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CAIRNGORMS LOCAL OUTDOOR ACCESS FORUM 
Paper 4 – NAF LAF Joint Liaison Meeting 5 September 2006 


CAIRNGORMS LOCAL OUTDOOR ACCESS FORUM 


Title: Representation at the National and Local Access Forum joint meeting – 
September 20 2006 

Prepared by: Fran Pothecary, Outdoor Access Officer 

Purpose 

To remind the Forum of the purpose of the joint meetings, and to select which Forum members 
will attend the forthcoming meeting 

Background 

1. The purpose of liaison between national and local levels is essentially twofold. The national 
forum has been convened to advise a range of bodies on issues linked to implementation of 
access rights under the Land Reform Act, and in particular to assist SNH in its statutory 
duty to keep the Scottish Outdoor Access Code under review. These activities require an 
awareness of issues arising on the ground, which local access officers and access forums are 
well placed to provide. The national forum can also provide advice and guidance on key 
issues from a national perspective, which should assist local forums in finding practical 
solutions that are consistent with the Act, the Code and nationally agreed best practice. 

2. The process of liaison between the National Access Forum and local access forums has been 
considered on several occasions by the national body. This issue was also discussed at the 
NAF-LAF joint meeting in Pitlochry in September 2005, providing an opportunity for wider 
input from Access Officers and local forum members. After an option appraisal and 
consultation it was decided that the most effective way of encouraging communication 
between local forums and the national forum was to convene an annual event to which 
representatives of all forums in Scotland would be invited. 

3. Last year’s event was attended by Nic Bullivant and Richard Wallace, and a briefing note 
(based on Nic’s notes) was issued at the Forum meeting of 15 November 2005. 


Event content 

4. The second annual event, a joint meeting of the national and local access forum 
representatives will be held on September 20 in Peebles. A maximum of two 
representatives from each local access forum in Scotland are invited. 

5. The agenda will include updates on the implementation of the access legislation and the 
work of the national access forum, along with overviews of activity at a local level. A 
contribution will be heard from the local forum covering the borders. Once finalised, the 
agenda will be sent out. 

6. CNPA will agree to underwrite reasonable expenses in attending this meeting. 


Recommendations 

7. It is recommended that the opportunity for attendance at this meeting is opened up to 
two Forum members. In addition it is recommended that this opportunity is circulated 
amongst those who have not been able to take advantage of it to date and that attendees 
take a record of the meeting which will then be transcribed into a short feedback paper 
for feedback at the following Forum meeting. 


Fran Pothecary 
Outdoor Access Officer 
Tel: 01479 870533 

franpothecary@cairngorms.co.uk