Section 25 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 placed a duty on each local authority to establish at least one local access forum for its area.
The Highland Council has established 6 Local Access Forums to advise the Council on access issues. The functions of a forum are to provide advice when requested to do so by the local authority and to provide assistance in any dispute resolution in relation to the exercise of access rights, the delineation and existence of rights of way and the drawing up of core paths plans.
Meeting are open to the public and minutes and agendas for each meeting can be found by following the links below for each area. The Forums are based in the following areas -
There are 14 members serving on each of the Local Access Forums. Members are appointed for three years and the Forums include a balanced representation with three persons representing each of the following categories together with two Highland Councillors -
Land Managers
Access Users
Community Groups
Agencies
For details of the Membership of your Local Access Forum click on the appropriate links above.
Next scheduled meetings for each of the Forums are as follows:
Caithness -
Lochaber -
Inverness/Nairn - Wednesday 28th May 2008 at 5.00pm
Ross & Cromarty - Wednesday 4th June 2008 at 2.00pm
Sutherland -
Skye & Lochalsh -
Pan Highland Access Forum - Friday 9th April 2008
The third Pan Highland Access Forum was held at Council Offices in Inverness on Friday 9th May 2008. The Pan Highland Access Forum Conference is held with the intention of providing Local Access Forum members with an opportunity to network and to discuss policy and matters of common interest
This years Conference saw speakers from Scottish National Heritage, Scottish Rural Development Programme, Highland Disabled Ramblers and Paull & Williamsons (Solicitors) updating members on developments in the Access legislation. Pan Highland Programme 2008
Contact information
For general information about the Access Forums please contact -
Laura Burns
Access Administrative Assistant
The Highland Council
Glenurquhart Road
Inverness
IV3 5NX
Tel: 01463 702288
E-mail: laura.burns@highland.gov.uk
NATIONAL ACCESS FORUM
A National Access Forum has been established to assist with implementation of the access rights. This body brings together all relevant interests and has a broad advisory role, helping SNH to keep the Scottish Outdoor Access Code under review, and advising SNH and others on a wide range of other matters relating to the new legislation. The Forum will also support local access forums, which will have an important role in resolving any difficulties which may arise at local level. Information on the National Access Forum can be found on the following link:
http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/default.asp?nPageID=28&nSubContentID=0