Campaigners fear NatureScot capital funding cuts will hurt defence of Scotland's countryside
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The government quango tasked with protecting and preserving Scotland’s countryside will have its capital budget slashed by 40 per cent in coming years under Scottish Government plans.
NatureScot, which received £2.5 million in capital funding last year, will see that reduced to just £1.5 million a year by 2025/26.
It follows revelations that the organisation – which is the lead public body responsible for advising Scottish ministers on natural heritage matters - has withdrawn its involvement in major windfarm applications as it is no longer able to argue the areas concerned are genuine wildland.
Now campaigners have said one of the last defenders of the Scottish landscape will be increasingly toothless with its newly reduced capital funding.
No Ring of Steel (NORoS), which campaigns against major windfarm development in a remote part of the Highlands, said both councils and government claim NatureScot thoroughly scrutinises applications, but routinely ignore their advice.
The funding cut was revealed in the Scottish Government’s updated capital spending allocations for the years ahead.
It showed NatureScot’s money had been slashed from £2.5 million in 2021/22 to £1.8 million this year.
And it will plummet even further by 2025/26, when it receives just £1.5 million.
That is separate from the annual resource funding, which totalled £45.6 million last year, which itself was a near £3 million cut from 2020/21.
But with the Scottish Government’s stated objective for more onshore windfarms to be constructed, campaigners are worried the funding fall has come at the worst possible time.
Last month, it emerged NatureScot – the quango formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage – had withdrawn its objection to the proposed Strath Oykel windfarm near the village of Rosehall.
In removing its involvement, it stated they “could not now be considered” as wild land because so many other windfarms had been built in the area.
In addition, NatureScot also removed its objection to the nearby Glen Cassley project, while its objection to the Sallachy scheme was dismissed by ministers.
Ashley Smith, spokesman for No Ring of Steel (NORoS), said: “Communities like ours depend on NatureScot to fight on our behalf.
“But it is being stripped of capital spending, and that means it will be increasingly incapable of putting forward compelling and credible arguments in defence of Scotland’s countryside.
“What is the point of having these organisations if they are going to be ignored by decision-makers and subjected to significant financial cuts?
“The Scottish Government is not listening to or financing the very experts it employs to provide advice.
“In contrast, windfarm developers seem to have more money than ever to throw at these proposals, and that leaves local people and businesses vulnerable to enormous developments which are unsuitable and unpopular.
“We appreciate money may be tight, but given the Scottish Government wants to develop more onshore windfarms, it’s only fair that the expert bodies are equipped to scrutinise and respond to them.
"We've already seen NatureScot step back from applications in our area and, with further funding cuts on the way, that will only happen more often.
“And the people who will pay the price are those living in communities which risk being changed forever by these huge industrial developments.
“NatureScot exists to cater for, improve and promote Scotland’s natural heritage, and to inspire, enthuse and influence others.
“The funding it receives contribute hugely to our nation’s prosperity and wellbeing.”
