Board Meeting - June 2021

This document contains the agenda for the Cairngorms National Park Authority board meeting on 11 June 2021, held via video conferencing. The meeting will cover welcoming attendees, apologies, and approving minutes from previous meetings on 12 March 2021 and 26 March 2021. Other items include matters arising from previous meetings, declarations of interest, a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) report, and discussions on strategic risk management and the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan. The agenda also lists items for information, like the Cairngorms Green Recovery Plan and the Cairngorm Estate Masterplan. A decision will be made on changing standing orders for committee chair elections and there will be an "any other business" section. Finally, there is a motion to move to a confidential session, and the date for the next meeting is set for 10 September 2021.

This document contains the draft minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority's formal board meeting held on 12 March 2021. The meeting covered several key areas, including the approval of minutes from previous meetings, updates on action points, declarations of interest, and reports from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Convener. Discussions revolved around the budget for 2021/22, the approach to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) and net zero emissions, a mid-term review of the Cairngorms Tourism Action Plan, and updates on major projects within the National Park. The board endorsed the resource allocation budget plans, the establishment of a permanent ranger service, and committed to achieving net zero emissions by specific deadlines. The meeting concluded with condolences for the deaths of Ian Findlay and Joe Porter.

This document contains the draft minutes of the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board meeting held on 26 March 2021 via video conference. The meeting included a welcome and introductions, and the approval of previous minutes from the March meeting was deferred to the next meeting in June. Xander McDade declared his interest as a councillor for Highland Perthshire. The Board adopted the proposed Local Development Plan (LDP) as modified by Scottish Ministers, which will replace the 2015 LDP and be in effect from 2021 to 2026. The Planning Committee will receive a hard copy of the adopted Local Development Plan when available. The next formal Board meeting is scheduled for 11 June 2021 via Lifesize Video Conferencing. The meeting concluded at 9.45am.

This document contains the CEO report and convener update for the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) board members, highlighting key strategic work areas. The CNPA's Action Plan is progressing well, with most targets on track, and several projects related to biodiversity, peatland restoration, and woodland creation are underway. The Cairngorms Capercaillie Project has started working with local communities, and the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Landscape Partnership (TGLP) programme is complete, with the CNPA continuing to oversee its financial management. The report also covers visitor experience initiatives, including the Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum, the "Tread Lightly in the Park" campaign, improvements to the Speyside Way, and the work of the Cairngorms Rangers. Additionally, the Local Development Plan 2021 has been adopted, and community-led housing projects are progressing. The report also includes information on the Economic Action Plan, the community assets map, the Tourism Action Plan, the Cairngorms Business Barometer, the Badenoch Great Place Project, and the Green Recovery Fund. The CEO has been actively involved in stakeholder engagement and the CNPA is working to manage visitor communications and enhance its website and social media presence. Lastly, the report provides updates on business continuity planning, the office extension project, and staffing changes within the CNPA.

This document contains an update on the Cairngorms National Park Authority's performance towards its 2018 to 2022 Corporate Plan, focusing on key performance indicators and highlighting risks or shortcomings. It also presents the latest Strategic Risk Register, which is reviewed and updated regularly. The board is asked to review corporate performance, strategic risk management, and the risk register, noting achievements, exceptions, and the completeness of risk coverage. The document covers various areas, including corporate plan monitoring, conservation and land management, visitor experience, rural development, communications, and organizational development, noting both highlights and areas needing attention. Financial performance, carbon emissions, and strategic risk management are also discussed, along with ongoing efforts to adapt to the impacts of COVID-19.

This document contains Cairngorms National Park Authority's corporate plan reporting from June 2021. It outlines progress and future plans across various priorities. For conservation and land management, there's been peatland restoration and woodland expansion, with work continuing despite Covid-19 delays and contractor shortages. The Cairngorms Nature Action Plan is progressing well overall, though some targets for peatland restoration and capercaillie populations are at risk. Deer management is focused on expanding native woodlands and peatland restoration, while sustainable moorland management aims to deliver greater habitat diversity. The Speyside Way extension is complete and the Cairngorm Mountain Masterplan has been launched. There is also a focus on increasing physical activity through active travel projects and supporting local communities through housing projects and initiatives like the Badenoch Great Place Scheme. Finally, the document details communication and engagement strategies to increase awareness and involvement in the National Park, and efforts to improve internal operations and governance within the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).

This document contains a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) report for the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) from 11 June 2021. It covers a range of indicators, including conservation and land use, deer management, wildlife crime, visitor experience, tourism, rural development, corporate services, health and safety, audit, income, and carbon emissions. The report shows progress towards targets, with some areas like new woodland creation, volunteer rangers, visitor surveys, affordable housing, community involvement, business satisfaction, staff recruitment, and income achieving their goals, while others, like peatland restoration, deer density reduction, capercaillie numbers, tourism impact, and equal pay assessments, face challenges and are rated amber or red.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority Strategic Risk Register as of June 11, 2021. It outlines various risks facing the Park Authority, categorized as cross-over risks, staffing issues, resourcing challenges, reputational risks, and technical concerns. For each risk, the register identifies the responsible party, mitigation strategies, and comments on the current status. Trends are visually represented, indicating whether the risk is increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable over time, from November 2020 to June 2021. The aim of the register is to keep strategic risks around 15 and focuses on risk impacts throughout each of the three themes which require a coordinated overview at Director/Executive level.

This document contains the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan mid-term report. Overall, the delivery of the Action Plan is progressing well, with 83% of targets and actions considered complete or progressing as expected. However, 11% are delayed or need more effort, largely due to COVID-19 restrictions during 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, 4% are considered at significant risk of not being delivered, and 2% are unreported. The report highlights three areas of work needing attention: peatland restoration, expansion of raptor home range occupancy and breeding success, and capercaillie population status. It also acknowledges the diverse contributions from various land managers, estates, organisations, communities, groups, and individuals towards delivering the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan.

This document contains a mid-term report on the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan 2019-2024, a five-year plan launched in February 2019. The plan, delivered by various partners, aims to conserve habitats and species within the Cairngorms National Park and aligns with national and regional strategies, contributing to the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Biodiversity Duty. The Cairngorms Nature Strategy Group supports the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) in delivering the plan. Overall, there is steady progress on the majority of actions, although some have been affected by COVID-19. The document highlights progress towards long-term objectives such as ecosystem restoration, improved moorland management, habitat creation for breeding waders and wildlife-rich grassland. The document also discusses funding for the plan, including the Biodiversity Challenge Fund and the Nature Restoration Fund.

This document contains an update on the Cairngorms Green Recovery Plan from June 2021, following its approval in June 2020. It informs the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) Board about the progress made and future plans, noting that COVID recovery will continue to be challenging. The document details actions taken and planned in areas like the Cairngorms Recovery Fund, tourism emergency response, community support, rural economy, visitor management, climate change initiatives such as woodland expansion and peatland restoration, plus capital investments in infrastructure. The CNPA will continue to monitor the Green Recovery Plan's progress, integrating updates into future corporate reports and using its principles in the upcoming National Park Partnership Plan for 2022 to 2027.

This document contains an update for the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board regarding the Cairngorm Estate Masterplan by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). HIE has launched a masterplan for the Cairngorm Estate, following public consultation. This masterplan provides a vision for the estate as a world-class mountain environment and will act as a framework to inform future development plans, focusing on 10 inter-related topics. The Cairngorms Local Development Plan 2021 supports appropriate development and enhancement of facilities in the three ski centers in the National Park. Priorities for HIE include stabilizing the operating company, reviewing options for future ownership, and focusing on ecology, sustainable transport, and facilities development.

This document contains a formal board paper from the Cairngorms National Park Authority, dated 11 June 2021. The paper outlines proposed changes to the Standing Orders to reflect updates to the process of electing Committee Chairs, as agreed upon by the Board at a meeting on 28 May 2021. The Board is being asked to agree to the amendment of the Standing Orders, note that the nomination of candidates for election as Committee Chairs has progressed in parallel with the amendment of Standing Orders, and confirm that the list of nominations to be declared by 5pm on 11 June 2021 will be accepted as the candidates for the election of Committee Chairs.