NEMT and Scottish National Parks

GENERAL COMMENTS

• We welcome the opportunity to comment on the creation of the missing top-tier designation of land in Scotland;
• North East Mountain Trust support the SWCL discussion paper Protecting Scotland's Finest Landscapes and the earlier CCS paper Mountain Areas of Scotland;
• The English pattern of National Parks is inappropriate for Scotland.

OBJECTIVES

• To conserve natural heritage for future generations while encouraging sustainable rural communities;
• Permanent protection of the finest wild land in Scotland;
• To achieve the highest available World Heritage Designation for each area.

SITES

• Extensive and diverse areas, including the marine environment;
• The whole Cairngorms Partnership Board Area requires protection;
• Within the Cairngorms area there are very different needs: fragile, core plateau, surrounding hills and rural communities;
• Zoning necessary with different controls in each area;

ORGANISATION

• National ownership is neither practical nor required;
• Meaningful powers and adequate funding are required;
• A single independent body should have complete planning powers (incl. forestry, agriculture and tracks);
• The same body to have on-going control of activities within the Park;
• National Standards - allows thematic approach across all Scottish NP;
• Local Implementation - allows local needs to be addressed;
• Integration with existing designations (simplify and strengthen existing powers);
• Balance of interests, but above all conserve our natural heritage;

RESOURCES

• Substantial - level of funding will reflect political importance and determine outcome;
• Cost to be shared by the nation as part of the benefit extends beyond the local population;
• Some diversion of funds may be possible, but new money also required;

ISSUES

• Regulation of all activities, but minimise restrictions whenever possible;
• Priorities (balance):
  1. Wildlife biodiversity: Retain SSSI and habitat directives;
  2. Landscape conservation;
     • Honeypot
       • inherent attraction of area not status;
       • new powers should help manage the problem;
     • Remedial work required including forestry and control of grazing numbers;
     • Avoid on-going development year on year;
  3. Rural revival;
     • Provision of facilities to encourage investment detracts from wild nature of area;
     • Beware Theme Park;
  4. Recreational provision (demand likely to continue to rise);
     • Some fees likely and possible use of permits;
     • Promotion of area to encourage tourism detracts from wild nature of area;
• Interim measures are required to protect the areas already announced.

Please let the webmaster know if there are problems viewing these pages or with the links they contain.