Performance Committee - December 2024

This document contains the agenda for the Performance Committee meeting of the Cairngorms National Park Authority on 13 December 2024 at 2pm. The meeting will cover items such as welcome and apologies, approval of minutes, declarations of interest, a Cairngorms 2030 Programme update, an overview of the Cairngorms 2030 transport theme, the bringing beavers back project, the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan and the committee's annual report. The agenda also includes a discussion on the 2025 Performance Committee programme and confirms the date of the next meeting as 14 March 2025.

This document contains the draft minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Performance Committee meeting held online on 20 September 2024. The meeting covered several topics, including updates on the Cairngorms 2030 programme, peatland restoration efforts, and community-led local development. Discussions included funding concerns, project progress, public engagement strategies, and collaboration with other organizations. The committee also reviewed action points from previous meetings and identified new action items related to carbon credit work. The next meeting is scheduled for 13 December, with a format to be determined.

This document contains an update on the Cairngorms 2030 (C2030) program for the third quarter of 2024 (July to September). The Park Authority received £12.5 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to develop and deliver Cairngorms 2030, aiming to make the National Park net-zero. The program faces an amber risk level due to funding delays, with a temporary £1.2 million income shortfall expected to be resolved in the next financial year. A £600,000 funding application to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is underway. Volunteer activities and stakeholder engagement, including press releases and social media, have been ongoing. Projects are progressing, particularly in peatland restoration, which is likely to exceed its target, and health and wellbeing initiatives, which have seen strong participation. The Scottish Land Commission has advertised the vacant Cairngorms 2030 post.

This document contains the Red Amber Green (RAG) status report for Cairngorms 2030 projects as of 13 December 2024. The report shows the status of various projects by quarter, from January to March, April to June, and July to September 2024. Most projects are marked as "Green", indicating they are on track. A few projects such as "Peatland restoration", "Climate resilient catchments", "Active communities" and "Sustainable transport" have an "Amber" status for some quarters, suggesting potential issues or delays.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Performance Committee Paper 1, Annex 2, dated 13 December 2024. It outlines the programme milestones for "Cairngorms 2030," providing a detailed list of projects and their planned completion dates across various areas. These areas include woodland expansion, peatland restoration, nature recovery, future farming, climate-resilient catchments, community wealth building, landscape and communities, community empowerment, climate learning and education, conscious communities, community arts and culture, community-managed climate grants, sustainable transport, active communities, sustainable travel, changing travel behaviour, health and wellbeing, and knowledge exchange. The document tracks the progress of each project and milestone across different quarters, indicating whether they are complete, in progress, or have been adjusted.

This document contains a briefing note for the Cairngorms 2030 (C2030) Committee Transport Presentation, prepared for the Performance Committee. The note highlights key areas for the committee's consideration, focusing on the Transport Theme. The C2030 programme aims to transform transport within the National Park by reducing emissions, protecting natural heritage, and improving health through four project areas: active travel communities, changing travel behaviours, cycle-friendly Cairngorms, and sustainable transport. A major risk is the delay in Sustrans Places for Everyone funding for 2024/2025, and failure to secure the Sustrans/Transport Scotland funding next financial year will significantly impact the Park Authority's ability to deliver the transport theme.

This document contains background information on the transport theme within the Cairngorms National Park. Since transport makes up over a third of Scotland's carbon emissions, changes are needed to how people travel in the National Park to meet net zero targets. The plan is to make active and sustainable travel central to a greener future, leading to a fairer local economy and reduced carbon emissions. This will involve improving transport choices, encouraging walking, wheeling, and cycling, and increasing the use of public transport. The goal is to reduce car dependency and inequalities, while also improving individual's health and well-being, and connecting people with the park's social and environmental heritage. The Park Authority aims to collaborate with various partners to achieve these goals and become a national example for sustainable transport in rural Scotland.

This document contains the latest updates from June to November 2024 on the project to bring beavers back to the Cairngorms National Park. The Park Authority is working to establish a healthy beaver population that benefits both wildlife and people, with a focus on supporting land managers and communities. Key activities include raising awareness, releasing beaver families into the Upper Spey catchment, and implementing a monitoring and mitigation plan. While good progress has been made, challenges remain, especially regarding communication with the farming and crofting community and ensuring sufficient staff capacity to meet future demands.

This document contains a performance committee paper from the Cairngorms National Park Authority, dated 12 December 2024, regarding the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan. The paper asks the committee to note the achievements and lessons learned from the 2019-2024 Action Plan and approve the process for developing the 2025-2030 plan. The Action Plan is one of the four key strategies which support delivery of the National Park Partnership Plan. It aims to create a carbon negative and biodiversity-rich National Park with resilient ecosystems, building upon national strategies and policies. The development of the plan involves collaboration with land managers, partners, and stakeholders, and a six-week consultation is planned. The 2025-2030 Action Plan, representing clear actions to deliver, and report on, National Park Partnership Plan objectives, will be published with the support of a wide range of stakeholders in October 2025.

This document contains a proposed development timeline for the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority). It shows the schedule for various activities, starting with the Performance Committee in December and the Park Authority operational plan in January. The timeline includes strategy group meetings, board discussions, stakeholder discussions, draft development, board approval for consultation, formal consultation, targeted stakeholder engagement, and finally, the board action plan approval and launch event with activities projected to take place in September and October.

This document contains the draft Annual Report of the Performance Committee to members for comment prior to circulation to the full board, dated 13 December 2024. The Committee is asked to consider the draft annual report and agree any amendments to the draft before sending it to the full board. The report covers the period October 2023 to October 2024, during which the Committee met four times and sought assurance over various programmes and projects like Cairngorms 2030 and the Beaver Project. Key areas of the Park Authority and partner-led activities were identified for reporting and the annual report is more a factual record of the Committee's activities. The Committee has agreed on a planned scope of activity for the coming year, and members have expressed gratitude for the support received from officers.

This document contains the minutes from the Performance Committee meeting held by the Cairngorms National Park Authority on 13 December 2024. Discussions included updates on the Cairngorms 2030 programme, including community-led development and risk management, as well as transport projects and funding. The committee also discussed bringing beavers back to the area, including flood bank surveys and tourism opportunities, and reviewed the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan for 2025-2030. Finally, the committee agreed on the annual report and planned for future items, including a paper on youth action and incorporating the ranger service into the Active Cairngorms action plan.