Trust pre-application response to Earba Pumped Storage Hydro Scheme

Following a visit to the Mamores-Alder-Rannoch Wild Land Area which is the proposed site of the Earba Pumped Storage Hydro Scheme (ECU ref. ECU00004731) (the ‘Proposed Development’), we have prepared a note of our concerns at the pre-application stage for the Proposed Development.

We welcome the willingness of the Applicant and Ardverikie Estate to engage with us about our concerns and we have provided our comments to them for their consideration. 

Our key areas of concern are around:

• The quality of the wild land – The construction and operation of industrial scale infrastructure would disrupt the peace, tranquillity and sense of expansiveness of this wild place. 
• Nature of the Proposed Development - The proposed site will effectively turn into a building site for the 4 years anticipated for construction. Further, the continuous presence at the development once operational would destroy the sense of sanctuary in the area, a key characteristic of the Mamores-Alder-Rannoch Wild Land Area.
• Access tracks - The access tracks associated with the Proposed Development would significantly impact the character of the area which due to the landform, and lack of visible human artefacts, has a feeling of naturalness and remoteness; this is a particularly valuable quality in an area, like the proposed site, which is still accessible.
• Drawdown scars – As an inevitable consequence of this type of development which cannot practically be mitigated, the drawdown scars will create a visual focus in the landscape. 

We will continue to monitor the development and will await more information at the application stage. At this initial stage we don’t believe that the significant impact on this sensitive area can be mitigated and we are concerned that the Proposed Development would have an unacceptable impact on the natural environment and a special wild place.