New access laws start to bite...
A long term problem, the fortified bridge over the Etive "behind" Stob
Gabhar and below Beinn Mhic Chasgaig NN198512 seems to be now
history.
Got this mail from Dave Hewitt via the rhb group
~~~~~
News from Mikes Dales at the MCofS that the notorious Alltchaoruinn
gate
(NN197513 on Landranger 41), scene of an access battle going back many
years, finally appears to have had its fortifications removed.
Mike heard yesterday that the estate factor had phoned John Hutcheson,
the
Lochaber access officer at Highland Council, to say that the estate
had
removed the padlock and barbed wire. Seemingly the padlock is still
hanging
on the gate, but isn't actually locking it.
Mike says the estate backed down when they realised that Highland
Council
was serious about serving something called a section 14(2) order on
them,
under which a landowner can be told to remove an inappropriate sign or
access barrier within three weeks or else the local authority will do
it for
them and then bill them for the work.
The power to do this has come about via the new Scottish access law,
but as
yet no one - at least no estate - has been served with such a notice.
Faced
with being the first, the owners of Alltchaoruinn backed down. John
Hutcheson had apparently written to the estate six times, and was
preparing
a paper for the relevant Highland Council committee, after which a
14(2)
would almost certainly have been served.
This is called progress, I think...
(Incidentally, the forthcoming TAC66, due out in something like two or
three
weeks from now, will include a comprehensive list of access officers
in
Scotland, ie the people to contact in similar situations to
Alltchaoruinn.)
Dave
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard Webb