The Hilltracks Group has a number of active members, a full list is shown below.
At present tracks that are for agricultural and forestry purposes do not require a full planning application. Instead, they benefit from what are known as “Permitted Development Rights” (PDRs). LINK members have campaigned for many years for tracks like these to be brought fully into the planning system. Some examples can be seen in our photo gallery
In 2014 the law was changed to require landowners to give what is known as “Prior Notification” to planning authorities that they intend to build or modify a track. We published a report “Changing Tracks” in September 2018 which considered how effective these changes have been in stopping the building of damaging tracks. You can read the report and its recommendation that PDRs be removed from agricultural tracks here
With a new Planning (Scotland) Bill passing through Parliament in 2019, we worked hard to make the case for further tightening of the law. As a result of our campaign, more than 800 people wrote to their MSPs to voice their concerns. The Scottish Green Party also campaigned for change. Andy Wightman MSP put forward changes to the Bill, gaining the support of nearly 2000 members of the public. Disappointingly, in June 2019, MSPs voted against including new hilltrack legislation in the Planning Bill. Read a response from Helen Todd, Co-convenor of the LINK Hilltracks subgroup, on the UKHillwalking website here.
Planning Minister Kevin Stewart promised to consider hilltracks again as part of a major review of “Permitted Development Rights” during 2020. As the situation regarding hilltracks was recognised as being of great public interest, the government announced it would consult specifically on the issue in the first phase of the review, starting March 2020. Unfortunately this consultation was delayed due to Covid-19 and we now expect it to be published in spring 2021.
Further information about this next stage will be published here as more information becomes available.
Help the LINK Hilltracks campaign
To get in touch, please send us an email – hilltracks email
11 Mar 2020
A Scottish Government reporter has today dismissed a landowner’s appeal against an order forcing the removal of a controversial vehicle track in scenic Glen Clova, Cairngorms NP. The decision ends a long-running battle over the 1.5km track, which is visible for miles around and features spoil mounds up to 10 metres wide. The landowner had […]
10 Dec 2019
A landowner is appealing the Cairngorm National Park’s decision to force the removal of a controversial vehicle track in scenic Glen Clova in Angus. A Scottish Government planning official will conduct a site visit on Friday 20 December to view the track, which sparked national headlines in October this year – including coverage from the […]
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