Cairngorms National Park Authority agreed its Corporate Plan 2003-2007 at the Board’s meeting on 4th December.
The plan identifies six main themes for the development of the National Park:
- to develop a Park for All
- to encourage the enjoyment, understanding and appreciation of the special qualities of the area
- to develop clear, cohesive strategies for the stewardship of the natural resources of the National Park
- to develop balanced, thriving, stable communities in the Park
- to ensure an integrated approach to the Park’s four statutory aims by all public bodies through the preparation and implementation of the National Park Plan for the Cairngorms
- to develop and enabling organisation that is trusted and respected.
Two organisational themes are also identified in the Plan:
- integration across the four aims of the Park driving the Authority’s approach on everything as the National Park and Local Plans are developed
- creating an organisation which is trusted and respected and works effectively in
partnership as an enabler.
And it is the National Park Authority’s principal role as an enabling organisation that is emphasised in the Corporate Plan. That role includes providing assistance advice and training, carrying our research, giving grants, providing or arranging the provision of information or educational services or leisure facilities and generally doing anything to facilitate the accomplishment of its aims.
The Plan recognises the wide range of public sector bodies already working in the Cairngorms and comments that these work within quite narrow remits.
“By contrast,” the Plan states, “the CNPA has a very broad and general remit. There is very little sense in the CNPA duplicating the functions already being delivered by these statutory bodies.”
Therefore, the Plan continues, the Authority’s role is to add value and leadership by ‘joining up’ the activities of other organisation and “bringing a degree of synergy by co-ordinating the overlapping responsibilities of other bodies.”
The Plan also considers the situation where a function is delivered across the Cairngorms by several different organisations, each only active in part of the Park’s area. “Here again,” it says, “the CNPA is able to bring about a degree of co-ordination to issues that need to be addressed on a pan-Park basis, and where a benefit can be realised by operating at the level of the National Park.”
Under each theme a series aims and targets for the next three years are identified a total of 36, ranging from signage to biodiversity. Andrew Thin, Convener of the Cairngorms National Park Authority stresses that the plan is designed to achieve sensible and planned growth of the organisation which will build on its ability to deliver exciting and innovative ideas.
“This plan starts work on the long term development of the Park,” he says, “Not everything is going to happen in three or five years we are laying the foundations of a successful, sustainable Cairngorms for the next generation and generations after that.
“It is also important to remember that most of what we do will be done through and in partnership with others our role is to provide the lead and to co-ordinate activities.”
And the Authority’s priorities for the next three years contained in the Plan are:
- to continue work inherited from the Cairngorms Partnership
- to build up the new organisation and refine ways of working, including robust internal control and forward planning systems
- to build the National Park Plan, Local Plan and long term policies
- deliver statutory functions on planning and development control, and as the access authority
- influence others to deliver the National Park aims
The Corporate Plan is now submitted to Scottish Executive Ministers for approval.