Performance Committee - August 2022

This document contains the draft minutes of the Performance Committee meeting of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, which took place on 13 May 2022. The meeting covered a range of topics, including updates on the Heritage Horizons Programme, the Cairngorms Peatland Action Programme, the Cairngorms Leader Programme, the Cairngorms Trust Delivery, and the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project. The committee discussed the progress of these projects, any potential risks, and their impact on the Park Authority's strategic outcomes and performance objectives. Action points were identified for various individuals to address, including clarifying instructions for the Carrbridge group and reviewing the transfer of the 'Design & Build' Service into the private sector. The committee also discussed the format of future reports and the need for clear deadlines and expectations. The next meeting was scheduled for 12 August 2022.

This document contains an update on the Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 Programme, reporting on the delivery for Q2 2022 and planned development work to the end of September 2022. It highlights that the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) was successful in its bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and received £1.7 million from NLHF to complete the development phase of the Cairngorms 2030 programme. The report also shows that project risks are being monitored, no cash flow issues and highlights key actions to be completed by the end of September 2022. The main risk for delivery continues to be the tight timescales with managing complex projects and meeting the NLHF second phase funding application deadline at the end of June 2023.

This document contains an update on the Cairngorms National Park Authority's (Park Authority) Peatland Action Programme for 2022-23. It recommends that the Performance Committee notes the programme update. The peatland programme aims to help achieve the targets and priorities of NPPP4 and support the Heritage Horizon Cairngorms 2030 Programme. While they plan to deliver 905 hectares of peatland restoration in 2022-23, the programme is facing some challenges. These include uncertainties around future funding from the Scottish Government, the need to recruit new staff, and potential issues with contractor capacity and adverse weather. Financial support from the Scottish Government is £3.47 million in 2022/23 which includes both capital and resource funding.

This document contains the latest updates on the Cairngorms Local Action Group's LEADER Programme and charitable activities, managed by the Cairngorms Trust. It discusses seeking replacement LEADER funding for Community Led Local Development (CLLD). The Performance Committee is asked to review delivery updates to assess their contribution to strategic outcomes and consider any impacts on performance objectives or risk management. The report also highlights both successes and challenges in areas such as securing future funding, increasing voluntary giving, and the strategic risk of resourcing, and states that there are no matters of strategic significance which merit escalation at this time.

This document contains the draft Performance Committee Annual Report to the Cairngorms National Park Authority (NPA) Board for the period of August 2021 to August 2022. The Performance Committee is asking for a review of the draft Annual Report to the Board and any changes to be made before submission to the board in September. The committee was set up after a review of the Cairngorms NPA's board committee structures in the first quarter of 2021/22, meeting five times since August 2021. It has been monitoring programmes and projects like the Cairngorms Capercaillie Project and the Cairngorms Peatland ACTION Programme. The committee feels it has been successful in its work, and that members will continue to work with senior officers to evolve and adapt reporting structures as required.