Draft Infrastructure Investment Plan – 2021-22 to 2025-26

The natural infrastructure of the Cairngorms National Park is still somewhat under-valued in terms of the public benefits it brings through, for example, storing water in flood-plains and marshes that help avoid flooding downstream; or the role the area’s peatlands play in carbon storage. Investing In this natural infrastructure is essential. Examples and illustrations of natural infrastructure investment and benefits would help convey the impact of these changes that are being made to the Infrastructure Plan. We would be happy to provide examples and case studies from the Park.

The common investment hierarchy has the right steps and they are in the right order. The renewed emphasis on Determination of future need and on Maximising the use of existing assets is particularly welcome. As this is a significant turning point in our approach to managing our infrastructure, these early steps will require to be promoted widely and with strong evidence of political leadership and commitment. It also follows that priority will need to be given to the commitment of resources for revenue funding of maintenance programmes by many different public bodies so that our assets do not deteriorate.

It is worth highlighting that, during the Covid 19 emergency, the visitor infrastructure of the Cairngorms National Park was put under very considerable pressure as people returned to the countryside seeking open air recreation. Basic facilities such as toilets, car parks and transport infrastructure at key locations lacked capacity or were unable to open quickly due to revenue and staffing pressures or the inability to adapt the infrastructure to new Covid requirements quickly. And, in some places, critical infrastructure was lacking – e.g. for catering for motor homes and disposal of their waste. A new national Visitor Infrastructure Group is now considering how best to reform the next phase of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund and roll out a programme of work that is effective at regional level. As we move forwards, close joint work between national bodies and local authorities will be required.

We have good evidence in our most recent Cairngorms National Park Visitor Survey (which we conduct every five years) that visitor satisfaction is very high. However, it is notable that the key areas where visitors scored their experience relatively poorly concern infrastructure - see, for example, the references to public toilets, Wi-Fi, mobile phone reception and public transport in slides 46 and 47 in the link below. Further investment in these critical areas is required. https://cairngorms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/10304-Cairngorms-Visitor-Survey-2019-20-Final-Report-100720-FINAL.pdf

It would also be worth highlighting that “bottom- up” and community-led approaches to use of the Framework can be beneficial. However, in the past we occasionally have seen attempts to provide critical infrastructure in ways that are inappropriately community-led. Our experience of working with Community Broadband Scotland, for example, to deliver digital connectivity to remote rural areas was not positive. Inappropriate burdens and expectations were put on people living in the remotest rural areas raising issues of social justice. A nationally-led approach is now, at last, being delivered through the R100 project. The Hierarchy must therefore help us determine which infrastructure is required but also guide how it is to be delivered.

Appropriate links should be made to the new provisions of the planning legislation to prepare Local Place Plans so that holistic, place-based approaches can be developed. Strategic planning initiatives such the preparation of the National Park Partnership Plan can also play a useful role. Again, case studies and examples of the Hierarchy in use would be helpful

Yes the proposed dashboard approach is helpful. Case studies and examples setting out how it would be used in practice would be useful.

An approach based on the three themes of the Infrastructure Investment Plan (enabling net zero emissions and environmental sustainability; driving inclusive economic growth; and building resilient and sustainable places) seems sensible. Particular care should be taken to meet the needs of rural areas such as the Cairngorms National Park where the provision of critical infrastructure in the right locations can play a very significant role in the sustainable development of the area’s communities. People living in rural areas often have less options available to them than people living in urban areas and are especially dependent on good infrastructure for their quality of life.

Tools such as the National Park Partnership Plans (and the associated Regional Spatial Strategies) which are prepared every five years should be used to help provide appropriate spatial component and partnership buy–in to the development of the framework.

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