DATA LABEL: PUBLIC

LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE: WARD 5 - EAST LIVINGSTON & EAST CALDER

PENTLANDS HILLS REGIONAL PARK - UPDATE

REPORT BY HEAD OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

A. PURPOSE OF REPORT

The purpose of this report is to inform the Local Area Committee about issues relating to the Pentlands Hills Regional Park (PHRP), that the council supports and the part of the Park that is solely within Ward 5.

B. RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Local Area Committee notes the contents of the report and offers officers any guidance on further potential integration between the Regional Park and the local area.

C. SUMMARY OF IMPLICATIONS

I Council Values x Focusing on our customers' needs; x being honest, open and accountable; x making best use of our resources; and x working in partnership.

II Policy and Legal (including The report accords with the adopted West Strategic Environmental Lothian Local Plan (WLLP) policies ENV 29 & 30 Assessment, Equality which confirms the council’s support to Pentland Issues, Health or Risk Hills Regional Park. Assessment)

III Implications for scheme of None. delegation

IV Impact on performance and None. performance indicators

V Relevance to Single Outcome 10 – We live in well-designed, Outcome Agreement sustainable places where we are able to access the services we need.

VI Resources - (Financial, Existing £15k cost of West Lothian Council’s Staffing and Property) contribution to PHRP £368k overall operating budget is contained within existing Planning Services budget.

VII Consultations at PDSP Previous reports on PHRP to: Environment PDSP in 2009, June 2011, December 2012 and 1 Ward 5 LAC in 2008 and November 2010.

VIII Other consultations None

D. TERMS OF REPORT

D1 Background

1.1 West Lothian Council co-operates with and City of Edinburgh Councils in the management of the Regional Park (PHRP). The area of the park in West Lothian is only around 10% of the designated area.

1.2 The PHRP Ranger Services is managed by the lead authority City of Edinburgh Council (CEC), though with recent CEC internal reorganisation, the ranger service now operates through the wider city Natural Heritage Services. The level of service delivered in the Regional Park including staff cover and project delivery will remain unchanged.

1.3 The ranger staff left their former leased headquarters at Boghall Farm, near Penicuik towards the end of 2012. From March 2013, they have been relocated to the CEC Natural Heritage Services offices at Hermitage of Braid Park in south Edinburgh.

1.4 It is now 25 years since the designation of the Pentland Hills Regional Park in April 1986. The designation aims have guided the work of the park over the previous 25 years and remain relevant today. However, The external context has changed over the years and the Regional Park is now responding to new opportunities and challenges.

1.5 The park was established and initially managed by the former Lothian Regional Council with structural funding from the former Countryside Commission for . Since then the park has adapted to local government re-organisation in 1996 and significant changes in external funding e.g.; withdrawal of direct Scottish Natural Heritage funding in 2006/7.

1.6 The Regional Park management is overseen by a Joint Committee involving City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian elected members. West Lothian’s current representative is Cllr Toner. The Joint Committee recently agreed to rationalize its meetings from four to twice a year and realign the Consultative Forum meeting, (that involves Park users groups, landowners and other interested organizations), to occur before the Joint Committee. Elected members are now invited to the Consultative Forum to hear issues, before formally considering them at the Joint Committee.

1.7 Each year the PHRP Service produce an annual report that is reported to the relevant council committee. The 2011/2012 annual report summarised the Regional Park’s achievements in terms of outcomes – what has happened as a result of the work carried out throughout the year and this was reported to West Lothian Council’s Environment Panel in December 2012. The forthcoming 2012/13 annual report will also be reported to a future Environment Panel.

2.0 Pentland Hills Regional Park Annual Report 2011/12 and Ward 5 update

2.1 This annual report is based on an assessment of how the Regional Park contributes to the achievement of the Scottish Government’s National Outcomes, and to the local priorities of the City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian Councils.

2 2.2 This assessment identified a number of common themes under which the Regional Park makes an important contribution. These themes are:

1. local economic development; 2. health and well-being; 3. community partnership and participation; 4. learning, development and responsible citizenship; and 5. environmental quality and climate change.

2.3 The themes will be explored in turn below and a general update given in relation to what has been happening within the Regional Park in relation to that part of West Lothian it covers; i.e. Ward 5: East Livingston & East Calder, over the last 18 months.

3.0 Theme 1: Local Economic Development

3.1 The Regional Park worked closely with farmers and land managers to help visitors enjoy the hills without impacting on land management operations such as farming. At lambing and tupping time, seasonal signs were put up at key access points to minimise disturbance to livestock. The Park holds an annual farmers and landowners meeting where local issues can be discussed.

3.2 A new ‘business page’ was established on the Regional Park website to help promote businesses in the Regional Park; including accommodation, farm produce and hospitality.

3.3 The Regional Park participated in local tourism forums such as “Visit West Lothian”, to maintain the profile of the Pentland Hills as part of the ‘offer’ for visitors to Edinburgh and the Lothians.

4.0 Theme 2: Health & Well-Being

4.1 All the main countryside paths in the Park were monitored and inspected on a monthly basis. Routine maintenance was carried out on self-closing gates, stiles and other access infrastructure and drains were cleared and maintained.

4.2 Among numerous paths improvement schemes; in West Lothian, a new path was created on the south shore of Harperrig Reservoir to link the west end of the reservoir with the Little Vantage to Cauldstane Slap right of way. The project was facilitated by the Central Scotland Forest Trust with funding from West Lothian Council, LEADER and the Community Wildlife Fund.

4.3 At access point into the Hills, the entrance to the Little Vantage Car Park on the A70 was repaired with funding and support from West Lothian Council. A stolen kissing- gate has also been replaced. New signage has been erected around Harperrig Reservoir.

4.4 The car park at the west end of Harperrig Reservoir had 3 improvement options designed with outline costs by the council. This allowed Kirknewton Community Development Trust to apply to West Lothian Landfill Tax Trust (WLLTT) to fund the upgrade. While WLLTT indicated they would like the scheme to proceed to a more detailed Phase 2 application stage to secure tenders, negotiations continue with the landowner about the long term maintenance of the site.

3 4.5 Park rangers worked with and advised organisers of numerous events including: sponsored walks, triathlons, mountain biking orienteering, hill running and canoeing. Staff also participated in the individual Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian walking festivals to promote physical activity and responsible access in the Park.

4.6 As demands for various events are increasing within the Regional Park a code of practice and event guidelines have recently been produced. An Events Working Group has also been established and West Lothian’s Events co-ordinator will participate to see if lessons from the Park and partner authorities approaches on outdoor events can be learned and vice versa.

5.0 Theme 3: Community partnership and participation

5.1 19 practical conservation sessions were carried out to clear drains, surface paths, install gates and manage the encroachment of vegetation. The majority of sessions were strongly supported by the Friends of the Pentlands.

5.2 In 2011/12, the Park Service hosted visits for 33 community groups; directly engaging with 1,352 participants and these visits have continued in 2012/13. The Pentland Hills Voluntary Ranger Service carried out 138 weekend patrols over 68 days and retained an establishment of 33 Voluntary Rangers and seven trainees. The Voluntary Rangers have become an important part in helping to deliver the Park service.

5.3 Kirknewton Community Development Trust has been very active in working with a local landowner to improve an off-road access route between the village and Selm Muir Wood that is publically owned by the Forestry Commission. Central Scotland Forest Trust (CSFT) have aided the Development Trust in further designing and providing outline costs for this route improvement that can be discussed with potential funders and the landowner.

5.4 Arising from an earlier consultants study in 2011, secured by PHRP, to propose several route improvements between surrounding communities and the Regional Park, the Friends of the Pentlands are considering small scale access and signage improvements to a potential route from Selm Muir Forest southwards towards the A70 / Little Vantage car park that would connect into the Cauldstane Slap route. These works would obviously be discussed with the various landowners and subject to available funding from WLC Access budget and other potential sources.

6.0 Theme 4: Learning, development and responsible citizenship

6.1 In 2011/12, the Park Service hosted 17 School visits from the schools in the areas surrounding the Regional Park; involving 284 students and also hosted five College and University visits, involving 104 students. However, the service can no longer accommodate individual schools groups and is focusing more on proving the resources for schools to undertake their own visits.

6.2 In relation to information and interpretation; PHRP revised and printed 30,000 copies of the ‘Discover the Pentland Hills’ publication – the main visitor guide for the Regional Park. They also produced and distributed 4,500 copies of the ‘Enjoy the Pentland Hills’ publication – the annual PHRP events programme.

6.3 PHRP host a bi-annual art competition, “Pentland Inspirations”. The 2012 entries went out on tour around the various partner authorities and were displayed at East Calder and West Calder Libraries In March / April 2013. Discussions have been held between PHRP, Friends of the Pentlands and WLC (Arts Unit) on potential further West Lothian specific collaboration when the next competition is due in 2014.

4 7.0 Theme 5: Environmental quality and climate change

7.1 With woodlands and forestry, PHRP worked with the Lothian and Fife Green Network Partnership and local authority partners, such as West Lothian, to develop a woodland expansion and management plan for the North East Pentland Hills. This work was previously reported to the LAC in 2011.

7.2 The plan will initially lead to woodland and landscape improvements on the northern slopes close to the City of Edinburgh and near Bonally Country Park. It is hoped to pursue later phases, subject to available suitable funding, on the West Lothian and south eastern, Midlothian slopes. The initial work was funded by an award of £32,000 from the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) Development Fund.

7.3 This CSGN funded survey work lead directly to the planting of four hectares of new woodland at Harperrig Reservoir in partnership with the Central Scotland Forest Trust (CSFT) and with funding from CSFT, the Scottish Rural Development Programme, Biffa and the West Lothian Development Trust. The planting accords with the Harperrig Reservoir Local Nature Reserve Management Plan approved by the Council in 2009, but which will need review in 2014. There have been various additional phases on new woodland planting around Harperrig.

7.4 CSFT have also designed and costed two other large potential amenity woodland planting schemes, for discussion with landowners, on the boundary of the Park, but they await the release of a new woodland grant fund and / or the revision to the government’s Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) due in 2014/15.

7.5 In terms on Biodiversity, 19 survey days were carried out involving 49 volunteers. While at Harperrig Reservoir, a new small bird hide, adjacent to the new south shore path mentioned above, and a wildlife watching screen was also installed, with funding from LEADER and West Lothian Council.

7.6 Details of the financial aspects and also people involved, from the Joint Committee to the consultative Forum with park users bodies and organisations are also listed at the rear of the annual report ( see web link below).

E. CONCLUSION 25 years on, the original aims of the Pentland Hills Regional Park are still highly relevant. The park remains a vibrant, busy place where people live, work and visit. Its landscape, wildlife and access opportunities attract over half a million visitors annually.

West Lothian land managers and residents, within the park area in Ward 5, benefit from the involvement on the PHRP Rangers Service in a wide range of management, recreational and ecological issues. The Pentland Hills remain an important visual landscape backdrop for the whole district and the council’s continued involvement in their guardianship should allow for further conservation and improvements in the hills over the next 25 years.

F. BACKGROUND REFERENCES Pentland Hills Regional Report 2011/12 available at: http://www.pentlandhills.org/downloads/file/42/pentland_hills_regional_park_annual_report_2011-2012 Appendices/Attachments - None Contact Person: Chris Alcorn, Principal Planner, 01506-282428. Email: [email protected] Craig McCorriston, Acting Head of Planning and Economic Development 30th May 2013 (CA/ca V1)

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