Trust-backed coalition slashes plans for telecoms masts in Scotland

UK Government scales back its Shared Rural Network plan to install mobile masts in rural Scotland by over 80%, following pressure from the John Muir Trust and partners.

For the past two years, the Trust has been fighting a UK Government project that aimed to build hundreds of masts in Scotland’s most wild places. The “Total Not Spot” part of the Shared Rural Network would have led to many remote glens and ridges having their wild qualities greatly reduced.

The Trust’s Policy team coordinated a coalition of concern, bringing together community councils, environmental charities, outdoor recreation groups and private landowners - including Scottish Land & Estates, Mountaineering Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland.

Over the course of two years, the Trust has lobbied elected representatives and UK Government ministers and negotiated with mobile network operators to ask for a pause and review of the unwanted £500 million programme, that aimed to increase mobile phone coverage to 95%.

Finally, earlier this year the UK Government announced it was reviewing the programme and the results are a clear win for wild places. Out of the 300+ masts originally planned (already brought down to 260 during the campaign), only 44 will be built – a reduction of around 83%.

The geographical coverage target was dropped, with infrastructure now focusing on bringing connectivity to rural communities, as we originally asked in our campaign – 4G for people, not wild places.

Thomas Widrow, the Trust’s Head of Campaigns, said: "This is great news for the amazing landscapes and biodiversity of Scotland.

"Some of the proposed locations for a mast were completely inappropriate. We need to ensure there is connectivity where people live and work, not in our most fragile and remote wild places.

“A heartfelt thank you to every Member and supporter who has taken the time to write to Ministers and MPs about this issue, and to every donor who has backed our efforts.

“You have been instrumental in helping us stop this destructive project in its tracks.”

Please support our Fighting Fund

Policy and advocacy can be hard to fundraise for. Unlike planting trees or restoring habitats (both very important conservation actions and merit funding too!), our work is often longer-term, risky and without clear guarantees that we will secure a positive outcome.

But this win is a great example of why our work needs your backing. Our small Policy team focuses on campaigns and policy proposals that impact whole landscapes, entire nations. When we win, nature wins. Not just on John Muir Trust-owned land, but everywhere.

Yesterday, we were fighting unwanted telecoms masts. Today we focus on the widespread, uncontrolled industrialisation of wild places driven by large energy companies wanting to extract as much money from the land as possible to line their own pockets.

And looking to the future, we are convincing political parties to take tangible action for nature, by committing in their manifestos to implementing strong measures that will enable wild places to thrive.

To do all of this, we need your support. Please consider donating to the Fighting Fund so we can continue leading the fight to protect and restore wild places.

And you can also invite your friends and family to becoming a Member of the John Muir Trust. And if you aren’t already one yourself, consider joining today.

• Image at the top shows Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve, in Sutherland © Lorrne Gill / 2020Vision - near the site of a consented telecoms mast.