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Plenary, 04 Nov 2009

04 Nov 2009 · S3 · Plenary

Item of business

National Parks

McGrigor, Jamie Con Highlands and Islands Watch on SPTV

Absolutely—that is marvellous. Consideration should be given to using the rural empty properties grant for that purpose.

Constituents in the Cairngorms national park have asked me to raise a further specific development issue—the proposed new community of An Camas Mòr, near Aviemore. Outline permission was applied for in May. Naturally, the applicants would like a timely decision, so that they can start detailed work next year. I say to the minister that the time that it takes to get planning decisions is an important issue—more so than usual in the current financial climate. The innovative master plan for the development is a community vision that goes all the way back to a proposal by the community council in 1989, when the problem of Aviemore's affordable housing shortage was discussed. It is interesting to note that housing was seen as a problem 20 years ago. Since then, far too little has been done to improve the situation. The vision that is proposed has exciting possibilities for the future.

I say to those who are against this type of development in the Cairngorms national park that, given the park's enormous size, it is vital that there are sustainable, vibrant communities within its boundaries to ensure that there is a nucleus of productive activity and job creation. Environmentally sound and attractive developments in which people can make their homes will be infinitely superior to a situation of continued housing shortages that lead to a stifling of objectives. Such developments offer huge opportunities to local companies and the prospect of many extra jobs.

I want to touch on some of the good work that has been done in our national parks. I remain especially interested in the work that the Cairngorms National Park Authority is doing to offer training to land-based businesses in the Cairngorms area. That training is benefiting any business that is related to the management or use of the land in the park: estates, farms, crofts, forestry, fishing, horticulture, nurseries and outdoor recreation providers. Environmental courses in deerstalking, black grouse management, mole control, water margin management and dry-stone dyking are all vital in maintaining the traditional skills in the area. I liked Christopher Harvie's speech very much.

Public benefit courses that have been delivered through the training programme include ones on the Scottish outdoor access code, Cairngorms wildlife, tick control—which is very important, both healthwise and economically—heather management and catering for the less able visitor. The comments from businesses and organisations within the park about the training that has been received have been very positive.

In the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, a community training programme runs courses in a range of subjects including how community organisations can better access funding streams. That is important. I am impressed by the work that the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority has done to increase the number of apprenticeships in the area of the park and to encourage businesses in the park to make use of the latest information technology. I was also pleased to see the park encouraging barn owls, with some success.

Christopher Harvie mentioned people blasting things, and I was horrified to hear about the indiscriminate slaughter of too many red deer, which constitute an important part of our national heritage.

Now that sheep have been found not to have been detrimental to the water supply from Loch Katrine, I ask for consideration to be given to restocking the sheep farms and bringing back the tenancies that were removed several years ago.

In conclusion—

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Plenary, 04 Nov 2009

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