka spruce plantation covering between six and seven square kilometres, several kilometres of forestry tracks and potentially up to four square kilometres of herbicide application.
Scottish Forestry claims the project “is not likely to cause a significant negative environmental effect” on a range of environmental indicators such as black grouse, golden eagles, landscape or cultural heritage.
But that is not the view of the local action group which has launched a Crowdfunder appeal to raise funds for legal action, raising more than £29,000 thus far.
David Lintott from SRAG said: “What’s happened at Stobo Hope is very upsetting – this is devastating for the flora and fauna.”
Locals formed the action group to fight the decision as they believed the hills not only provided valuable habitats for rare species of wildlife, but were also within a designated National Scenic Area.
Mr Lintott added: “Nature Scot and the RSPB both raised concerns, as well as ourselves, yet Scottish Forestry allowed this to go ahead without an environmental impact assessment.
“Thousands of people walk in these hills every year and they provide habitats for many species.
“We don’t believe that public money should be supporting a woodland that would cause so much harm.”
Protesters claim that up to 400 hectares of the hillsides have already been sprayed with herbicides.
“We will now have to wait on Scottish Forestry’s review, but we firmly believe that when all concerns are taken into account this should not be allowed to progress, and the moorland restored to its original condition,” added Mr Lintott.
The Court of Session approved SRAG’s petition calling for the consideration of a full environmental impact assessment to be a requirement of the Stobo Hope plantation.
This week, Scottish Forestry issued True North with an immediate stop notice.
They will now review their original screening decision, which led to the original permission being granted, to see if a full forestry environmental impact assessment is required.
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