TWO opponents of the Skye bridge are to pursue their appeal through
the Court of Session despite having already failed to persuade the court
that work on the bridge should be stopped pending the outcome.
At its inaugural meeting in Kyleakin just over a week ago the Skye
Bridge Appeal Group voted unanimously that money it raised to oppose the
bridge could be spent better supporting other activities rather than
trying to meet legal costs in the Court of Session which could run to
#50,000.
One of the appellants, retired engineer Mr Peter Findlay, was present
at that meeting and was pessimistic about the appeal. However he and his
co-appellant, Aberdeen-based businessman, Dr Bruce Stevens, have
resolved to carry on.
Dr Stevens told The Herald yesterday: ''Basically the position is that
two weeks ago we asked the court to order the suspension of work on the
bridge until our appeal could be heard. Their lordships decided 'on the
balance of convenience' that they would refuse this.
''We believe we must proceed. We are not doing this for any personal
gain but for the nation and we believe that many people believe that the
authorities have gone too far this time as they are breaking the law of
the land. The law in question is the Wildlife and Coutryside Act 1981
which is backed up in Europe by the Berne Convention.
''This provides for a series of protected species and one is the
otters in the Kyle of Lochalsh. Under this Act it is an offence to
disturb a protected species, kill it, or disturb its habitat. There are
exceptions and one is in the case of a lawful development to which there
is no alternative. The Skye bridge does not come into this category
because there is a whole list of alternatives such as a tunnel or a
low-level crossing.''
Meanwhile the regional councillor for Lochalsh, Mr Bill Fulton, is
calling for a new public inquiry following an admission by the Scottish
Office that there had been a mistake in planning the access road.
Mr Fulton said he was opposing the proposed access road to the Ferry
Boat Inn in Kyle of Lochalsh. ''For a start who has ever heard of a road
from a pub leading right on to a trunk road?
''The Scottish Office spends millions of pounds setting up Scottish
Natural Heritage to protect the environment and then when it comes to
this says 'get the power-saws out'. The Scottish Office said at the Skye
bridge inquiry at the beginning of the year that there was no
alternative to this road. That is not true.''
Last week the Scottish Office announced that it was postponing the
planning inquiry into the access road.
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