Board meeting - March 2025

This document contains the formal board agenda for the Cairngorms National Park Authority meeting on 28 March 2025 at 10am in Grantown-on-Spey. The agenda includes welcoming attendees, approving previous meeting minutes, discussing arising matters, and declarations of interest. The board will receive updates on the Chief Executive Officer report, the Convener, and the Sustainable Tourism Action Plan, as well as the Public Sector Equality Duty report and board committee reports. Decisions will be made on the 2025/26 budget, operational plan, Highland Council Visitor Levy Proposal and the Local Development Plan Delivery Programme. The next meeting is scheduled for 27 June 2025.

This document contains the formal board minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority meeting on 22 November 2024. The meeting covered several key topics, including updates on action points from previous meetings, the CEO's report, the Wellbeing Economy Action Plan, the Local Development Plan, a review of the Park Authority's Standing Orders, the Active Cairngorms and end of season visitor report, the Corporate Plan Delivery Update, and the Audit and Risk Committee annual report. The board discussed various aspects of these topics, agreed on recommendations, and identified action points for future follow-up. The next meeting is scheduled for 14 February 2025.

This document contains the draft minutes from the Formal Board meeting held at the Cairngorms National Park Authority office on 14 February 2025. The meeting covered a few key areas including seasonal fire management bylaws and an integrated wildfire management plan. The board discussed and revised proposals for a fire management bylaw, addressing concerns and suggestions from a public consultation, with the intention of submitting the bylaw to Scottish Ministers for approval. They also reviewed a draft Integrated Wildfire Management Plan to go out for a formal consultation period of six weeks during February and March 2025, that they then approved. The next meeting is scheduled for 28 March 2025.

This document contains the CEO Report and Convener Update for the Cairngorms National Park Authority, dated 28 March 2025. The report highlights the main strategic areas of work being directed by the Management Team, focusing on nature and climate change initiatives such as peatland restoration and deer management, and the Cairngorms Agricultural Advisory Group (CAAG). It also covers visitor services and active travel, including improvements to paths and signage. The report details updates on planning and rural development, including the Local Development Plan (LDP) and planning casework, as well as visitor and resident surveys. Furthermore, it outlines communications and engagement strategies, including community events and website updates, and discusses organisational development, staffing changes, youth employment, equalities, and procurement activities. The Convener's update focuses on meetings and events attended to support the Strathdon community, address issues in Nethy Bridge, engage with businesses and tourism representatives, discuss flood risks, and collaborate with other organisations and government officials.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's proposed budget and operational plan for the 2025/26 financial year, which the Board is invited to approve. It presents the overall budget position, considers the impact of key assumptions, and presents the proposed operational plan for members to scrutinise the allocation of available resources, both financial and staff. The budget aims to deliver the Park Authority's strategic objectives, as set out in the National Park Partnership Plan and Corporate Plan. The document also details predicted settlements from the Scottish Government and available resources allocated to meet the requirements of the National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) and the Corporate Plan and it also considers the management of risk with the information provided to the Board in its business session in December 2024, and subsequent discussions with the Resources Committee at its meeting in January 2025.

This document contains the proposed budget for 2025/26. It details the Cairngorms National Park's expected income and expenditure, breaking this down into resource, capital and Cairngorms 2030 funding. The total income is expected to be £18.222 million, while the total expenditure is expected to be £18.208 million, leading to a net income of £14,000. Key expenditure areas include operational plans (climate adaptation, peatland restoration, nature and climate) and running costs (staff salaries, board fees, facilities).

This document contains the proposed budget for 2025/26 for the Cairngorms National Park Authority. It details the income, expenditure, and movement (increase/decrease) compared to the 2024/25 budget, broken down by category such as National Parks Grant in Aid, peatland grants, nature restoration, community-led local development (CLLD), operational plan items, running costs, and Cairngorms 2030 program funding. The total income is estimated at £18.222 million, while total expenditure is £18.208 million, resulting in a net income of £14,000.

This document contains budget risk information for the Cairngorms National Park Authority as of 28 March 2025. It outlines potential risks associated with various budget areas including the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), Community Led Local Development (CLLD), staff costs, vacancy savings, the climate adaptation fund, and running costs. The document details the description of each risk, its reference in the Strategic Risk Register, the potential impacts and considerations, and the budget allocation for both the 2025/26 and 2024/25 fiscal years. Key concerns include uncertainty in funding availability, managing staff costs and vacancy savings, and addressing inflationary pressures.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's operational plan for 2025/26. The plan details the organization's aims, thumbnail sketches, resources, financial requirements, and staff resource full-time equivalent (FTE) allocations for various projects. These projects include achieving net-zero emissions, woodland expansion, peatland restoration, managing deer and herbivore impacts, species management, moorland management, fire management, supporting farming, freshwater systems, ecological networks, ecological restoration, the Cairngorms Nature Index, species recovery, green investment, working-age population initiatives, supporting the wellbeing economy, skills and training, community assets, citizen participation, community-led planning, and Gaelic language and culture. It also covers mental and physical health, volunteering, improving access to housing, supporting village and town centers, enhancing visitor experiences, creating a sustainable destination, improving transport, and investing in accessible paths and visitor infrastructure, including communication objectives to engage stakeholders and promote responsible behavior.

This document contains a risk analysis from a Formal Board meeting on 28 March 2025, which looks at potential risks facing the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) and how they plan to address them. It covers a variety of areas including financial resources, staffing, strategic delivery, systems development and technical issues. The document outlines mitigation and controls already in place, comments on the current situation, and details planned actions to manage and reduce these risks, ensuring the Park Authority can achieve its corporate objectives and deliver effective services.

This document contains a proposal for the Cairngorms National Park Authority to discuss and approve a response to the Highland Council's Visitor Levy consultation. Highland Council is the first Local Authority within the National Park to propose a visitor levy under the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024. The Act allows local authorities to charge a percentage on overnight accommodation, but National Park Authorities do not have the power to introduce a levy themselves, although they are a consultee. Highland Council's proposal includes a 5% levy on overnight stays. The Cairngorms National Park Authority have been involved in discussing the proposals. The four other local authorities covering the National Park are also considering visitor levy proposals. After the consultation, Highland Council will prepare a report recommending whether to proceed with the proposal.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's response to the Highland Council's consultation on a proposed visitor levy. The Scottish Parliament passed the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act in May 2024, which allows local authorities to charge a percentage on overnight accommodation. The Park Authority's response includes suggesting that the council recognises the tourism objectives within the Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP), includes the Park Authority in the Visitor Levy Forum, and outlines a mechanism for investing funds in services or infrastructure delivered by the Park Authority. Overall, the Park Authority generally supports the council's position but recommends monitoring the impacts of the levy and suggests regular reviews of the scheme, and promotes clarity and continued engagement with the tourism industry.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Local Development Plan 2021 Delivery Programme 2025. It sets out how the Park Authority plans to deliver the Local Development Plan, updating and replacing the 2021 Action Programme 2022. The programme lists actions needed to achieve the plan's policies, including timelines and housing delivery. It also informs the housing land pipeline with information from local authorities and highlights the development progress of allocated sites. The document details developer obligations, national infrastructure projects, and development land information by settlement within the Cairngorms National Park.

This document contains information about the Local Development Plan 2021 Delivery Programme for the Cairngorms National Park. The Cairngorms National Park Authority needs to publish this Delivery Programme by 31 March 2025, and the board is asked to approve it and submit it to the Scottish Ministers. The Delivery Programme is an important project management tool that helps achieve the goals of development planning in the National Park. It updates the previous Action Programme and includes details on housing, financial contributions, and the history of development sites. The document also covers strategic policy considerations, risk management, and consultation responses from various stakeholders.

This document contains an update for the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board on the progress of the Sustainable Tourism Action Plan (STAP) 2022-2027. The STAP aims to support the tourism industry while aligning with the National Park Partnership Plan 4 (NPPP4) and Scotland Outlook 2030. Recent developments in tourism policy, including short term let licensing schemes and the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act, are affecting the business environment. VisitScotland is shifting to a digital-first approach, which will see the closure of i-Centres. The Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund is reopening in 2025/26. Key activities include the 'Love Nature, Love Cairngorms National Park' campaign and efforts to promote local career opportunities in tourism. The Cairngorms National Park Authority monitors visitor trends and business sentiment, noting a slight dip in domestic holidays but strong international tourism in 2024. The next STAP update is scheduled for March 2026.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park's Sustainable Tourism Action Plan annual update for 2024/25, which outlines the priorities and actions to support the National Park Partnership Plan. The main goals are to involve businesses, visitors, and communities in working towards net zero emissions and nature recovery, and to ensure local residents have a say in tourism decisions. The plan focuses on visitor investment, climate action, technological solutions, pre-arrival visitor information, reducing species disturbance, and promoting community-led tourism, resident research, cultural heritage, fair work, employment, business engagement, equality, and a local visitor levy. It also highlights actions related to tourism infrastructure, visitor accommodation, tourism assets, reducing seasonality, business support, and partnership working, all aimed at creating a sustainable and thriving tourism sector that benefits both visitors and the local community.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) Report, prepared by Kate Christie, Head of Organisational Development, and dated 28 March 2025. The report is required to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty, which includes reporting on mainstreaming the equality duty and publishing progress on responsibilities. The report summarises the key activities the Park Authority has engaged in over the last two years to meet the duty, demonstrating how equality is integrated into their work. It includes an analysis of staff and board equality data and updates on equality outcomes. The report also outlines new equality outcomes for the next four years and supporting information on achievements during the reporting period, including proactive equalities groups, the Youth Action Team, the Volunteer Cairngorms programme, and community engagement.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's (Park Authority) Public Sector Equality Duty Report for 2025-2029, which highlights their equality, diversity, and inclusion efforts over the last two years. It details work done to promote partnership working and to lead bodies and agencies in the sustainable growth and development of the Cairngorms National Park. The report is broken into sections that cover engagement and participation, corporate functions and processes, and service provisions. It also discusses staff demographics, pay gaps, and equality outcomes, as well as looks at how the Park Authority involves under-represented communities and increases their access to the park and its opportunities. The document stresses the importance of inclusive practices in community engagement, decision-making, and employment, as well as efforts to remove barriers and provide support for a more diverse range of individuals.

This document contains the appendices to the Cairngorms National Park Authority's (CNPA) Equality Report, dated 28 March 2025. It includes the CNPA's principles, staff and board equality monitoring data from 2023 and 2024, an equal pay audit from 2024 (including gender pay gap results), information about occupational segregation, and progress reports on equality outcomes from 2021-2024, such as the diversification of the workforce, promotion of the National Park for all visitors, and inclusive access to nature. The document also outlines the equality outcomes action plan for 2025-2028 and 2025-2029, focusing on workforce diversity, infrastructure investment, and community engagement.

This document contains the annual reports from the Governance Committee, the Performance Committee, and the Resources Committee to the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board, as presented by Mariaan Pita, Executive Support Manager. Each committee submits an annual report covering its activities and operations to the full board, and the board is being asked to note each of the reports. The reports are factual records of business, not necessarily qualitative evaluations of each committee. The Performance Committee report includes updates on Cairngorms 2030, Peatland restoration, and the Cairngorms Beaver project. The Resources Committee focused on budget monitoring, risk management, staff engagement, and health and safety, concluding that the Committee has been successful in its remit.

This document contains the minutes from the Board Committee meetings, prepared by Alix Harkness and Karen Johnstone, Clerks to the Board, and is dated 28 March 2025. The minutes presented are from meetings held between 10 August 2024 and 13 December 2024, including the Performance Committee, Audit and Risk Committee, and Resources Committee. The document also includes confidential minutes from meetings held between 10 August 2024 and 4 October 2024, specifically the Audit and Risk Committee and Resources Committee; the Board is asked to note both the standard and confidential minutes from these meetings.

This document contains minutes from meetings of the Performance, Audit and Risk, and Resource Committees for the Cairngorms National Park Authority. The Performance Committee meeting on 20 September 2024 covered updates on the Cairngorms 2030 programme, an empowerment theme, and the Peatland ACTION programme. The Audit and Risk Committee meeting on 27 September 2024 reviewed the 2023/24 final accounts, external audit updates, and the internal audit plan for 2024/25, plus strategic risk registers and procurement strategies. The Resource Committee met on 4 October 2024 to discuss budget monitoring for 2024/25. A subsequent Performance Committee meeting on 13 December 2024 included updates on the Cairngorms 2030 programme, transport themes, the bringing beavers back project, and the Nature Action Plan.