YOUR VIEWS: Highland Council’s disinterest evident in its rubbish decision over NC500 clear-up
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Letter to the Editor from Malcolm Bangor-Jones, Dunfermline
I WRITE to draw your attention to the way in which the Highland Council has acted over waste collection on the NC500 and to ask where stands the council on tourism and its impact on local communities?
Readers may recall that in 2022 there was an additional or enhanced waste collection service provided in areas with high numbers of tourists.
The scheme – successful and clearly necessary - had been provided, in the Highland Council’s own words, because of the “need for the tourism experience to be positive for visitors and communities”.
On May 11 this year, a motion was put to the Highland Council meeting noting the positive and negative impacts of the NC500 and calling for a continuance of the additional collection scheme in the forthcoming tourist season.
The motion was supported by Councillors Gale, Baird, McEwan and MacLean.
In view of the financial implications, the motion was referred to the Corporate Resources Committee for a full assessment.
The Head of Finance and the Strategic Lead (Waste Strategy & Operations) duly reported to the Corporate Resources Committee which met on June 8.
The cost of the service would amount to £110,000 for a 17-week period; more for a longer period.
They pointed out that the seasonally enhanced service in the main tourism areas had been funded out of the Visitor Management Plan introduced in 2021.
That, however, was time limited: there was no existing budget to fund the service which had been provided over the previous two years.
Outsiders reading the report might be tempted to think that it merely emphasised the problems. Certainly the committee could do nothing other than note that a clear and agreed funding solution would need to be identified for the motion to progress.
The motion, accompanied by the report put to the Corporate Resources Committee, came before the full council on June 29 (the minutes of which only became available last month). During discussion there was much stress on the financial challenges facing the council.
Among other things it was suggested that drivers might be educated to take their litter home (an absurd suggestion which flies in the face of reality).
The motion was defeated by 37 votes to 24. SNP councillors, such as Councillors Hutchison and Kraft, voted against the motion. Councillor Morrison, who was attending remotely, did not vote.
Leaving this failure to one side, we should note that the Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, held on August 17, considered the question of tourism development and agreed the preparation of a new tourism plan for Highland.
The plan would apparently, “ensure the region remains a world-renowned sustainable visitor destination". During discussion it was remarked that some areas were suffering from overtourism.
The proposal before the committee referred to Scotland’s national tourism strategy (Scotland Outlook 2030) launched in 2020.
The committee were advised that success meant more than numbers and there was a need to ensure that tourism enriched and benefited both visitors and communities. There was a need for “a collective response from industry, government, public sector and communities to adapt and work together to deliver responsible, sustainable and managed growth for the future.”
The emphasis on growth is evident: as it tends to be on most official pronouncements. But, more interesting, is the first mention of the word responsible. The concept of responsible tourism is beginning to make headway, although it is not clear which version government and associated bodies such as VisitScotland are prepared to sign up to.
There is much about maximising the benefits to everyone: according to VisitScotland, responsible tourism can apparently enable “good growth while minimising any negative impacts” (surely a case of have cake and eat it too).
The Historic Environment Scotland Responsible Tourism Framework talks of transforming their “business model to reflect the principles of responsible tourism, where we mainstream environmental, social, and economic sustainability in everything we do, so that tourism’s benefits can be enjoyed by all without detriment to communities and the environment.”
One might question whether the rather mealy-mouthed stance taken by these and other bodies is an adequate response to what is being experienced by local communities.
The adverse impacts of mass tourism are being felt in many parts of the world: these impacts have reached the stage when communities are beginning to feel that they have had enough.
There is a need for a better balance – exactly what that means is for discussion – but it certainly takes us back to where we started.
Highland Council should have budgeted for the enhanced service which had been in operation: to use the excuse of a time-limited budget in May 2023 was unacceptable.
Efforts should have been made well in advance to set aside the necessary funds. The council administration’s negative response to the proposal was not only unhelpful but sent a clear message that they are not interested in the concerns of local communities, particularly communities in the north and west Highlands.
