Committees
A meeting of the Rural Affairs and Climate Change Strategy Group will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Wednesday 1 February 2012 at 10.30am.
Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter. (Webcast of this meeting)
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully,
Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest
Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
3. Presentation by AEA Consultants
A presentation will be given by Erica Rankin, Specialist Consultant, of AEA Consultants on opportunities for Income Generation from Wind Turbines.
4. Presentation - Assessment of Hydro Schemes Using GIS system
developed for Wind Farm Impact Assessment
A presentation will be given by Mike Atkinson, Geographical Information System Officer on an assessment of Hydro Schemes using GIS system developed for Wind Farm Impact Assessment.
5. Annual Progress Report to Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration
There is circulated Report No. racc-1-12 (59kb pdf) dated 9 January 2012 by the Head of Policy and Performance introduces the Highland Council annual declaration report 2010-11. As a signatory to the Scottish Climate Change Declaration Highland Council is required to report progress annually to the Government.
The Strategy Group is asked to agree to the submission of the annual progress report towards Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration for 2010-11 to SSN by the 31st March 2012.
6. Carbon Trust Standard Re-Accreditation
Highland Council has been accredited with the Carbon Trust Standard for a second time after taking action on climate change by measuring, managing and reducing its carbon emissions. The Carbon Trust Standard recognises organisations for real carbon reduction. Based on a rigorous, independent assessment, it certifies that organisations have measured, managed and reduced their carbon emissions across their own operations, and are committed to reducing them year on year. The Standard will be valid until the end of March 2013.
The Strategy Group is asked to note the accreditation from the Carbon Trust.
7. Talking About Our Place - Rural Communities Toolkit
A presentation will be made by Elli Carlisle, Local Landscapes Officer, Scottish Natural Heritage on the community dialogue toolkit under development. The aim is to provide clear and easy guidance to help communities identify and address the issues they face, including climate change. The toolkit will enable communities to become more cohesive and self-resilient to future changes, as well as provide evidence to influence long term development plans.
There is circulated Report No. racc-2-12 (82kb pdf) dated 24 January 2012 by Scottish Natural Heritage on a proposal to carry out two community dialogue projects looking at climate change and its effect on local landscape and ecosystem services provided by the area. These would be pilot projects using the “Talking About Our Place” community dialogue toolkit that SNH is producing with input from other agencies including The Highland Council.
The Strategy Group is asked to approve the proposal to carry out two pilot projects in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage and to assist in choosing two suitable communities.
8. European Meetings and Events Advance Planner
There is circulated for noting Report No. racc-3-12 (119kb pdf) dated 23 January 2012 by the Head of Policy and Performance noting the European networks the Council currently has membership of. The Advance Planner used by the Council to record events and plan attendance at to pursue Council objectives in the European arena is attached.
The Strategy Group is asked to note the contents of this report and the European Meetings and Events Advance Planner.
9. Euromontana General Assembly 2011 - Review and Future Activity
on European Sustainable Tourism Policy
There is circulated Report No. racc-4-12 (43kb pdf) dated 24 January 2012 by the Head of Policy and Performance providing a review of the Sustainable Tourism Conference hosted by the Council on 27/28 September 2011. It also introduces the work Euromontana has asked the Council to lead on in the field of European Sustainable Tourism policy.
The Strategy Group is asked to:
i. note the positive feedback and success of the Euromontana General
Assembly and Sustainable Tourism Conference hosted by the Council in
September 2011 and the £177,876 expenditure generated in the local
economy by the event, with a net cost to the Council of £5,225; and
ii. approve the Council’s lead role in delivering the work on Sustainable Tourism
for Euromontana and the proposed methodology for managing this as set
out at paragraph 3.7.
10. Scottish Land Use – Action Plan
There is circulated Report No. racc-5-12 (62kb pdf) dated 25 January 2012 by the Director of Planning and Development introducing the Scottish Land Use Strategy Action Plan, which was published on 21 December 2011. It summarises the objectives and proposals within the Action Plan and considers short term implications for the Highland Council. The paper goes on to make a number of recommendations on the integration of the Action Plan proposals within Council policy and on taking forward the Action Plan with the Scottish Government, community planning partners and the Highland Environment Forum.
The Strategy Group is asked to:
i. note the overarching objectives and proposals within the Land Use Strategy
Action Plan, particularly where local authorities are identified as key partners;
ii. recommend that the Council contribute towards the delivery of the Action
Plan proposals via consultation and any forthcoming Government working
groups established for the purpose;
iii. recommend that Council embed the overarching objectives of the Land Use
Strategy Action Plan within relevant Council policy at the earliest
opportunity; and
iv. recommend that the Council discuss the specific proposal within the Action
Plan with the Highland Community Public Service Partnership and the
Highland Environment Forum.
11. Woodland Expansion Advisory Group Consultation
There is circulated Report No. racc-6-12 (68kb pdf) dated 25 January 2012 by the Director of Planning and Development introducing a consultation on woodland expansion by the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group. It seeks homologation of the Highland Council submission and consideration of any additional points that Members may wish to include.
The Strategy Group is invited to:
i. consider and homologate the Highland Council submission at Appendix 1; and
ii. agree any additional points that should be passed to the Advisory Group.
12. Scottish Government Consultation – Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill
There is circulated Report No. racc-7-12 (229kb pdf) dated 26 January 2012 by the Director of Planning and Development advising that Marine Scotland is consulting on proposed changes to legislation relating to Aquaculture and Fisheries, which it intends will be brought forward during this term of the Scottish Parliament. The report describes the proposals, provides an outline to the questions raised by Scottish Government and presents a draft Highland Council response for consideration (Annex 1). A copy of the full consultation can be found on Strategy Group bulletin. Responses are sought by 2 March 2012.
Members of the Strategy Group are invited to consider and approve the draft response for submission, subject to any additional comments or points of information to be added.
13. Date of Next Meeting
To be confirmed.
14. Exclusion of the Public
The Strategy Group is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 6, 8 and 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.
15. Community Benefit – Governance of Funds
There is circulated Report No. RACC8/12 dated 20 January 2012 by the Corporate Manager outlining how Highland Opportunity Limited (HOL) and Scottish Communities Foundation (SCF) would each manage both the Area Funds and the Highland Trust Fund.
The Strategy Group is asked to consider which of the two organisations (SCF or HOL) it would recommend to fund manage the Area Funds and Highland Trust Fund.