From: Shaw (Karen) On Behalf Of Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity Sent: 26 June 2018 09:57 To: Callaghan, Brendan; Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity Cc: Taylor, Jonathan Michael; Kirk, Liz; Smith, Keir; Risby, John; Hubert, Jason; Dewar, Jim; Jo O'Hara; Connal (Keith); Campbell (Bridget); Director of Environment Forestry; Higgins (Kate); Miller (David) Subject: RE: Protect: Official Carrbridge Hotel Brendan Mr Ewing would like to have a phone conversation with you about this -- we will be in touch to arrange in due course. Ellie -- grateful if you could set up a call with Brendan. Thanks Karen Karen Shaw Deputy Private Secretary to Fergus Ewing MSP Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG Telz--Email: Please check our updated Ministerial Preferences All e-mails and attachments sent by a Ministerial Private Office to any other official on behalf of a Minister relating to a decision, request or comment made by a Minister, or a note of a Ministerial meeting, must be filed appropriately by the recipient, Private Offices do not keep official records of such e-mails or attachments Scottish Ministers, Special advisers and the Permanent Secretary are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. See From: Callaghan, Brendan Sent: 20 June 2018 16:12 To: Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity Cc: Taylor, Jonathan Michael; Kirk, Liz; Smith, Keir; Risby, John; Hubert, Jason; Dewar, Jim; Jo O'Hara; Connal K (Keith); Campbell B (Bridget); Director of Environment & Forestry; Higgins K (Kate); Miller D (David) Subject: Protect: Official : Carrbridge Hotel HI Lauren, Having reviewed the e-mail exchanges below between Mr Ewing and Colin WaR, I wanted to advise Mr Ewing that FCS (Highland Conservancy) have recently taken ac?on against Mr WaR in rela?on to a small area of semi-natural woodland that was felled without a licence and deforested in CarrBridge. Mr WaR has also stated to FCS staff that the inten?on is to deforest the site and develop for hotel parking and housing. Summary o The land is owned by a company of which Mr and Mrs WaR are the sole directors. o It lies on the main road in from the north to the village immediately adjacent to the golf course. o The semi natural woodland including a 140 year old Scots pine were felled on a Sunday in January of this year. o Mr WaR refused to be interviewed so FCS cannot be certain who instructed or undertook the felling. o Mr WaR has set out plans for hotel parking and housing on the site to the CNPA and has engaged a firm of architects. o As no licence or permission was in place, nor was the felling exempt under the Forestry Act, FCS referred the maRer to the fiscal. If successful this would enable FCS to serve a restocking no?ce on the company (Mr & Mrs WaR). o FCS staff have liaised with CNPA in order to confirm that no planning permission had been granted or applied for, and seek their view on the impact of the woodland removal. The key points are as follows: The case has been reported to the procurator fiscal as an illegal felling under the Forestry Act(1967) and is awai?ng considera?on by them. FCS has also issued an EIA enforcement no?ce on Mr and Mrs WaR, the owners of Carrbridge hotel, requiring the replan?ng of the site. The no?ce was mentioned by Mr Watt in his email to Mr Ewing. The EIA enforcement notice was issued because the plan for the site was complete deforestation, including removal of ground flora and stumps as opposed to replanting with young trees. The EIA notice is separate from action under the Forestry Act and any decision to prosecute The EIA appeal process is to Scottish Ministers Recommendation To note that this is an active case with the Procurator Fiscal and subject to an EIA enforcement notice, which could be appealed to SMs, To advise that in these circumstances Ministers should take into account the live enforcement actions before the engaging with Mr Watt at this time, Please let me know if you require anything furtheri Regards Brendan Brendan Callaghan Head of Delivery and Regions Forestry Commission Scotland Silvan House 231 Corstorphine Road Edinburgh EH12 7AT -- brendun calluuhanrliforeslry gov uk forestry gov uk/scutland From: On Behalf Of ov.scot Sent: 19 June 2018 12:25 To: Hubert, Jason Cc: CabSecREC@gov.scot Subject: FW: Carrbridge Hotel Jason Mr Ewing would be grateful for urgent advice on the below. Secondly, is this something you would like added to Thanks Lauren Wilson Assistant Private Secretary Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity CabsecREC@gov.scot -- Please check our updated Ministerial Preferences All e-mails and attachments sent by a Ministerial Private Office to any other official on behalf of a Minister relating to a decision, request or comment made by a Minister, or a note of a Ministerial meeting, must be filed appropriately by the recipient, Private Offices do not keep official records of such e-mails or attachments Scottish Ministers, Special advisers and the Permanent Secretary are covered by the terms of the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016. See From: enquiries Date: 19 June 2018 at 10:44:17 BST To: "Ewing (Fergus), Subject: Re: Carrbridge Hotel Good morning Fergus, we have just received a letter from FC which has just added another tier of complexity on our current situation, we will have to give a considered response within 28 days. Can I ask if you have any further advice since your meeting with the Minister for Tourism Fiona Hyslop and others: Currently our expansion plans for the Carrbridge Hotel business is in mortal danger of having to be withdrawn due to CNPA constraints, Thank you for your continued support Best wishes Colin Watt From: enquiries Date: Monday, 18 June 2018 16:48 To: "Ewing F (Fergus), MSP" Subject: Re: Carrbridge Hotel Good akernoon Fergus, just a quick email following on from last week’s email and my mee?ng with Grant Moir of the CNPA. There would appear to be a disconnect between the CNPA and the sustainability needs of our business and employees who live and work in the park. The ScoXsh Office for Na?onal Sta?s?cs are projec?ng that, the 65 year old and over demographic within the CNPA will increase by a staggering 75 percent by the year 2031. See aRached graph The demographic ?me bomb, will then lead to high value housing being eventually re-sold, which in turn will be bought by high net worth individuals as re?rement homes or second and holiday homes. It will also lead to chaos within the park for employers who need a balance of youth within their work force. A further mul?-million pound investment which is planned by our good selves, has been put at risk by CNPA over a piece of land measuring 65 meters by 38 meters for key parking infrastructure requirements, to allow us to ease the construc?on phase pressure during a planned extension and also target off season conference and events markets. Unless there is clear direc?on or interven?on then the development to create further job security and much needed infrastructure and amenity along with an uplik in economic ac?vity will be put at serious risk. Any advice or update aker speaking with the minister for tourism would be welcome, we thank you for your con?nued support. Best wishes Colin WaR, MD, Carrbridge Hotel From: "Ewing F (Fergus), MSP" Date: Thursday, 14 June 2018 20:47 To: enquiries Subject: Re: Carrbridge Hotel Colin Leave it with me - I am mee?ng Fiona Hyslop Tourism minister tomorrow in Edinburgh at a mee?ng so can men?on it to her then. I have also sought advice from others. It is a shocking indictment of the approach the UKG take - very an? Scotland F Sent from my iPad On 14 Jun 2018, at 19:10, enquiries wrote: Yes Fergus you can make our staffing issue public. We are not alone, it effects the whole service sector. The Westminster government are sleepwalking the country into a disaster in terms of staffing shortage. I keep thinking they have a plan B but to be honest I don’t even think there is a plan A. As I say once the tax take drops due to low produc?vity and lack of staffing then Westminster may realize the issue. The fiscal quarter VAT returns should tell the tail aker Brexit if nothing is done. Also did you have a chance to review my mee?ng with CNPA. We just seem to be geXng hit from all angles just now, any help or advice you can offer will be greatly received Best wishes Colin From: "Ewing F (Fergus), MSP" Date: Thursday, 14 June 2018 18:33 To: enquiries Cc: "Kate.Higgins@gov.scot" Subject: Re: Carrbridge Hotel Dear Colin Thanks for sending me this. I wonder if you are willing to make this public or allow us to do that. It is a quite shocking posi?on we are in and we have raised this in Holyrood just this week on more than one occasion. Fergus. Sent from my iPad On 14 Jun 2018, at 16:46, enquiries wrote: Nicola, please note the start of the service sector staffing crisis due to EU BREXIT. Our agents are repor?ng no EU students for the first ?me in 18 years. The Company is Twin Interna?onal and Twin UK, they are based in London and we have used them for the past 18 years. Bring on Independence and EU membership! We do not want to leave the EU so Westminster can plunder Scotlands wealth. Westminster may start to listen once the Tax take starts to drop off drama?cally as a direct result of na?onal staffing issues in the service sector, but it may be too late for some businesses. Best wishes Colin WaR From: enquiries Date: Thursday, 14 June 2018 16:12 To: "Fergus.Ewing.msp@scoXsh.parliament.uk" , "drew.hendry.mp@parliament.uk" Cc: "Sturgeon N (Nicola), MSP" Subject: Carrbridge Hotel Hi Fergus and Drew, I know you have a lot of important maRers on going just now – The sooner Scotland has Independence the beRer! BREXIT is a disaster zone, our agent are repor?ng for the first ?me in 18 years they have no EU students looking to work in the UK. Westminster may start to listen once the Tax take starts to drop off drama?cally as a direct result of na?onal staffing issues. Anyhow, please see the aRached report on our mee?ng with the CNPA, I have highlighted the main point in red for easy reading. MaRers did not go well, any advice or help you can offer will be greatly received Best wishes Colin WaR Carrbridge Hotel ***************************************************************** ***** The ScoXsh Parliament: Making a posi?ve difference to the lives of the people of Scotland Pàrlamaid na h-Alba: A’ toirt deagh bhuaidh air beatha sluagh na h-Alba www.parliament.scot : facebook.com/scoXshparliament : twiRer.com/scotparl The informa?on in this email may be confiden?al. If you think you have received this email in error please delete it and do not share its contents. ***************************************************************** *****