John Muir Trust advises on wild land consultation

John Muir Trust has urged people who care for Scotland’s mountains and wild land to respond to Scottish Natural Heritage’s consultation on Wild Land Areas.

The consultation is on draft technical guidance for planners and developers – ‘Assessing impacts on Wild Land Areas’ – and the Trust hopes people will give their views. To encourage people, it has drawn up its own guidance to the consultation.

In a statement, the Trust said that the publication in June 2014 of the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Wild Land Areas (WLAs) 2014 map was a historic breakthrough in the campaign to have Scotland’s wild land recognised and protected. 

Wild Land Areas represent “the most extensive areas of high wildness” in Scotland. Although they are not a statutory designation, WLAs are identified as nationally important in Scottish Planning Policy and therefore play a vital role in helping to protect Scotland’s wild land.

The work by SNH in mapping and defining Wild Land Areas was a very in-depth, technical piece of research. 

The new SNH consultation on draft technical guidance for planners and developers can be read here.

John Muir Trust has set out its own assessment and the key points it will be making and hopes people will find this helpful in making their own responses - see John Muir Trust guidance on how to respond. 

If you have any questions in relation to the Trust guidance email John Low, Policy Officer or ask for any of the Policy team on 01796 470080.  Links to SNH contact details and other documents can be found on the SNH wild land pages

The consultation ends on Friday, 7^th April.