PROPOSED AREA OF THE CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK
The proposal contained in the draft Cairngorms Designation Order is that the boundary of the Cairngorms National Park should run from Newtonmore and Kingussie in the west to Grantown-on Spey in the North, the Ballater area in the east and the Glen Shee ski area in the south. Based on these boundaries the Park would extend to some 2,450 square kilometres, the largest national park in Britain.
In reaching their conclusions on the extent of the area, Ministers had regard to the recommendations in the (SNH) Report on their original proposals to establish a national park in the Cairngorms area. In these original proposals, submitted to SNH in September 2000, Ministers had suggested as a starting point that the general area for consideration should be the larger of the two indicative areas set out in SNH advice to Government in 1999. That larger area co-incided with the general area of the Cairngorms Partnership boundary. However, Ministers pointed out that consideration of the optimal area for the National Park would need to take into account the distinctive character, coherent identity and special needs of the area. Ministers also indicated their wish to ensure that the overall size of the area is commensurate with effective and efficient administration by the Park Authority of its purposes and functions. The Reporter identified and consulted on three possible areas. Each of these attracted significant support but with no clear consensus emerging.
In considering boundary issues, Ministers were keen, as implied above, to identify an area which would:
- Have a clear focus;
- Have a clear identity;
- Provide a distinctive model for best practice in environmental conservation;
- Be an inspiring showpiece;
- Have a strong administrative identity;
- Lead to the establishment of a constructive partnership;
- Make a difference.
In that context, Ministers were persuaded by the views reported by SNH that many feel that only the mountain core is at the heart of the Cairngorms with the nationally important features of the natural heritage being concentrated in the core area; that a smaller, less diverse area could contribute a more effective management unit; that local interests could more meaningfully be represented in a smaller Park area and that by focusing on a relatively small, though still in British terms very extensive area the prospect of making a real difference would be more readily realised.
On the basis of these sentiments, it seemed that a Park based on Option A (the smallest Option) identified in the SNH consultation exercise best met these criteria. Ministers also noted that Option A had attracted either the highest or second highest percentage of support across the various means of consultation, i.e. written responses, responses to the summary leaflet, recorded comments at open meetings and in reports of community led consultation. Ministers, therefore, decided to base their proposals for the extent of the National Park on Option A. They were also however, keen to reflect the important contribution which Grantown-on-Spey could make to the National Park. They endorsed the Reporter's views on Grantown's strong cultural links to the Cairngorms and its close economic dependence on the Cairngorms. Ministers proposed therefore to extend the Option A boundary to include Grantown-on-Spey. Other adjustments to the Option A boundary have also been made e.g. to take in those areas judged by SNH to have a very strong case for inclusions and, elsewhere, to follow as far as possible natural physical features.
Scottish Executive
June 2002