Board meeting - 26 June 2026

This document contains a notice about upcoming Cairngorms National Park Authority meetings. A Formal Board Meeting is scheduled for 26 June at 10am, and it will be held in person at Victoria Halls, Ballater. If you can't make it in person, you can watch the meeting live online at www.cairngorms.co.uk/working-together/meetings/. The agenda and other documents for this meeting will be available on the National Park Authority website, www.cairngorms.co.uk/, from the Friday before the meeting.

This document contains the agenda for a Cairngorms National Park Authority Board meeting, scheduled for 26 June 2026 at 10am in the Victoria Hall, Ballater. During the meeting, board members will receive updates from the Chief Executive Officer and review committee minutes. They will also discuss important items like the risk register for the Cairngorms 2030 Communities Fund and the Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan. A key decision will be the election of the Board Deputy Convener and the Audit and Risk Chair. The next board meeting is planned for 25 September 2026.

This document contains the draft minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority's Formal Board meeting on 27 March 2026, where members discussed various key topics. The meeting covered updates on past actions, including progress on fire bylaws, path improvements, and the Capercaillie Emergency Plan. Board members reviewed and approved the 2026/27 budget, which is the largest in the National Park's history, and debated matters like business support for local micro-businesses and managing inflationary pressures. Discussions also focused on the Cairngorms 2030 Communities Fund, particularly ensuring transparency and effective risk management within its co-designed approach. Furthermore, the Board approved a formal public consultation for the updated Core Paths Plan, addressing concerns about path maintenance, safety, and specific route developments. Finally, the meeting noted the timetable for forthcoming Board elections and reviewed previous committee minutes.

This document contains updates on the Cairngorms National Park Authority's recent strategic work and the Convener's engagements, focusing on the National Park Partnership Plan. The Park Authority has made good progress in nature and climate change efforts, securing over £1.3 million for species recovery and climate adaptation projects, notably seeing a 30% rise in male capercaillie numbers, and developing catchment resilience. They have also invested in visitor infrastructure, trained rangers for new fire byelaws, and advanced the Local Development Plan. Communication campaigns, particularly for the fire byelaw, have reached millions and significantly boosted social media engagement, with strong business and community involvement. Meanwhile, the Convener has held extensive meetings with government officials, MSPs, land managers, businesses, and community groups, fostering partnerships and influencing key policies on housing, conservation, and the future of the National Park. Internally, the Park Authority has managed staff changes and finalised an organisational strategy to ensure a skilled and adaptable workforce.

This document contains an update for board members on the progress of the £1 million Cairngorms 2030 Communities Fund, which is a community-managed climate grant scheme. Designed to empower local communities within the Cairngorms National Park to co-design and deliver projects that build resilience and mitigate climate impacts, the fund's development has involved a panel of 18 community representatives. Board members are being asked to review the project's risk register, identifying any gaps and agreeing on the overall approach, as the design phase nears completion. The register addresses potential challenges such as varying community aspirations, conflicts of interest, and the fund's timeline, alongside mitigation strategies for these risks.

This document contains an update from the Cairngorms National Park Authority on its Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan, presented to the Board in June 2026. This plan helps the Cairngorms National Park manage tourism, visitor facilities, and how visitors impact the park, aligning with its wider National Park Partnership Plan goals. The report shows mixed progress on 33 projects; some are finished or underway, but others have not moved forward or are now unlikely to happen. These delays are often due to a lack of funding, including a temporary pause in the Scottish Government's Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, or limited capacity. The Board is asked to note this progress as the Park Authority continues to invest in facilities like paths and other visitor infrastructure.

This document contains a formal proposal for the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board to agree on election timetables for the Deputy Convener and the Audit and Risk Chair. The current Deputy Convener's term ends on 07 September 2026, and the Audit and Risk Chair's term concludes on 31 October 2026. Following Standing Orders, election timetables must be established at least two months before these appointments expire. The proposed schedule for the Deputy Convener election starts with nominations on 20 July 2026 and concludes with results on 07 August 2026. For the Audit and Risk Chair, nominations begin on 02 November 2026, with results announced on 20 November 2026. These electronic election processes are designed to include all board members, similar to successful past elections, and allow for adjustments if there is only one candidate.

This document contains a report titled 'Committee Minutes', prepared by Alix Harkness and Karen Johnstone, who are the Clerks to the Board. This paper presents the minutes from the Resources Committee meeting on 13 February 2026 and the Performance Committee meeting on 23 March 2026, and the Board is asked to simply note these minutes.