WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you should refer to the pdf version of this document. CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Paper 5 05/05/06 CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY FOR INFORMATION Title: Corporate Plan Report: Theme 4 Prepared by: Nick Halfhide, Head of Strategic Policy and Programme Management Don McKee, Head of Planning and Development Control Purpose To inform the Board of our work to date to achieve the fourth strategic theme of the Corporate Plan for 2005-08, and our plans for future activity. Recommendations • That the Board note the progress and plan for achieving the fourth theme of the Corporate Plan for 2005-08. Executive Summary The fourth theme of the Corporate Plan for 2005-08 states: “To ensure our commitment to future generations we will look beyond the horizon and put in place plans to guide and co-ordinate the long-term integrated management of the Park” The CNPA’s main work to date on this theme has concentrated on developing the Park Plan and Local Plan, and associated interim planning policy. These will continue to be the focus of our work over the next 12 months. Corporate Plan Report: Theme 4 Background 1. This is the third report on the fourth theme of the CNPA’s Corporate Plan for 2005- 08. The Board considered the second report in October 2005. 2. The fourth theme is: “To ensure our commitment to future generations we will look beyond the horizon and put in place plans to guide and co-ordinate the long-term integrated management of the Park” 3. This theme is concerned with providing strategic guidance focused on the area of the National Park. This guidance should help to integrate the four aims of the Park and look beyond the immediate, providing a policy framework in which all those involved in the management of the Park, including ourselves, can then develop more detailed activity. 4. This is an essential theme for the CNPA because is goes to the heart of our general purpose to ensure that the 4 aims of the Park are collectively delivered in a coordinated way; through setting out clear and long-term plans, we enable others to deliver. This helps us to provide focus for others and bring their actions more into line with one another; and in pulling these plans together, we provide leadership that is centred on the needs of the National Park. 5. Most of our forward planning efforts continue to concentrate on the Park Plan and Local Plan. National Park Plan 6. Overall, the Park Plan is progressing according to the scheduled agreed by the Board in July 2004. The Board approved the draft plan for consultation in December 2005; we held a briefing session for MSPs in March 2006; and Rhona Brankin MSP formally launched the consultation on 11th April 2006. The consultation runs until the end of June. A list of consultation meetings is emerging and we will send this to Members on a regular basis. Members are free to attend any meetings and we will approach individuals to assist where we think this would be useful. 7. Whilst the consultation is running, we are continuing to refine the proposed work programme for the next 5 years. In particular, we are seeking to set out more clearly what differences we expect to make by 2012 by defining a series of outcomes linked to the proposed 7 Priorities for Action. This is a process which will make it clear what difference we think we can collectively make to the Park in that timeframe, thereby setting clear expectations of what we can and, as importantly, cannot achieve in the next 5 years. 8. The results of this work, along with proposed changes arising from the consultation, will come formally to the Board in the autumn. In the meantime, we have arranged an informal workshop for Members on 26th May to discuss these outcomes for 2012. 9. Since the last update to the Board on this corporate theme we have made good progress on developing indicators. We included proposed themes within the draft Park Plan and are now working closely with Macaulay to develop these further. Local Plan 10. The consultation on the Consultative Draft Local Plan and accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) ended on 28th February 2006. In addition to feedback from the second round of community consultation events before Christmas there have been some 200 written responses to the formal local plan consultation. There have been some 20 responses to date on the SEA. We are currently taking stock of the responses and will be producing a consultation report during May. Overall the consultation is considered to have been successful and work is continuing to refine the plan and address issues that have been raised. 11. The existing timetable is for the draft of the finalised deposit version of the local plan to come before members in July/August with a view to publication in October/November. We are currently reviewing this timescale in terms of: a) timing of the National Park Plan submission to the Minister; b) the recent statement by the Scottish Executive that local plans require an appropriate assessment under the EU Habitats Directive. 12. Any proposed changes to the local plan timetable will be conveyed to Members in a report to the Planning Committee in due course. Future Planning Policy Activity 13. The other substantial piece of work over the next year or so is the preparation of Sustainable Design Guidance. The process has commenced with inception meetings at Aviemore and Ballater facilitated by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and attended by a variety of stakeholders including builders, architects, land owners, local authority planners etc. These initial meetings were to gauge the extent of the issues that guidance should cover and the form that it should take. The feedback is being analysed by BRE and we will be reporting the next steps to Members as soon as possible. Nick Halfhide Don McKee May 2006 nickhalfhide@cairngorms.co.uk donmckee@cairngorms.co.uk