Category Archives: Plight of the North
The campaign for the North Highland Way was put before ministers, politicians and members of the press when the Highland Council refused to include the North Highland Way on the Caithness & Sutherland Development Plan. The campaign is also taking place on Twitter – @way_north
Tourism – North Highland Way Challenge
Tourism – The Highland Council
Now the Highland Council are making a fuss about facilities on the Way.. Not satisfied with trying to quash the North Highland Way project, hiding £75,000, not wanting to provide toilets for Dunnet Head and wanting HIE to assess the feasibility study and business plan for the Way, they now want to prevent a campsite. This will not be tolerated. There is no legal basis for this. It is a temporary seasonal site and has been for some years. All objects such as tents, campervans and “static” caravans are moveable.
They have started a levy for businesses who are being made to pay a compulsory charge/levy of £230 per year to become a member of Loch Ness or Inverness BID whether they want to be a member or not? I have been speaking to someone who was forced to pay by bailiffs. They are apparently now going to target businesses on the Black-Isle who have anything to do with tourism. This has been described as “daylight robbery” – which it is. They plan to roll this out over the Highlands – yet another stealth tax. Is there no end to this Council’s duplicity and ignorance of the idea of economic development?
This is corruption – call Detective Superintendent Carey in Inverness. Ring 101 and get his address. I have just written to him about something else. I would recommend this route rather than spending time on public meetings etc. Time=money and get to the root of the problem straight away.
Tourism – North Highland Way
Well, we’re not getting very far with public services… except SNH who remain supportive! The John o Groats Journal did though carry a story about our principal Friend of the North Highland Way…. The press are in receipt of information so that they can continue to run stories and we will be updating further information shortly, although you will need to be a Friend of the North Highland Way to see it.
The feasibility study and business plan are complete but as HIE have categorically stated that they will not support the Way in any shape or form, they will not get to see it. We are putting it up for sale and also writing a booklet “Creating the North Highland Way” which will be downloadable from Amazon – cost £4.50.
The next meeting of the Trust is planned for 3rd April at Dunnet Head, so if you would like to come along, please drop me a line via the web site. We will decide on the future of the Way and how to take it forward.
Tourism – North Highland Way
After initially refusing to put the Way on the CAS Plan, I submitted information and now they have agreed to consider. See below. If you require a copy of the submission, please refer to the Council. I hope many people will input accordingly. It is in the interests of all who have a property in the north of Scotland. The ultimate objective is to have a national way which will raise the profile and make properties and businesses more valuable.
“Dear Tina,
Thank you for your email about the Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan (CaSPlan) Main Issues Report (MIR). I note your interest in the CaSPlan MIR including your proposals for the North Highland Way. I can confirm that we have received your comments below and these will be considered alongside other comments received during the CaSPlan MIR consultation.
Kind regards,
Craig Baxter MA (Hons), MSc, RTPI Licentiate
Graduate Planner
The Highland Council
Development & Infrastructure Service
Development Plans Team
Glenurquhart Road
Inverness
IV3 5NX
Tourism – North Highland Way
The press are getting involved in the Way, and I have been approached by three newspapers… one local and two nationals. I will keep you posted on here on progress. The big question is “why do public services not support this huge project”. Except SNH of course who are most helpful.
Tongue & Melness Community Council have expressed their interest in the project and support in principle.
The Dunnet Head Educational Trust, the lead body in the project, will have their quarterly meeting on 19th December at 7.30pm. It will be a net meeting. If anyone would like to attend, please email our coordinator at naomi@vavelocity.co.uk.
We have followed up THC:
“Dear Ms Morrison,
I refer to your email below which states that the matters in hand will be responded to within 10 working days. I note that the date of the email is 17th November. Today is 7th December and we have not received a response.
I have spoken to the SPSO again, and they recommend making another official complaint.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards.”
and escalated the complaint to HIE Customer Services:
“Dear Sirs,
I would like to escalate my complaint about HIE not supporting the North Highland Way.
I did in fact speak to Mrs. Buxton and Mr. Kirk some weeks ago when it was agreed that the Company would provide a feasibility study and business plan for the North Highland Way. However, in order to raise funds to pay for the same, the Dunnet Head Educational Trust (of which I am also a Director as well as the commercial company), I asked Mr. Kirk if he would consider financially supporting an event to raise the funds. He asked me to provide a business plan. I duly provided a draft. He then asked for that business plan to be rolled into the business plan for the overall project.
Bearing in mind that the company has already invested £30,000 in the Way for little return, I feel it is unreasonable to expect the Company to pay another £5,000 for the feasibility study and business plan and a further £6,000 to launch the event. This is not including time lost (my rates are £70 per hour) in writing the business plan and corresponding with Mr. Kirk.
I look forward to hearing from you, but it is clear to me that HIE are not providing the service delivery.
Yours faithfully,”
On to the Twitter campaign @way_north
Plight of the North
I am continuing my campaign to get the North Highland Way recognised as a national trail. However… we have two big stumbling blocks… the Highland Council and HIE. We were making progress but now THC have refused to put the subject on the local plan. We would like to know why they have suddenly withdrawn any support at all.
I have sent personal messages to the following requesting support:
Donald Trump (whose office Aberdeen expressed an interest in the Way)
Gordon Brown
Andrew Marr
Eann Sinclair (Programme Manager Caithness & Sutherland Regeneration Partnership)
I am doing this on Twitter and on the news service at www.letsgonorth.com….
Thanks to those of you who have already been in touch and we need to get this out through the social media now – hence the Twitter campaign. I hope you can all help.
Best regards.
Tina Irving BSc PgDip NUJ
Tel: 0845 5193 782 / 077 8011 3739
www.letsgonorth.com
@way_north
General news – Letter to Gordon Brown
Dear Mr. Brown,
As a long term admirer of your work, I am saddened to see that you are standing down from the political arena.
I wonder, though, if you would be able to help the far north of Scotland with its plight – some would say “blight” which is the Highland Council. In 2013 8 local businesses launched the idea of the North Highland Way and the Highland Council categorically refuse to support it in any shape or form. They were initially supportive, but for some reason only known to themselves they have suddenly withdrawn support for no apparent reason. It could of course be because I am insisting on the whereabouts of the £75,000 which was granted by the EU and allocated to the Dunnet area for projects. THC will not explain how this will be spent. The local community council and we have been asking for nearly two years now.
One wonders why THC will not support a project which would bring jobs and wealth to the north, and even more so, why HIE will not support either.
I would be happy to meet with you to discuss this matter when I return to the UK. I am currently promoting the north of Scotland in Spain. In the meantime, I would appreciate your thoughts.
Kind regards.
Tina Irving BSc PgDip NUJ
@way_north
General news – News round up
Today I was contacted by no less than three journalists wanting to know what is going on regarding the North Highland Way. I have started a tweeting campaign about the subject and wondering why HIE and THC are adamant that they will not support the project which could bring jobs and prosperity to the area. All of the businesses in the group have been emailed urging them to contact the Council and HIE and also to Tweet to the Council.
I have received an email from the access officer who is currently reviewing the Core Path Plans. You can see these and comment at www.highland.gov.uk/corepathplans . The Access Officer at least is on the ball. Not so Stuart Black or Angela Morrison who have still not replied to our emails of two weeks ago. We have followed them up with an email copying the Deputy CEO.
All in all a good day for LetsGoNorth and its sister company LetsGoSouth. Lots of brochures delivered….more to Seville tomorrow.
General news – Caithness & Sutherland Local Plan
The Caithness & Sutherland Local Plan is now in consultation.
“The Highland Council is preparing a new Local Development Plan for Caithness and Sutherland, to be known as CaSPlan. CaSPlan will be an important document because it will be used to assess planning applications for future development, so it will affect how places grow and change over time.
To start the process of preparing the new Local Development Plan we have published a document called the Main Issues Report (MIR). The MIR is not a draft plan – it is a discussion document that asks for people’s views on the main issues affecting Caithness and Sutherland and shows ideas for what the area could be like in the future. It reflects the Council’s initial ideas and preferences, taking into account the suggestions we received at earlier stages and we encourage people to tell us what they think at this stage. Your input now will shape what the Proposed Plan looks like.
The Council wants your views on the MIR. We would like you to tell us what you think about the suggested vision for the area, as well as our initial site and policy ideas. For example, if you think that a site is unsuitable then tell us the reasons why, and also tell us about alternative sites that you think are more suitable for development. You may feel that certain issues need to be addressed to enable development to happen.
The easiest way to read the Main Issues Report is to view the interactive version online at www.highland.gov.uk/casplan. You can then submit comments using the online form. A copy of the MIR is also available to view at each Council Service Point and Public Library (including mobile library) within the plan area plus those at Tain, at Planning & Building Standards offices in Golspie and Wick, and at Council Headquarters in Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX.
During November and December we will also be holding events across Caithness and Sutherland where you can discuss the MIR with a member of the team. At each event we will have with us MIR information for various local towns and villages, not just for the place where the event is being held. For each event there will be a drop-in session which you can visit any time between 2 and 5.30 pm, then a round-table discussion workshop which starts at 6.30 pm (please note that in Brora these are on separate dates). You are welcome to attend either or both parts of the event and, if you wish, more than one event. Please let us know if you have any accessibility issues such as the need for disabled access to a venue or if you would like to request a large print copy of the Plan.
| Place | Venue | Date |
| THURSO | Caithness Horizons, High Street | Tuesday 18 November 2014 |
| HALKIRK | Ross Institute, Bridge Street | Tuesday 25 November 2014 |
| WICK | Town Hall, Bridge Street | Wednesday 26 November 2014 |
| TONGUE | Village Hall, Kirkiboll | Thursday 27 November 2014 |
| BRORA | Community Centre, Johnstone Place | Drop-in event: Tuesday 2 December 2014Workshop: Monday 12 January 2015 |
| DORNOCH | Social Club, School Hill | Thursday 4 December 2014 |
| LOCHINVER | Assynt Leisure Centre, Culag Pier | Monday 8 December 2014 |
| LAIRG | Community Centre, Main Street | Tuesday 9 December 2014 |
Our website www.highland.gov.uk/casplan contains further information on the MIR and the plan process. If you have questions you can also email the Development Plans Team at casplan@highland.gov.uk . If you do not have access to the website or a computer, you can contact the Development Plans Team, Development and Infrastructure Service, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX or the Council’s Service Centre on 01349 886608.
Any comments on the MIR need to be received by us no later than 12 noon on Thursday 29th January 2015.”
It is astounding that THC do not consider the Way important enough not to be included on the plan. My emails to the Council are as below:
To Stuart Black (Director of Development and Infrastructure), Michelle Morris (Depute CEO), Angela Morrison (Administrator), Colin Simpson (Tourism Development Officer)
“Dear all,
I hear from a CASPlan meeting in Tongue that THC are not interested in having the North Highland Way on the plan, even as a footnote. This is not what was agreed at the meeting in November. Colin categorically stated that it would be. I do not have the email to hand, but fail to see why it would not be mentioned as is would form part of the tourism and development plan.
I have not had the courtesy of a response to our previous correspondence regarding the £75,000 and now questions will be asked in Holyrood through the Scottish Rural Parliament and the SPSO as to where it has gone. I have also not had a reply as to why Mr. Black now refuses to back the North Highland Way.
There is a ground swell of interest in the project and the way THC behave. I am blogging on a regular basis on the news service at www.letsgonorth.com to which journalists are being directed.
I look forward to receiving your assurance that
a. The monies have not been diverted elsewhere
b. That the Way will be mentioned on the CasPlan
c. That the THC are in fact still supportive of the biggest project which has come to the north in a long time.
I look forward to hearing from you within 10 days, as promised by Ms Morrison with regard to the other matters.
Regards.
Tina Irving BSc PgDip NUJ”
To all journalists in my database
”
Hello all,
I have it on good authority that THC are refusing to put the matter of the North Highland Way on the Caithness & Sutherland Plan. One of our members pressed for it at a meeting at recently and was practically ignored. I am sure that he would give you a direct account of this if you contacted him. He is at the Weavers B&B in Tongue..
I am placing information again on my blog at www.letsgonorth.com for all to see.
Best regards.
Tina Irving NUJ”
To all journalists in my database.
“Dear all
It has come to my attention as Project Manager of the North Highland Way project, that THC refused to take on board comments about the North Highland Way which is, as you are probably aware, being developed. At a meeting in November with NHI and Colin Simpson, THC Tourism Officer, that the Way would be mentioned on the Plan. The comments were at the Tongue meeting and THC were reluctant to take anything on board.
Regards.
Tina Irving NUJ”
I am copying Mr. Jon Baggs who was at the meeting and can provide you with further information.
I am astounded to think that THC could not consider such an important project as the North Highland Way as of so little importance as to not include it on the plan.
I look forward to receiving your comments.
Best regards.
Tina Irving BSc PgDip NUJ”
Moving forward to climate change 