Board Meeting - March 2024

This document contains updates for the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) board members. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) report highlights ongoing work, including the Cairngorms Agricultural Advisory Group's first meeting, the coordination of a Dee Resilience Plan to improve water quality and biodiversity, and changes to moorland management regulations. There's also progress in fire management planning, woodland expansion, and species recovery efforts for beavers and capercaillie. The Park Authority is working to manage recreational impacts, improve paths, and support ranger services, including a new Ranger Service Handbook. Efforts continue to improve visitor infrastructure, engage volunteers, and support youth through the Youth Action Team. Planning for a new Local Development Plan is underway, along with efforts to promote a wellbeing economy and sustainable tourism. Surveys are planned to gather visitor and resident feedback. A fire management consultation is underway, and marketing campaigns are promoting the Cairngorms. Finally, the Convener's update focuses on addressing the affordable housing crisis through meetings with various ministers and organizations, as well as discussions on beaver reintroduction and partnerships for common objectives.

This document contains the proposed budget and operational plan for the Cairngorms National Park Authority (Park Authority) for the 2024/25 financial year. Prepared by Louise Allen, Head of Finance and Corporate Operations, the document provides the Board with an overview of the budget position, key assumptions, and the operational plan. The Park Authority is set to increase by £0.977 million, a 12% increase in cash funding from the Scottish Government. The budget includes allocations for peatland restoration, community led local development, and the Cairngorms 2030 program, which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Board is invited to approve the budget and operational plan as outlined in the document, with ongoing budget monitoring reports to be provided to the Board's Resources Committee throughout the year.

This document contains the Cairngorms National Park Authority's (Park Authority) response to the Scottish Government consultation on managing deer for climate and nature. The Park Authority is being asked to approve this response. The aim is to reduce the negative effects of deer and other herbivores in the National Park to allow woodlands to grow, reverse heather loss, help peatlands recover, and improve biodiversity and the landscape. The goal is to have a maximum of five to eight red deer per square kilometre by 2030 and to keep non-native deer within their current areas in the National Park by 2030. The consultation covers six areas: enhancing nature, compulsory powers, deer welfare, changes to close seasons, venison, and kept and farmed deer. The Park Authority supports the idea of Deer Management Nature Restoration Orders, which would give Nature Scot more power to improve nature, and wants to be involved in introducing any such orders within the National Park. The Park Authority also supports moving the close season for hinds but not the proposed change to the end date. Finally, it is keen to see more work done to promote and expand the use of venison in Scotland.

This document contains an annual update on the Sustainable Tourism Action Plan (STAP) 2022-27 for the Cairngorms National Park. The report highlights the progress made in delivering the plan, which aims to contribute to the wider tourism industry and Scotland's national tourism strategy. Key areas of focus include short-term let licensing, the transient visitor levy, tourism funding, and changes to quality assurance schemes. The Cairngorms National Park continues to monitor tourism trends through visitor surveys and business barometers, and is planning further research to gather regular information from visitors and residents. The next annual update on STAP delivery is scheduled for March 2025, with a mid-term review planned for late 2025 or early 2026.

This document contains the annual update for 2023/24 of the Sustainable Tourism Action Plan for the Cairngorms National Park. The plan focuses on two priorities: engaging businesses, visitors, and stakeholders in achieving net zero and nature recovery, and involving local communities in tourism decisions. The plan includes actions relating to visitor investment, climate action, technological solutions for visitors, pre-arrival visitor information, and reducing species disturbance. The plan also aims to improve the value of tourism for local communities, encourage community-led tourism, monitor residents' attitudes to tourism, strengthen cultural events, encourage fair work practices, and promote the Cairngorms as a desirable place to work in hospitality. Further actions include encouraging a diverse range of visitors, considering a local visitor levy, improving tourism infrastructure, managing visitor accommodation, promoting tourism assets, reducing seasonality, supporting businesses, and strengthening partnership working.

This document contains the minutes for several board committee meetings. The meetings include Governance committee on 3 November and 9 March, and Resources committee on 10 November. It also contains the draft minutes for Audit and Risk committee on 24 November 2023, Performance committee on 8 December 2023, and Resources committee on 26 January 2024. The board is asked to note the minutes of the Governance and Resources committee, and also to note the draft minutes of the Audit and Risk committee, Performance and Resources committee.

This document contains the draft minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority Governance Committee meeting held on 3 November 2023 and 9 February 2024, and the Resources Committee meeting held on 10 November 2023. Key discussions in the Governance Committee meetings included updates on communications activity, the annual report, and the application of the meeting substitutes policy, with decisions made to approve papers with conditions and allow deputy chairs to stand in when needed. The Resources Committee meeting covered budget monitoring for 2023/24, the estimated outturn position for 2022/23, the annual report to the Board, and staff and health and safety matters, leading to a decision to investigate purchasing a defibrillator for the Grantown office. Both committees concluded with motions to move into confidential sessions due to legal privilege.

This document contains the draft minutes from several meetings held by the Cairngorms National Park Authority. These include the Audit and Risk Committee meeting on 24 November 2023, where discussions covered the 2022/23 final accounts, external and internal audit reports, and strategic risk management. The Performance Committee meeting on 8 December 2023 included updates on the Cairngorms 2030 Programme, the Cairngorms Trust, Community Led Local Development, and the Bringing Back Beavers Project. Lastly, the Resource Committee meeting on 26 January 2024 addressed budget monitoring, the budget position for 2024/25, and health and safety committee minutes.

This document contains the minutes from the Cairngorms National Park Authority Board Meeting held on 22 March 2024. The meeting covered several topics, including approving the minutes from the previous meeting, updates on action points, a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) report on strategic work areas, discussions on local policing and community communication, and the Cairngorms National Park Authority budget and operational plan for 2024/25. The board also discussed managing deer populations for climate and nature, the Sustainable Tourism Action Plan, and reviewed board committee minutes; the next meeting is scheduled for Friday 28 June in person.