'Deep concern' over 25m phone mast planned between two Scottish munros where golden eagles nest

Plans have been submitted for a 25m-high lattice mast to be built with space for parking and a road to it in Glen Ure, Argyll and Bute. Residents and campaigners said they are “deeply concerned” about the potential impact the development could have on the surrounding environment and wildlife.

They also branded the move as “a waste of public money”, saying the 4G mast would do very little to serve the local community.

So far, Argyll and Bute Council, which will decide on the planning application, has received 66 objections to the plans.

The development is part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN), a joint £1 billion project between the UK government and four big mobile phone operators - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - to achieve 95 per cent 4G mobile phone coverage across Britain by December next year.

The mast proposed for Glen Ure sits within the Glen Etive and Glen Fyne special protection area (SPA), designated by government agency NatureScot. Golden eagles have been recorded nesting in the area and there are fears the birds will be disturbed if the plans go ahead.

Campaigner Innis Finaly said the proposed mast site was “within a few hundred metres of an active golden eagle nest”.

He said: “Residents of the glen are deeply concerned about the installation of this new mobile phone mast. Like many other similar situations over Scotland, we are working together to oppose it as we are convinced that it will be waste of public money, will not bring significant value to the community, and will destroy a unique wild, protected and very scenic part of the Highlands where there are golden eagles nesting.”

Bryn Jones, director of SRN at DMSL, the company managing the mast rollout, said where golden eagles were present, operators were required to seek approval from the RSPB before any building commenced.

He said: "We work closely with local communities to determine the best locations for masts, taking into account the local environment."

Mr Jones defended the mast’s contribution to communities given the area is an active spot for hikers, who might need signal in the case of an emergency.

Earlier this year, a coalition of rural, wildlife and conservation bodies, including RSPB Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates and the John Muir Trust, called for an urgent review of the SRN programme.

In a joint letter to Sir Chris Bryant, minister of state for digital and data infrastructure, the signatories said in Scotland there were 260 sites classified as Total Not-Spots (TNS), which are often selected mainly to provide landmass coverage and meet the geographical targets of the programme, rather than prioritising coverage for communities or transport routes.

The letter said this meant extremely remote and ecologically fragile areas were set to accommodate unnecessary masts, along with related infrastructure and access roads, leaving “a significant mark on these unique wild places”.

The coalition said the widespread agreement between organisations with diverse interests highlights “the compelling need for a review and to assess how the financial resources behind this segment of the SRN programme can be better used”.

A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesperson said: “The Shared Rural Network is vital in bringing reliable 4G coverage to those living and working in the hardest to reach areas of the country, helping the emergency services save lives, and supporting tourism in our national parks.

“These masts are shared by all four mobile network operators to minimise impact on the environment and, wherever possible, they utilise existing infrastructure.”