You can score a 'high' if you provide evidence:
· that there is an obvious and immediate market demand for your product or service that is currently not being met in your region or by other similar businesses.
· For non-commercial (Axis 2 or 3) activities this may be through reference to national or regional strategies or targets, local community plans or agreements that specifically recognise the activity within your Proposal.
For example:
- A community plan initiated by the Community Planning Partnership identifies the need for a community service.
- A recent feasibility study on your new enterprise identifies a specific market for your product.
- Woodland management delivers improvements in species and structural diversity in line with priorities set out in the Scottish Forestry Strategy.
- Customer or community survey provides evidence of a demand for new product/service.
- Relevant regional strategy or development plan identifies a market that is appropriate to the applicant's producer group.
- Regional land use plan or strategy clearly identifies a target for, e.g. specific habitat cover or land management activity relevant to the Proposal.
· National or international priority species or habitats that are found in the RPAC region and supported by evidence from recognised experts that confirms the species or habitat does exist on the applicant's land or at least is very likely to be present if the habitat is managed for it. To find evidence of species or habitat distribution in relation to the applicant's land holding the applicant can start by consulting recognised species and habitat recording databases such as
The National Biodiversity Network;
Your Local Records Centre if one exists for the area or
SNH's 'About Scotland's Nature' website.
Alternatively or in addition you can consult expert advice from SNH, DCS, SEPA, FCS or one of the specialist NGOs involved in promoting positive management for the species concerned e.g. Local Authority Biodiversity Partnership or Ranger Service, RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust, British Trust for Ornithology, Local Bird Club Recorder, Butterfly Conservation (Scotland), Plantlife Scotland, National Trust for Scotland, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Scottish Native Woodlands, Fishery Trusts, Mammal Society, Red Squirrel Groups, Deer Management Groups. There are many other specialist species organisations and individual academic experts that, depending on the species and location, may be able to provide specialist advice.
It is not sufficient for the applicant to state, because they are managing a habitat that is generally associated with a particular species, that by default the management will benefit the species. They must demonstrate the relevance of their proposed management to the target species and how it will help achieve favourable condition for the habitat and/or species.
For example, it is not sufficient simply to state "SNH/SLC Landscape Character Assessment for [region/area]…". It must be clearly demonstrated how the proposed management will help to create/maintain a particular aspect(s) of the assessment.
This kind of evidence is also required to justify how the proposed management contributes to the regional priority under the 'Quality' assessment criterion.