Inverness Woodlands LMP 2018 - 2028 Appendix I: Land Management Plan Consultation Record Consultee Date Date Issue raised Forest District Response contacted response received Statutory consultees contacted with 14.11.2017 From SEPA – General comments – Meeting with SEPA on Nov 7, LMP brief as well as location, key 17/02/2017 2017 in Smithton features, and analysis/concept maps Key issues addressed during a site visit in Culloden Forest, and subsequently in the plan and map prescriptions Moray Estate Offer to discuss a haul route Passed on the information to the 14/11/2017 through their neighboring estate to core team. Thanked the estate for allow parts of our block locked by the offer to help and collaborate. the railway line to be thinned and We will keep the option of a felled. potential haul route through Offer to collaborate on deer Moray Estate open, when we plan management issues. our operation in Cullernie, which is proposed for 2021. From RSBP 21/11/2017 Passed on the information to the Information and comments on environment team. Thanked for Heronry and Red Kite in various the information and told him to woodland blocks be in touch Met on site on March 28, 2018; explained the planning process for the plan, and the operational planning stage for this specific coupe, if it materialises. Assured Phil, he will be contacted 1 | Inverness Ross and Skye Forest District | Joachim Boehm | 08/11/2018 Inverness Woodlands LMP 2018 - 2028 personally, when the project reaches the operational planning stage Highland Council 7/12/2017 Discussed comments with Highland Council’s comment on recreation manager. Incorporated access to and in the woodlands ideas and comments into Inverness Woodlands LMP where possible. Other consultees contacted with 14.11.2017 none none n/a LMP brief as well as location, key features, and analysis/concept maps Brief and Location, Key Features 18/05/2018 n/a n/a n/a and Analysis and Concept Maps placed on FCS web site. Flyers re invitation week of n/a n/a n/a to visit consultation events at the 11/06/2018 Eastgate Shopping Centre on 28th of June, Tesco Retail Park on Thurs 5th July, and at the Tesco Inshes Retail Park on Fri 6th July, to participate in the online consultation, distributed in local post offices, shops and restaurants. Additionally, - contacted all the statutory stakeholders, community councils and other consultees about the upcoming consultation events - information about consultation 2 | Inverness Ross and Skye Forest District | Joachim Boehm | 08/11/2018 Inverness Woodlands LMP 2018 - 2028 events uploaded to associated Facebook websites - news release about the upcoming consultation events sent to local papers - approached local radio station for broadcasting consultation information FES Information and 28/06/2018 Lots of interest, See separate summary See separate summary consultation booth at Eastgate 05/07/2018 many questions, and the two Tesco’s. 06/07/2018 see separate summary Meeting with Ward 13 – 25/06/2018 Good discussion; I Suggestions by the members of the council: 1. Improve internal views: The planning team has decided Community Council for Craig summarised the Remove trees around the fort to the south to not to remove any trees around allow a better view onto Inverness Phadraig; main points and Consider building a construct (much like the the open fort site to the south, Three councillors and Senior sent it out as an tower in Culbin); blend it in with the since many trees need to be surroundings; 360 degree view Ward Manager email (see text to 2. Improve infrastructure for more educational removed in order to open up an the right) events (e.g. a day out for local schoolkids) effective view. Put in basic infrastructure: composting toilets; picnic tables for a day out (local schools) - The removal of these trees contact Abriachen, Woodland Trust; get an would very likely be visible on idea what they have put in place for outdoor learning; the very prominent eastern contact countryside rangers (who are they?); slope walking groups get in touch with Highlife Highland - the removal would very likely 3. More Great Glen Way; signs to inform about Craig destabilise this currently stable Phadraig eastern slope of Craig Phadraig Regarding the construction of an elevated viewpoint (“tower): we will be open for funding opportunities for larger scaled projects to improve our woodlands; however, we need to balance opportunities with our own abilities to manage and 3 | Inverness Ross and Skye Forest District | Joachim Boehm | 08/11/2018 Inverness Woodlands LMP 2018 - 2028 maintain our facilities; our focus is on improving general experience. “As the owners of a very active border collie, my wife Email from Local Neighbours 08/07/2018 Local neighbours Email passed on to Head of and I are in the woods practically every day, rain or inquiring about the limited shine. We walk and cycle in Culbin (both with the dog) Community and Visitor Services; and walk in Daviot, Culloden, Ord, Fochabers, Loch coverage of a seasonal FC car Morlich (and other Strathspey locations), Roseisle, Glen His response: park ticket Affric and Dog Falls – all of which are in an easy radius “I can sympathise with this enquiry but we do need to from our home in Culloden. work with visitor destinations and regardless of where We don’t mind paying something for facilities (such as we draw the boundaries there will always be some the toilets at Kintessack and Dog Falls) but less so at visitors who wish to travel more widely. Our charged car sites where these are no facilities. What really bugs us parks are those where we have added value visitor is, having paid for our season ticket for Kintessack, it provision. The Inverness woods have free parking. only works for the 4 locations in Moray. We have previously considered the possibility of moving Surely FC can be is bit broader in outlook and recognise to a national car park season ticket but decided not to that anybody who goes to the extent of purchasing a implement this as this would not meet our needs. season ticket is a real friend of FC and all it stands for It is useful to receive feedback from our visitors as it and make the ticket legitimate for Highland-wide helps to inform how we manage facilities and consider parking? It’s a real bummer for the likes of us where we improvements and changes to how we manage them…..” are in the cross-fire of 4 separate FC areas.” Public consultation event at the 09/11/2018 Discussions on site Good discussions with about 8 The proposal for the period of the Ord Hill car park members of the public, including plan were well received; everyone local councillor Gordon Adam and understood the necessity to start Phil Wait from Highland Council; redesigning the slope in main topic was Ord Hill future reasonably small steps using management and the proposed thinning and clear-felling; the phase 1 and 2 clearfell coupes three small clear fell coupes were along the prominent south- presented on paper maps (2d), western slope; the issue of Sitka and 3d visualisations; the question Spruce (SS) brash left on such a of SS brash left on site will be highly visible site were discussed, addressed by FES after the felling; since SS brash takes a long time to break down; Public consultation event at the 10/05/2018 Discussions on site Good discussions with about 5 Emails sent out to FCS and HC to Kinmylies Church Hall members of the public, including inquire about potential TPOs on local councillors. The question FES ground. about TPOs on FES ground was Any construct cannot be on the raised; additionally people seem to Scheduled Monument site, but 4 | Inverness Ross and Skye Forest District | Joachim Boehm | 08/11/2018 Inverness Woodlands LMP 2018 - 2028 be supportive to build a tower at needs to be outside; initial talks the fort site to gain a good view have started to investigate if such across the lay of the land. a project is feasible. As stated before, we need to balance opportunities with our own abilities to manage and maintain our facilities; due to budget restraints, our focus is on improving general experience. 5 | Inverness Ross and Skye Forest District | Joachim Boehm | 08/11/2018 The Woods around Inverness: Public Consultation Results During 2018, as part of the land management plan consultation for the woods around Inverness, we engaged with visitors and potential visitors to our woodlands. We did this via a SurveyMonkey survey and at four public events (the Scottish School of Forestry, the Eastgate Centre, Tescos Inshes and Tescos Eastfield Way). The SurveyMonkey survey was advertised onsite, via social media, email and promoted at the events. 1. SurveyMonkey Survey Results Some surveys were conducted face-to-face and then input by staff; the majority were self-completed online by visitors. A total of 149 responses were received to the survey. Overall there was a very positive level of engagement with this survey with many individual comments added, including many positive and supportive comments. See the full survey results for the full data and all the individual comments. Visit Patterns 140 respondents had visited our woodlands Culloden, Daviot, Craig Phadrig or Ord Hill) within the last year. The most heavily visited was Culloden (76% of respondents had been here in the last year) but Daviot, Craig Phadrig and Ord Hill all recorded visits by over 60% of respondents, showing that many visitors make use of more than one woodland. Most visitors arrived by car (56%) but 29% walked from home (a very high percentage compared with many FES woodlands).