This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Cairngorms Park Board named
24/03/2003
Members of the Board who will oversee Scotland's second,
and the UK's largest, national park at the Cairngorms, were
named today.
The 25 members will formally assume their powers
tomorrow and set up a constitution and standing orders for
board meetings to make decisions on the management of the
1,466 sq mile park.
Deputy Environment and Rural Development Minister Allan
Wilson said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to protecting our
natural heritage and promoting our enjoyment of it.
Scotland's second and largest park, which comes into being
tomorrow, encompasses some of our most valuable natural
habitats. This is a vital national asset.
"The task ahead for those charged with protecting and
promoting the park will be significant. I am confident that
the commitment and skills of those appointed today will
ensure that the Cairngorms National Park gets off to the
best possible start.
"These appointments mark a key step in the establishment
of the Park. This will be warmly welcomed by all those in
Scotland who take great pride in our natural environment
and want to see it preserved for future generations. I look
forward to watching the park thrive in the years to
come."
The Board of the Cairngorms National Park Authority has
a remit to:
- conserve and enhance the natural and cultural
heritage of the area
- promote sustainable use of the natural resources of
the area
- promote understanding and enjoyment (including
enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special
qualities of the area by the public
- promote sustainable economic and social development
of the area's communities
Ministers have appointed:
Eric Baird is Chair of the Cairngorms
Community Councils Group and Head Ranger on the Glen Tanar
estate. He also has a specialist knowledge of countryside
issues. No political activity has been declared and no
Ministerial appointments have been intimated. Mr Baird's
appointment will run for 3 years.
Duncan Bryden is a self employed Rural
Development consultant and has a professional ecological
background. He has undertaken a wide range of recreational
and tourism-related activities within the Park. No
political activity has been declared and no Ministerial
appointments have been intimated. Mr Bryden's appointment
will run for 4 years.
Sally Dowden is one of two managing
partners in Speyside Wildlife International, one of
Scotland's largest wildlife tour operating companies, and
is a Director of the Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce. No
political activity has been declared and no Ministerial
appointments have been intimated. Mrs Dowden's appointment
will run for 3 years.
Lucy Grant is a partner in the family
livestock farm and has developed a good general knowledge
of the area's issues. No political activity has been
declared and no Ministerial appointments have been
intimated. Mrs Grant's appointment will run for 3
years.
David Green lives in the Ross and Cromarty
area and is currently Chair of the Crofters Commission at a
remuneration of c. £17,300 per annum. He was a Crofters
Commissioner until September 2002 at a salary of £13,000
and Convener of Highland Council until May 1. He is the
Independent Councillor for the Lochbroom Ward. He is not
seeking re-election to the Council. No Ministerial
appointments have been intimated. His appointment will run
for 4 years.
Alistair MacLennan is a farmer who has
diversified into tourism and other business ventures. Mr
MacLennan has also been at the forefront of the LEAF
initiative and has been a demonstration farmer since 2000.
He is a member of the Forestery Commission's North of
Scotland Regional Advisory Committee. He had formerly
served on the Cairngorms Partnership. No political activity
has been declared. Mr MacLennan's appointment will run for
3 years.
Ann McLean retired from Trade Union work
in 1990. She has an interest in measures which promote
access for disabled people and is Chairwoman of the
Cairngorm Partnership Housing Forum and a Board member of
the Highland Society for Blind People. Ms McLean last year
chaired the Scottish Labour Party. She remains a member of
the Party Executive. She is an Independent Assessor for
Ministerial Appointments for which she receives
remuneration of £250 per day. In 2002 she was paid for 10
days work. Her appointment will run for 4 years.
Joyce Simpson is a retired solicitor. She
is a member of the Scottish Conveyancing and Executry
Services Board for which she receives an annual
remuneration of c. £2,000. She is involved with the
Community Councils Group. No political activity has been
declared and no other Ministerial appointments have been
intimated. Mrs Simpson's appointment will run for 3
years.
Andrew Thin is a consultant on rural
development. He is currently Chairman of the John Muir
Trust and is a Board member of the Crofters Commission and
the Scottish Natural Heritage North Areas Board for which
he receives annual remuneration of c. £6,500 and c. £5,900
respectively. No political activity has been declared. His
appointment will run for 4 years.
Professor Susan Walker is a Professor of
Geography and Environment at Aberdeen University and a part
time environmental consultant. She is a specialist in water
management and related ecological and conservation issues.
She was a Board member of the North of Scotland Water
Authority until June 2002 and was paid £7,170 per annum.
She is currently a Board member of Scottish Natural
Heritage, for which she is paid £7,484 per annum; the Deer
Commission for Scotland, for which she is paid £3,922 per
annum; and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, for
which she is paid £5,779 per annum. She is also an unpaid
member of the Fisheries (Electricity) Committee. No
political activity has been declared. Professor Walker's
appointment will run for 4 years.
Councillor Peter Argyle, a Liberal
Democrat , has a lifelong interest in conservation issues
and natural history. He has worked on a local level with
the Cairngorms Partnership on projects for the Aboyne area.
At one time he was employed as a Countryside Ranger by
Aberdeenshire Council. His term of office will run for 18
months.
Councillor Bruce Luffman, a Conservative,
is a member of a number of organisations. These include the
North Board of SEPA, The North East Scottish Agricultural
Advisory Group and the Strategic Forestry Working Group. He
is also a Director of the Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist
Board. He has been on the Cairngorms Agricultural Forum for
some 4 years and is a member of the National Farmers Union.
He and his wife run a guesthouse at Strathdon which is
within the Cairngorms National Park. His term of office
will run for 18 months.
Councillor Richard Stroud, a Liberal
Democrat, previously worked with Community Education
Service in the Upper Deeside/Donside areas and has
considerable contact with community organisations,
communities and individuals in these areas through
professional work. He is an active mountaineer and ski
mountaineer. His term of office will run for 18 months.
Councillor David Selfridge JP,
SNP, currently serves on a number of bodies, including the
Dundee and Angus Joint Structure Plan Panel as joint
Chairman and the Scottish Local Government Information
Unit. He is Convenor of Angus Council's Planning and
Transport Policy Committee and a member of several other
Council committees. He is formerly Assistant Director of
Water Services with Tayside Regional Council. His term of
office will run for 18 months.
Councillor Francis (Stuart) Black, Liberal
Democrat, is a Board member of North Area Board of Scottish
Natural Heritage. He is also Chairman of EXPLORE ABERNETHY,
a community project involving the creation of a local
footpath network. He serves on a number of Highland
Council's committees. He is a former member of the
Cairngorms Partnership. He has been a Strathspey hill
farmer for over 40 years. His term of office will run for
18 months.
Councillor Basil Dunlop, Independent, is
Chairman of Planning for the Badenoch and Strathspey area.
In addition to being a member of various Highland Council
committees and the Northern Joint Police Board, he is
involved in several local groups such as the Grantown
Museum and Heritage Trust and the Highland Buildings
Preservation Trust. He is a chartered forester who has
specialised in the native pinewoods of the Cairngorms area.
He has lived in the Cairngorms for over 40 years and is a
keen hillwalker and photographer. His term of office will
run for 18 months.
Councillor Angus Gordon, Independent, is
Chairman of the Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee of
the Licensing Board. He sits on various committees
including the Sustainable Development Select Committee and
the Land and Environment Select Committee. He is a local
tenant farmer and is a member at area and local level of
the NFU. His term of office will run for 18 months.
Councillor Robert Severn, SNP, sits on a
number of committees such as the Sustainable Development
Select Committee and the Planning, Development, Europe and
Tourism Committee. He is also a member of the Cairngorm,
Rothiemurchus and Glenmore Group (CRAGG). He is also a
Director of Highland Opportunity Ltd, Highland Prospect and
a member of Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise. He
has lived and worked in the area for over 30 years and was
a member of the Cairngorms Mountain Rescue Team. His term
of office will run for 18 months.
Councillor Sheena Slimon, Independent, was
involved in setting up the Laggan Rural Partnership and the
Community Information Resource Centre and the Laggan
Forrest Trust. She works closely with a number of local
agencies and other parties concerned with the wellbeing of
the Laggan community. She is also a member of several
Highland Council committees including Sustainable
Development, Culture and Sport and Environment. Her term of
office will run for 18 months.
Councillor Bob Wilson, Independent
Councillor for Moray, serves as Chairman of the Grampian
Valuation Joint Board. He has been Chairman of the Speyside
Way Management Committee since 1999 and is a member of the
Speyside Area Management Committee since 1992. He has a
keen interest in local community issues and those issues
which will fall to the remit of the Park Board. His term of
office will run for 18 months.
In addition to the 20 members of the Authority appointed
by Ministers, five members were elected in a ballot of
local electors. These members will have a four year term of
office. They are Gregor Rimmel, Willie McKenna, Andrew
Rafferty, Eleanor Mackintosh and Douglas Glass.
Members of the Board will be remunerated at a rate of
£175 per day. On average they will be expected to make a
commitment of 2-3 days per month.
Cairngorms is Scotland's second National Park and the
largest in the UK (1,466 square miles). It is also one of
the biggest Parks in Europe. The Loch Lomond and The
Trossachs National Park was Scotland's first Park and was
established on July 8, 2002.
The process of establishing the Board for the Park
Authority involved direct elections (a total of 5), direct
appointees by Ministers (a total of 10) and appointments on
the nomination of local authorities (a total of 10). All 25
members of the Board take office on the establishment date
of the new Park Authority.
The four aims of National Parks are to:
- conserve and enhance the natural and cultural
heritage of the area
- promote sustainable use of the natural resources of
the area
- promote understanding and enjoyment of the special
qualities of the area
- promote sustainable economic and social development
of the area's communities