11th December 2005, 05:56 PM
Quote:quote:actually, I've never seen either of the two bodies that protect our heritage take up against developers and show some true grit. Can anyone tell me otherwise?
Castle Tioram. The ruinous castle was bought up by an offshore company, owned by a millionaire businessman, which produced a Conservation report that reached the conculsion that the best way to ensure the survival of the monument for future generations would be to convert it into a private dwelling for the company's owner, 'generously' allowing limited access to members of the public. The Scottish Ministers, under advice from HS, refused to grant Scheduled Monument Consent for this scheme, concluding that consolidation of the castle was both viable and preferable to reconstruction from a conservation point of view, as the work involved would offer similar economic benefits to the community, and would allow full public access to be restored. The developer appealed against this refusal, but the appeal was dismissed by the Court of Session. HS stuck to its guns in this case in the face of a concerted campaign in the media and the Scottish Parliament, and deserves some plaudits in this instance.