Nature groups hail success as government-backed connectivity project massively scaled back

A UK-Government backed project set to install hundreds of mobile masts across rural Scotland has been hugely scaled back, following pressure from local communities and nature groups.

The Shared Rural Network project was expected to deliver 258 4G masts across remote areas of the country in a bid to bridge the connectivity gap. But under revised plans, this has been reduced to just 44 masts.

The cutback comes after lobbying from several groups including Scottish Land & Estates, the John Muir Trust, the National Trust for Scotland, and a number of community councils. They claimed many of the areas targeted did not require the infrastructure, and warned the plans would instead harm the country’s scenery.

Telecoms minister Chris Bryant said the revised project would “ensure masts are only built where they are most needed”.

He said: “Our updated plans with telecoms operators will ensure new coverage is focused on those rural areas in Scotland where people actually live, work or travel, including popular walking routes.”

The revised plan marks an 83 per cent drop on the number of masts initially planned for instalments.

Anna Gardiner, senior policy adviser at Scottish Land & Estates, welcomed the change, saying it "protects some of our most spectacular and beautiful landscapes and will alleviate pressure on planning authorities in rural areas".

She claimed the original plan was “totally flawed” and urged ministers to redirect the support to total not-spot areas – where there is no 4G coverage from any provider.

She added: “These areas are still crying out for a mobile network and in many cases community councils have been ignored.

“We would urge the UK Government to redirect the considerable sum of money that has been saved in order to prioritise these communities.”

Also welcoming the updated plan, Thomas Widrow, head of campaigns for the John Muir Trust, said: “This is great news for the amazing landscapes and biodiversity of Scotland.

“Some of the proposed locations for a mast were completely inappropriate. We need to ensure there is connectivity where people live and work, not in our most fragile and remote wild places.”