SCOTLAND’S national bird protection agency has revealed it will have difficulty preventing a controversial phone mast on its reserve near Abernethy in the Highlands.
RSPB Scotland said it has “significant concerns” about the potential for “collision risk and disturbance” to the vulnerable capercaillie if it goes ahead and has called for a “rethink” of the rollout of the Shared Rural Network (SRN).
The society is just one of the organisations alarmed at the possibility of a phone mast near the Green Loch in Cairngorms National Park, one of the country’s most treasured beauty spots.
If it goes ahead beside the iconic Ryvoan Bothy, it would be “visual vandalism” according to protesters, as well as a threat to wildlife.
The mast is one of 260 planned in the SRN for uninhabited wilderness with no communities or roads.
The entire £320m SRN budget has been allocated for these masts in so-called 4G Total Not Spots, despite rural communities calling for the money to be spent on improved communications where they are actually needed.
However, the approach by the UK Government has been described as “seriously flawed”.
Campaigner David Craig said the rollout was a wasted opportunity for rural communities with inadequate mobile coverage.
“Without bothering to ask communities what was needed, a target was set to bring 4G coverage from at least one operator to 95% of UK land area,” said Craig.
“The target could help customers in a fixed location but it is of little use to those on the move outdoors. Most of the ‘new coverage’ area is in fact already covered by O2, EE and Vodafone from existing masts outside the sensitive area.”
The official Ofcom current coverage map shows there is only a small 4G Total Not Spot near Ryvoan and Lochan Uaine, the Green Loch. Ofcom also states that voice coverage, including 999 calls, is available everywhere in the area.
Craig said the Ryvoan mast epitomised the Total Not Spot programme as a “wasteful, damaging disaster for Scotland”.
A planning application has already been made for a 25m mast at nearby Glenmore, which would be a necessary connection for one at Ryvoan.
“Nearby residents and tourists know of many ‘partial not spots’ where some phones work and some don’t,” said Craig. “4G reception is poor at Loch Morlich, and around the Osprey Centre to the north. This is where the money should be spent – these are the missed opportunities.”
RSPB Scotland said it was concerned about both Ryvoan and the current planning application at Glenmore, which is within the Cairngorms Special Protection Area designated for capercaillie, among other species. Capercaillie are on the brink of extinction, with most of the remaining birds located in Strathspey.
“We are also expecting the submission of another application soon for a mast, two wind turbines, solar array and back-up generator on RSPB Scotland’s reserve at Abernethy, near to Ryvoan Bothy,” said an RSPB spokesperson.
“Due to the special rights that telecom developers have, although the mast is proposed on our land, it is likely to be very difficult for us to prevent its construction if planning permission is granted.
“From the information we have seen so far, the Ryvoan site is next to a number of nationally and internationally protected sites: Abernethy Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest; Abernethy Forest Special Protection Area; the Cairngorms Special Area of Conservation and within the Cairngorms Massif SPA.
“We are really concerned about the potential for collision risk and disturbance to capercaillie if these developments are granted permission.”
He added: “While RSPB Scotland is supportive of the need for a telecommunications network in Scotland and indeed have telecommunications masts on some RSPB reserves in Scotland, the current SRN rollout is having some unforeseen consequences for important wildlife sites in remote areas of Scotland.
“Unfortunately, we are seeing many of these applications in inappropriate areas which do not include adequate – or in some cases any – assessments of impacts on designated sites and protected species.
A rethink on how the programme is rolled out is required and we urge decision-makers to ensure that such proposals are carefully considered in terms of their impacts on the environment.”
North East Mountain Trust said it was also opposed to a mast in the vicinity of Ryvoan and would object if an application is submitted for a telecoms mast there.
The John Muir Trust said that while it was “wholly supportive” of improving rural connectivity, the approach of the UK Government was “seriously flawed”.
“Instead of consulting with communities in sparsely populated areas, ministers are imposing top-down targets whose prime objective seems to be filling in dots on maps rather than providing 4G cover for households and businesses who need to be connected,” said campaigns manager Thomas Widrow.
“As a wild places charity, we are concerned that unnecessary damage is being inflicted on landscapes and wildlife in isolated locations by unnecessary masts and access tracks, with no evident public benefit, at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds to taxpayers.
“We are also concerned at the aggressive imposition of this infrastructure on community, environmental, public and private landowners by the four big telecom companies.
“We want this programme paused to allow for proper consultation with communities and relevant interest groups, to determine exactly what coverage is needed and where these masts are to be located.”
Highland Council has also called for a rethink of the rollout.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “The purpose of the SRN is to provide connectivity where people go, as well as around premises and communities. This is particularly important where the right to roam attracts visitors to remote areas.
“DMSL, the mobile operators and Building Digital UK are working closely with Highland Council, planning authorities, special interest groups and local communities to achieve the best outcome for all parties and to take a nuanced approach in site placement, while delivering as broad an area of coverage as possible.”
A spokesperson for the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said: “The SRN benefits rural communities where there is limited or no 4G coverage, supporting emergency services, the public and businesses.
“All proposed mast sites are assessed to consider a wide range of factors, including the benefits to surrounding communities, value for money and consideration to areas of natural beauty.
“Local planning authorities are responsible for approving applications which form part of the programme. Mobile network operators continue to work closely with them and local communities to ensure new masts, which will facilitate 999 calls for the first time, go through the proper planning process.
“Once upgraded, publicly funded masts are shared by all four mobile network operators to minimise the impact on the environment and, wherever possible, the programme will utilise existing infrastructure.
“Mobile network operators continue to work closely with local communities and planning authorities to ensure new masts go through the proper planning process and are considerate to areas of natural beauty. Stakeholder engagement is ongoing across Scotland.”
Cairngorm National Park Authority has called in the Glenmore application (2024/0150/DET on its website) and has indicated it will call in and determine an application for a mast near Ryvoan Bothy if there is a planning application for it in future.
The authority declined to comment further.
