« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
GLOSSARY
Access Authorities - refers to local authorities and, within national park areas, to national park authorities. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives a range of duties and powers to access authorities, including to uphold and facilitate access rights and to plan a system of core paths to give the public reasonable access throughout their areas.
Biodiversity - means biological diversity or the variety of life. Defined by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992 as "The variability among living organisms from all sources including, (biological diversity) inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems."
Carbon sinks - atmospheric carbon in the form of carbon dioxide is captured and stored in living (trees and other green vegetation) or non-living reservoirs (soil, geological formations, oceans, wood products). Land uses which absorb and store carbon over long periods of time ('carbon sinks') may help to offset carbon dioxide emissions, at least in the short to medium term.
Core Paths Plans - term used in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 which refers to the statutory process to identify a network of paths to provide all forms of recreational access. The network will be well marked and will link into a wider network of paths. Core paths are expected to be predominantly available for multi-use (walking, cycling, horse riding etc.) and access to water is included. Rivers or lochs could become a core path.
Disability Discrimination Duties - The Disability Discrimination Act ( DDA) 2005 amends the DDA 1995 to place a duty on all public authorities to promote disability equality. This means that public authorities, including local authorities, must, in carrying out their functions, have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and harassment that is unlawful under the DDA. They must also promote equality of opportunity between disabled people and non-disabled people, and take steps to take account of disabled people's needs, even where that involves treating disabled people more favourably than non-disabled. It requires that active steps must be taken to remove the barriers that disabled people experience in their everyday lives.
Equalities Opportunities - Equalities duties are set out in Section L2 of Part II of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998. "Equal opportunities" means 'the prevention, elimination or regulation of discrimination between persons on grounds of sex or marital status, on racial grounds, or on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin, or of other personal attributes, including beliefs or opinions, such as religious beliefs or political opinions'. Section 51 of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 requires Scottish Ministers and planning authorities to perform their planning functions in a manner which encourages equal opportunities.
« Previous | Contents | Next »