Freedom of Information Request - Parallel Roads of Lochaber SSSI
Date: 16 December 2024
Our ref: SIR177722/A4862566
Information Request – Parallel Roads of Lochaber SSSI
Your Request
Original request
I would like all the correspondence relating to Planning at Achnabobane PH34 4EX in the SSSI the Parallel Roads of Lochaber from 2014 to the present day.
Particularly any exchange between planning officials of Highland Council and Nature Scot and with anyone applying for permission. Also any dialogue about unconsented activity.
Revised request
Spean Bridge Roy Bridge and Achnacarry Community Council have been monitoring development at Achnabobane in the Parallel Roads of Lochaber SSSI for some years completely unaware of its geological significance. Indeed in the last 25 years there have been 103 planning applications at this location but Nature Scot did not object to any until 2023.
So to make it simple could you please provide a copy of the guidance or study that your staff have been using to determine whether or not development would affect the SSSI at Achnabobane. Has the guidance changed over the years?
Secondly could you please provide information when you were first alerted to unconsented activity at Achnabobane and what action was taken. Lastly could you tell us how may occasions since 2004 has a landowner at Achnabobane advised Nature Scot regarding disposal of land in the SSSI as per Nature Conservation Scotland Act 2004 Section 42.
Our Response
Following a search of the information we hold our response is attached separately.
Our internal guidance is reviewed regularly and updated when required.
We have no records to share in response to the last part of your request. This means that EIRs Regulation 10(4)(a) (Information not held) applies to your request for the information.
We have marked out (redacted) some personal data in the documents provided. Releasing the personal data into the public domain in response to an access to information request would breach the Data Protection Act 2018. We are therefore withholding the information under EIRs Regulation 11(2) (Personal data).
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
Document downloads
Due to accessibility issues the attached information, referenced above, is available on request by contacting the FOI team at [email protected]. Please reference the case number (starting with SIR).