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Re: Glen Roy parallel roads

I think Andy Walker knows more than us!

Re: Glen Roy parallel roads

Correspondence between me and SNH. Nothing since. I will chase it up and keep you informed.

From: SNH
Sent: 14 July 2015 17:00

Vanessa

Thank you for your enquiry about Glen Roy NNR, part of the much larger Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest.

A colleague will reply to your specific questions shortly.

Stewart

Stewart Pritchard
Operations Manager – Protected Places
Battleby  01738-458649



-----Original Message-----
From: Vanessa Ling
Sent: 14 July 2015 15:36
To: NNR
Subject: Glen Roy parallel roads

Hi

I understand that you are discussing the possibility of de-listing the above NNR, but I am struggling to find any information about your proposal and reasons for it. 

Could you send me a link to the information I need? 

Thank you

Vanessa Ling

Re: Glen Roy parallel roads UPDATE

I have now had a reply from SNH which, on the face of it, makes the proposal seem reasonable. However, I am, like many others, of a naturally suspicious nature and haven't had time to look at it in detail. I share the full reply with the rest of you to make up your own minds:


"Vanessa,

Many apologies for the delay in getting back to you.

There is currently a recommendation to de-declare Glen Roy NNR and this will be considered by the SNH Board on 13 August 2015 at our office in Inverness.

The paper that the Board will consider is not available yet but agendas are published the week before each meeting http://www.snh.gov.uk/about-snh/board-comm-and-mgt/board/board-meetings/  ; The agendas usually include the following general information:

"Papers are published on our website on the morning of the meeting. We can issue papers sooner, on request.

Members of the public are also welcome to attend all or part of the Open Session as observers.

Members of the public can make written representations to the Board regarding the agenda items, which must be done at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting. Letters and/or other documents will be circulated to Board Members in advance of the meeting. Where this is not possible, these will be tabled at the meeting. Please note that representations form part of the public record of the meeting and as such may be copied to others.

For further information and to submit written representations to the Board contact Melissa Wall either on 01463 725005, by email melissa.wall@snh.gov.uk , or write to: Senior Management Unit, SNH, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8NW.".

However I can give you some of the background to the proposal.  SNH has being carrying out a review of its NNRs for a number of years.  It was not possible to reach a conclusion on several NNRs and the decision for these was deferred until the NNR Policy was reviewed.  In May 2012 the SNH Board considered proposed changes to the way we engaged with our National Nature Reserves. In part this reflected the changes that had occurred over recent years with NNRs not only being  high quality areas for the natural heritage but also prime sites for engagement with people, and recognition that the NNR was no longer the legal route for protecting nature on the site. The concept of NNRs as an accolade was welcomed, as was the idea that NNRs should have a separate identity and brand. Following this it was agreed that an NNR Partnership should be formed to oversee the development of the NNR accolade and the Partnership subsequently produced a new set of selection criteria and standards http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A1576100.pdf : it is these new criteria and standards that SNH has used to assess Glen Roy.

I mentioned above that the NNR no longer provides the legal protection for the site. When the site was declared the protection to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) was provided by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.  The protection given to SSSIs under this legislation was very weak and the only way to safeguard a site at that time was to declare it as an NNR. The SSSI legislation has evolved through the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) and finally the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act (2004). The end result is that the SSSI provides very robust site protection and the NNR is an accolade. In this case the Glen Roy NNR is only 8% of the much larger Parallel Roads of Lochaber SSSI.

There have also been erroneous suggestions that SNH is proposing to sell the NNR and this is just not true. Therefore if Glen Roy is de-declared as an NNR it will still have protection under the SSSI system, the ownership and land management will be unchanged and visitor access will stay the same.  SNH recognises the importance of all the Parallel Roads of Lochaber SSSI and will continue to ensure that the site is safeguarded.

Please get back to me if you require more information.

Nigel Smith
Principal Advisor: Protected Areas
nigel.smith@snh.gov.uk

Re: Glen Roy parallel roads UPDATE

Thanks for this Vanessa.I note the opportunity to attend the Board meeting and to make prior representations about this recommendation to drop the NNR status. This is pretty meaningless without having access to the report and reasons for de-listing. To the normal person NNRs mean a different thing from SSSIs the latter a concept hard to sell to the general public.