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MANAGING LAND FOR NON COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY EVENTS (Tier 3)
Article 52b(i)
Measure Code (321)
Rationale for Intervention
A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture, Next Steps and the Scottish Forestry Strategy identify the role of agriculture and forestry in local communities as part of a vision for a prosperous and sustainable land-use sector. Encouraging land managers to make their land available for community use will provide an incentive for people to get outdoors, local culture and will provide opportunities to enjoy and learn about their countryside and landscape. This will be the case especially where it is implemented close to where people live. The link between the well-being of Scotland's people and environmental quality is recognised in Choosing Our Future Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy which states " We want people to enjoy higher levels of well-being, through an environment that provides the conditions for health and well-being". The contribution of the landscape to our quality of life is a key tenet of the European Landscape Convention (adopted by the UK government). The Convention highlights the need " to recognise landscapes… as an essential component of people's surroundings, an expression of the diversity of their shared cultural and natural heritage, and a foundation of their identity."
To encourage land managers to make land available for community use which will help people to connect with their surroundings, particularly near to settlements, enhance communication and understanding between the farming or forestry and local communities, create opportunities for events that will draw people into the countryside who otherwise may feel they have little reason for going there and widen the range of opportunities for engagement with the cultural and natural heritage.
Scope and Actions
Support to encourage land managers to release land on a temporary basis for community use and non commercial events.
The measure will be given priority if it is linked to activities such as managing land adjacent to settlements for community access, improvements to access and farm and woodland visits. Eligible types of events might include bonfires, temporary overspill car parking, local shows, school events, farm open days, outdoor religious services or other events for which the land manager receives no commercial gain.
Only available to managers in rural areas within 5 km from settlement with a population over 3,000 and areas within 1 km of settlements of a population under 3,000, or in specific locations (such as hill tops), specified by organiser of event.
Type of costs
The land manager will have to provide a map of location of event, along with written confirmation from organiser of the nature of event and dates along confirmation that the land manager is not in receipt of any payment for use of the land.. Land managers are also required to submit details of any historical or archaeological site within 500m of the site.
For public health and biosecurity reasons the land manager must remove and exclude stock on the proposed field or area of land 28 days prior to the event.
The activities to be carried out are likely to vary between events but may include:
- site clearance and grass cutting;
- removal of visible animal droppings, at the beginning of the 28 day exclusion period prior to the event
- temporary removal of gates, hardcore added to entrance way to assist vehicle access, removal of tree branches or hedge trimming to improve visibility at vehicular entrances;
- removal of litter or structures after event;
- infill/repair of poached access tracks;
- temporary suspension of operations on land while recovery of vegetation/soil condition takes place; and,
- reseeding of grassland.
Type of support
One off payment of £100.00 per holding per year.
Each event, timing and location will incur locally specific costs, and much of the work is likely to be undertaken by the land manager and farm staff or organisers, with materials found to hand. This payment has therefore been calculated taking into account the operations identified in the 'prescriptions' above, and should be considered a contribution to the event preparation and potential costs incurred by the land manager, not a compensatory payment based on actual costs.
Demarcation line and criteria with other EU financial instruments
No other funding is available for this activity
Transition arrangements
None
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