Developing the Plan
Numerous policy and strategy sources were taken into account when compiling the Candidate Core Paths Plan and included the following:
Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003;
Part 1 Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 - Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities produced by the Scottish Executive;
Core Paths Plans: A Guide to Good Practice produced by the Paths for All Partnership and Scottish Natural Heritage;
East Renfrewshire Outdoor Access Strategy
Eaglesham and Whitelee Forest Path Planning Study
Eastwood Path Planning Project
Levern Valley Path Network Report and Route Proposals
Adopted East Renfrewshire Local Plan
East Renfrewshire Local Transport Strategy 2008-2011
Local Biodiversity Action Plan for East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
Working in partnership
In order to develop a meaningful network of core paths it is considered important to involve as many interested parties and stakeholders as possible in the development process. The Candidate Core Paths Plan has been guided by the sources listed above and in particular the path planning studies which included one to one meetings with landowners, staffed open-days and public meetings. The development of the Candidate Core Paths Plan also involved a series of one to one meetings with stakeholders and contributions from professional officers, from within the Council and external organisations and individual members of the East Renfrewshire Outdoor Access Forum. It is expected that this partnership approach will continue throughout the process of producing a Core Paths Plan for East Renfrewshire.
East Renfrewshire Outdoor Access Forum
In order to achieve a balanced and inclusive Candidate Core Paths Plan the Core Group of the Outdoor Access Forum has actively contributed to the Candidate Core Paths Plan. The Outdoor Access Forum will continue to be involved in the process.
The Forum was established in 2001 and its membership and activities were reviewed during late 2006 following the enactment of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. The Forum now consists of a Full Forum made up of forty-five members, who have a direct interest in outdoor access, and a Core Group of twelve members, who meet regularly and carry out the ‘core’ business of the Forum.
The Forum consists of a balanced membership of public agencies, user groups, community interests and land manager interests. This balance is also reflected in the membership of the Forum Core Group.
Further information on the Outdoor Access Forum and copies of minutes from Forum meetings are available from the Forum secretary at jim.williamson@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Development of Key Selection Criteria
A set of key selection criteria has been adopted for the purpose of screening paths for inclusion in the Candidate Core Paths Plan on an equitable basis. These were developed from assessment criteria contained within the East Renfrewshire Outdoor Access Strategy. The key criteria are as follows:
Key Selection Criteria
Paths that:
Link communities or provide a cross-boundary link between communities and local authorities.
Link urban areas to the surrounding countryside.
Provide linkage, throughout the authority area, to the wider path network.
Link into community facilities or transport nodes.
Provide opportunities for health benefits.
Provide, subject to natural limitations, opportunities for multi-use and all abilities.
Respect or reduce the impact on other land uses.
Provide a functional component or a circular route within the wider core path network.
Are sustainable and achievable, taking into account resource availability.
Are available for public use within 12 to 24 months of the Core Paths Plan being adopted.
Assessing the existing path network
An audit was undertaken of all path routes currently used within East Renfrewshire. This audit involved compiling digitised path information held by the Council and other organisations. This included the Catalogue of Rights of Way (CROW), Scottish Paths Register (SPR), Agricultural Land Management Contract (LMC) maps and Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme (SFGS) maps. This information collectively formed the current available path network within East Renfrewshire and was digitised using the Council’s Geographic Information System (GIS)
Preparing the Candidate Core Paths Plan
The digitised path network was then audited against the key selection criteria referred to above. Paths that satisfied the majority of the criteria were identified as candidate core paths. The key selection criteria relating to resource availability and delivery of the core path routes within 12 to 24 months were an important part of this screening process. Where it was uncertain or unlikely that a proposed new route could be delivered either within 12 to 24 months or within resource availability then the new route was not included within the Candidate Core Paths Plan. This does not preclude the development of new paths as part of the wider path network or their potential future inclusion as core paths within subsequent reviews of the Plan.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 requires that all plans, programmes and strategies, prepared by public organisations and which are determined to have significant environmental impact, undergo a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The SEA provides a systematic process for identifying, predicting, reporting and mitigating the environmental impacts of a proposed plan, programme or strategy.
A formal screening exercise was undertaken and this established that, under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, a SEA is carried out on the Candidate Core Paths Plan in order to assess the effects that it might have on the environment.
A draft Environmental Report has been produced to accompany the Candidate Core Paths Plan. The draft Environmental Report is an important supporting document to the Candidate Core Paths Plan and as such both documents are being circulated in tandem.
As required under Section 16 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 the Draft Environmental Report will be subject to consultation and in particular copies of the draft Environmental Report will be sent to the Consultation Authorities within 14 days of its publication.
The SEA process played an important part in developing the Candidate Core Paths Plan and has ensured that environmental considerations have been taken into account during the development process.