Freedom of Information Request - RSPB Wards Visitor Hub (Loch Lomond SPA / Endrick Water SAC)
Date: 03 October 2025
Our ref: SIR181594/A5482716
Information Request – RSPB Wards Visitor Hub (Loch Lomond SPA / Endrick Water SAC)
Your Request
Your Original Request – Received – 4 September
Please treat this as a request for environmental information under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004. It concerns NatureScot’s involvement in the approval of the RSPB’s proposed visitor hub at Wards, Loch Lomond (planning ref: 2025/0351/DET).
I request the following:
1. Habitats Regulations involvement – all correspondence, internal notes, and assessments between NatureScot and the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority regarding the Habitats Regulations Appraisal and Appropriate Assessments for the Loch Lomond SPA and Endrick Water SAC.
2. Mitigation measures – any advice or assessment documents concerning the effectiveness of goose-screening hedges, winter path restrictions, silt traps, or construction timing in relation to SPA/SAC impacts.
3. Visitor impact consideration – documents, modelling, or correspondence that assess cumulative disturbance impacts of projected visitor numbers (15,000–30,000 per year) on SPA/SAC features.
4. Site inspection records – any records of site visits, ecological surveys, or monitoring carried out by NatureScot at Wards or the wider reserve since 2020.
5. Future monitoring commitments – any documents or correspondence outlining how mitigation measures (screening, visitor management, water quality safeguards) will be monitored, enforced, or reviewed after development.
6. Internal commentary – any NatureScot internal advice, memos or minutes that express concerns, reservations, or alternative views about the development’s potential impacts on SPA/SAC qualifying feature
7. Direct communications with RSPB – all correspondence (emails, letters, meeting notes, calls) between NatureScot and the RSPB regarding this development, including advice, consultation, or informal discussion.
Your Clarified Request – Received 8 September
1. Correspondence, notes and assessments with LLTNPA regarding the Habitats Regulations Appraisal and Appropriate Assessments for the Loch Lomond SPA and Endrick Water SAC.
2. Advice or assessments concerning mitigation measures (e.g. goose screening, winter path restrictions, silt traps, construction timing).
3. Documents or correspondence assessing cumulative disturbance impacts of projected visitor numbers.
4. Internal commentary (memos, advice, minutes) expressing concerns, reservations or alternative views about the development.
5. Direct communications with the RSPB (emails, letters, meeting notes, calls) relating to the development and the nature reserve site, including informal exchanges.
Our Response
Following a search of the information that we hold our response is attached separately.
We have marked out (redacted) personal data in the documents provided. Releasing 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).
