The saga at Stobo Hope in the Scottish Borders continues…
In July this year many of you supported a crowdfunder set up by the Stobo Residents Action Group who were taking a judicial review against the Scottish Government agency Scottish Forestry’s decision to approve a commercial woodland project, including a large sitka spruce plantation, on valuable moorland habitat in the Scottish Borders, a site important for many species but particularly for black grouse and golden eagles. The main premise of the legal challenge was that Scottish Forestry approved the work application after wrongly determining that an Environmental Impact Assessment was not required (see here).
That legal challenge was successful and in September, the £2 million tax payer forestry grant, and all related groundwork, was cancelled until a new decision is made (see here).
Today, in an exclusive article published in The Scotsman, it was revealed that the investment company behind the development of Stobo Hope, Guernsey-based True North Real Asset Partners, has lodged an application for judicial review against Scottish Forestry’s decision to halt the work.
Scottish Forestry had previously claimed that it was unaware of the company’s intention to undertake large-scale herbicide spraying prior to the original planning application. Now True North Real Asset Partners say the information was “clearly contained” in documents submitted to the agency.
It’ll now be up to the Court of Session in Edinburgh to determine whether True North Asset Partners has a legitimate claim for judicial review and if permission is granted, we can expect a full court hearing later in 2025, unless Scottish Forestry decides to settle.
This application for judicial review isn’t the only news from the Stobo Hope project. I’ll soon be publishing a guest blog on a licence application earlier this year for fox hunting across the site, apparently for ‘environmental benefit’.
UPDATE 13 December 2024: Stobo Hope – NatureScot refuses licence application by Pryor & Rickett Silviculture to hunt foxes with 19 dogs (guest blog) here
Raptor Persecution UK 
I thought I would have a look at who was involved in True North Real Asset Partners at the Companies House website. Nothing particularly stood out but you say that they are “Guernsey-based”. However, the Registered office address is given as Hawkhill House, Lesbury, Alnwick, Northumberland and most of the people involved live in that area.
Companies House shows True North Real Asset Partners Ltd was previously called True North European Real Estate Partners Ltd (until April 2023). Two of its directors are Henry Humble and James Jackson. A separate company called True North European Real Estate Partners (Guernsey) Ltd is listed on the Guernsey Registry and two of its directors are also called Henry Humble and James Jackson. This company is registered with the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, with which the Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund is also registered. According to the Walling List for the Court of Session, Edinburgh (10th December 2024), the Forestry Carbon Sequestration Fund lodged the petition for Judicial Review.
Thanks for that.