There
are some big issues in the Cairngorms National Park. How do we provide much
needed affordable housing and reduce the proportion of second homes? How to we
balance the varying land management objectives across the UK’s largest National
Park? How do we tackle flooding? How can we help people be healthier,
communities be empowered and ensure the best possible experience for our
visitors?
This
is a big Park – covering six per cent of Scotland – with big questions needing
answered and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) wants to hear what
you have to say.
Big Park Big Questions is the consultation on the
next Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) for 2017-22. The
Cairngorms NPPP is a management plan for the whole Park, setting out a vision
and overarching strategy for managing the area. It sets out how all those with
a responsibility for the Park will co-ordinate their work to tackle the most
important issues.
With
help from nine 9-year olds from Kingussie Primary School – the Park’s
custodians of the future – the CNPA Convener Brian Wood and Chief Executive
Grant Moir launched Big Park Big Questions this morning (Monday 27th
June), with the consultation set to focus on nine key issues. These are:
·
Landscape
Scale Conservation – looking at woodland expansion and
habitat enhancement.
·
Deer
and Moorland Management – how do we balance grouse moor
and deer management with wider habitat and species diversity?
·
Flood
management – what can be done to reduce the
impacts of flooding?
·
Visitor
infrastructure – looking at where investment is
needed to ensure the best possible experience for visitors.
·
Active
Cairngorms – how can we use or improve our infrastructure
in the Park to encourage people to be active and healthy?
·
Learning
& Inclusion – ensuring every child in Scotland gets to visit the Cairngorms National
Park.
·
Community
Capacity – looking at how we provide the best opportunity
for local people to work together on shared priorities by giving consistent and
clear support.
·
Housing
–
how can we work together to provide
more affordable homes balanced against the need to protect what is special
about the Park?
·
Economic
Development – looking at infrastructure investment, education, tourism, forestry and
renewable energy opportunities.
Speaking
at the launch this morning Brian Wood, Vice-Convener
of the CNPA explained: “Big Park Big Questions does not try to cover
everything that happens in the Cairngorms National Park but instead, we are
outlining the big issues on which we want peoples’ views.
“The
National Park Partnership Plan will set out the priorities for all those involved
in managing the Park. It is extremely important that we have a wide range of
input from partners, communities, businesses and the general public to ensure
that the Cairngorms National Park continues to thrive for people and nature.
“Partners
are already delivering a great deal of work to enhance conservation, improve
outdoor access infrastructure, enhance the visitor experiences and support
rural development. The questions raised in the consultation reflect the issues
facing communities within the Park but also the big questions about how the
Cairngorms National Park benefits people across Scotland.”
Scottish Natural
Heritage Chairman Ian Ross said: “The Cairngorms National Park is an area
of global significance, stunning scenery and home to a diverse range of
important species which make an important contribution to Scotland’s
biodiversity.
“At Scottish Natural Heritage we recognise the importance
and value of the emerging Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan and
particularly where we can get involved with partners and land managers in
developing landscape scale conservation projects – projects which will help in
the delivery of both significant natural heritage improvements and a range of
wider public benefits – such as health improvement, tourism and natural flood
management.”
Mark Tate
Chief Executive of the CBP said: “It
is really important that the businesses who drive the economy of the park
engage in this consultation and provide input on the matters important to us.
Our visitor driven economy exists because of our stunning natural heritage, it
is really important that we protect this.
“There are challenges and we are delighted housing has been
highlighted as one of the Big 9 issues. More access to affordable housing for
the people who live, work in and look after our National Park is vital; the
current situation is undoubtedly an inhibitor to growth. We would like to
broaden this debate to include office and business accommodation to help
attract investment in the Park, the visitor economy is a huge strength that we
must build on. We must also look to diversify and attract more non tourist
businesses to this inspirational environment. At the CBP we will be doing our
bit to help members engage and provide a collective voice we would also
encourage businesses to engage directly in this important consultation.”
Roger Clegg of the Association
of Cairngorms Communities commented: “Public
consultations are not without their dangers but these nine questions help to
give focus to this exercise by concentrating on areas which are important to
the development of the National Park. Ultimately the success of the Park relies
on having thriving communities and therefore it is vital that as many people as
possible from all walks of life share their views.”
Big
Park Big Questions gets underway today for a period of 14 weeks, closing on 30th
September. Following this, the proposed NPPP will go before the CNPA board
before being submitted to Ministers for approval in the spring of 2017.
You
can get more information on the Cairngorms National Park Authority website www.cairngorms.co.uk and keep up to date on Twitter via @cairngormsnews
using #BigParkBigQuestions.