Forestry clash
A SELKIRKSHIRE councillor is at loggerheads with her own officials over commercial forestry in the Ettrick Valley.
Vicky Davidson believes the sensitive status awarded to the parishes of Ettrick and Kirkhope should be retained in the Borders new five-year woodland strategy.
She claims it gives protection against large-scale forest applications, with almost 1,200 hectares of new trees planted in the valley in the last two years.
However, Scottish Borders Council’s landscape officer Jim Knight, whose recommendation that the temporary status be removed was approved by the authority’s environment and infrastructure committee last month, is opposed to its reinstatement.
He said: “It is submitted that the advice note (2012) does in fact provide a very robust and clearly-defined set of criteria against which the potential adverse effects of large-scale conifer planting can be judged.”
But Ms Davidson has called on SBC to reconsider its decision, with support of Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council.
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Weather for Selkirk
Tuesday 21 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 3 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: West
