CUMBERNAULD LIVING LANDSCAPE PROJECT UPDATE 3

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1 CUMBERNAULD LIVING LANDSCAPE PROJECT UPDATE 3 Ian Mackenzie 2 nd October 2013 WHAT IS THE CUMBERNAULD LIVING LANDSCAPE? Cumbernauld Living Landscape aims to enhance, restore and reconnect green areas of the town. Parks, woodlands and gardens are crucial to the well-being of both people and wildlife and we need to ensure they are at the heart of the town s future. These green spaces provide clean air, water and retreats from the busyness of everyday life. Without them, neither wildlife nor people can flourish. The project vision is shared by neighbouring landowners the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), North Lanarkshire (NLC) and Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS). Its development is supported by the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN). The Cumbernauld Living Landscape project aims to: Create and maintain a high quality natural environment for wildlife to flourish and people to enjoy. Link the network of greenspaces in Cumbernauld and re- connect people to their natural environment. Promote Cumbernauld as a good place to live, work and do business due to its many varied and greenspaces. LIVING LANDSCAPE PROJECT WORK It has been a really busy year for the project with lots of great ideas and projects getting going on the ground. With so many projects in the current portfolio it was agreed (May 2013) that we need to focus our efforts. This exercise has identified projects that the programme leaders will be developing and submitting to funding applications. The list below provides a focus for this year s activities but will not be definitive, when needs or opportunities change projects can be added or removed. They involve a range of partners and aim to co-ordinate and deliver action on the ground. Cumbernauld Connections - Habitat Networks Action Plan - There are many natural connections throughtout Cumbernauld, some of these are thin and fragile and need to be protected. This project would identify the existing networks for both wildlife and people, it would then use this information to create and deliver an action plan that will protect, enhance or re-create the networks. Woodland Heritage - The woodlands around Cumbernauld are not necessarily valued by the communities that live within them. Many of the areas are seen as uninviting due to the perception of poor safety. A concerted effort needs to be made to engage local communities with the resource on their doorstep. The project would engage people through an oral history of the area and run a programme of volunteer tasks to help people understand the need for woodland management. Growing Spaces - Within Cumbernauld there are several groups who are interested in creating allotments or orchards and there are suitable sites. However a catalyst is required to enable the groups to apply for funding to realise their ambitions. The Growing Space project would achieve this through an audit of sites, review of best practice and creation of guidelines. Groups would then be supported to apply for funding and deliver their ambitions. Living Window - The commercial indoor shopping centre in Cumbernauld does not reflect any of the superb greenspaces in the town. Working with local groups a professional illustrator will create temporary murals in empty windows. These murals will depict some of the greenspaces around the town and illustrate why people value them. The values could be anything from environmental, sporting, cultural t or historical events. Peatland Restoration - The raised bog known as Fannyside Muir is in a highly degraded state, it has suffered from drainage, peat cutting, tree planting and encroachment from natural regeneration. However it can still be saved and restored to an active bog. This project would dam the ditches and remove trees to re-wet the bog and allow natural peatland vegetation to re-establish. Saving this bog will secure a valuable wildlife habitat and play an important part in reducing carbon emissions. Page 1 of 5

2 Nujmber of Projects PROJECT STATUS There has been great enthusiasm for the Living Landscape and the total number of projects in the portfolio has now risen from 38 to 46. The new projects include an arborist training partnership run from the Scottish Wildlife Trusts base, a proposed joint Greenflag Award for Cumbernauld Glen and Cumbernauld House Park and a project to enhance and protect native woodland behind Abronhill Primary School. NLC have submitted a project to increase nesting sites and raise public awareness of pine marten. Since the launch of the Living Landscape in May a number of projects have received funding and there are now 21 projects ongoing (18 previously). However projects to develop the Living Landscape brand and staff capacity are behind schedule. The long term forest plans on SWT reserves and Palacerigg are working towards a long term deadline and are also behind schedule. Funding opportunities are being sought to bring these back on track to be completed in COMMUNICATIONS 1. Aspi rati onal 2. Plan ned 3. Ong oing 5. Unknown Com plet e 4. Complete LIVING LANDSCAPE BRAND & PRESS COVERAGE FIGURE 1 GRAPH OF NUMBER OF PEOPLE SEEING OUR FACEBOOK POSTS BETWEEN 1ST JULY & 13 SEPT 2013 Following the launch we have been working on projects that will engage people with the greenspaces in the town, such as the Living Window. The Facebook page continues to be our main focus for communication and this has seen reasonable numbers of views. Overall we have peaks around stories involving the pine marten but this falls off at other times. There is now a need to revisit the marketing strategy and make sure that all partners are communicating the key messages of the living landscape. Future project development will also need to consider building capacity to do this. A review of our marketing strategy should include the options for social media and we should consider guest posts from other partners. Work has started on editing video footage taken by the NLC Countryside Ranger Service. The Living Landscape has featured in the SWT member s magazine and has been mentioned in reference to the Keep Scotland Beautiful campaign where Cumbernauld won the best small city prize. In total there have been 12 media hits since the project was launched in May. OUTREACH The Project Development Manager has continued to attend community meetings and a proposal to host a Natural Communities apprentice has been accepted by The Conservation Volunteers. This year long placement will provide the trainee with valuable experience of community outreach and will help develop the Living Landscapes community connections. As part of their placement they will develop and deliver a program of events with an established community group to increase their focus on and value of the natural environment in Cumbernauld. Page 2 of 5

3 SURVEY & MONITORING A key aspect of the project is evaluating the impact that the Living Landscape has. University of Leeds student Maria Pfeifer has submitted a case study of the Community Growth Areas (CGA) as her MSc Sustainability (Environment and Development) thesis. Her research examined how the goals of urban development aligned with the aims of the Living Landscape. Through review of policy documents and interviews with the key stakeholders she investigated the aims and practices of the CGA and the Living Landscape to find out if their visions are compatible. Despite different fundamental purposes she found that they are mainly compatible and if implemented as planned comply with the principles of sustainable development. One of the main barriers identified to the sustainable delivery of the CGA is a lack of clarity of definitions and concrete plans of landscape methods. The Living Landscape has sought to minimise this by recently submitting specific recommendations to NLC planning department to inform the Strategic Development Frameworks which will set out the requirements for the masterplan. FIGURE 2 - MID FOREST COMMUNTITY GROWTH AREA OPPORTUNITIES PRIORITY WORK The following areas will be prioritised form June to August: Developing plans for the priority projects Community Growth Area strategy, research/reports and influence Applying for funding for the Living Window project The programme is kindly supported by: Page 3 of 5

4 PROJECT LIST Title of Project Project Organisation Key Contact Progress Progress Progress ID Feb 2013 May2013 Sept Vision CLL34 Wild Media Foundation Duncan Clark 4. Complete 4. Complete 4. Complete Beautiful Bogs CLL13 North Lanarkshire Laura McCrorie Community Growth Areas CLL10 North Lanarkshire Mark Forrest Community Hub CLL08 Kyle Citizens Community Trust Mia Crawford Compost Production CLL20 Scottish Water Horizons TBC 5. Unknown 5. Unknown 4. Complete Core Path Plan CLL09 North Lanarkshire Hayley Andrew 4. Complete 4. Complete 4. Complete Cumbernauld Community Park CLL04 Friends of Cumbernauld Community Park BARNEY KINSLER Cumbernauld Connections CLL38 TBC TBC N/A N/A Cumbernauld Woods Management Plan CLL14 North Lanarkshire Brian Thomson Dog Trails CLL22 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Dragonfinder CLL35 Froglife TBC N/A Eco Housing CLL23 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Enhancing and Protecting Native Woodland in Cumbernauld CLL36 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark N/A N/A Enhancing Biodiversity in Urban Greenspace in Forest Wood Enhancing rec opps in urban greenspasces in Northside wood CLL30a Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark N/A CLL30b Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark N/A Fair Trade Garden CLL15 North Lanarkshire TBC 5. Unknown 5. Unknown Farm Forestry Wood Fuel CLL02 Forestry Commission TBC 5. Unknown 5. Unknown 5. Unknown Scotland Forest School (S) CLL24 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Forestry / Arborist training CLL30c Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark N/A N/A Green Energy CLL25 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Green flag award CLL29a Scottish Wildlife Trust TBC N/A N/A Greenfaulds Orchard CLL16 North Lanarkshire Gerry Lewis Greenspace Centre CLL26 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Growing Spaces CLL16a North Lanarkshire Brian Thomson N/A N/A Heritage Signs CLL06 Friends of Cumbernauld Adam Smith 4. Complete 4. Complete 4. Complete House Park Homes for Barn Owls CLL11 North Lanarkshire Laura McCrorie 4. Complete 4. Complete 4. Complete Land Swap CLL27 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Page 4 of 5

5 Langriggs CLL17 North Lanarkshire Brian Thomson 4. Complete 4. Complete 4. Complete Living Landscapes Brand*** CLL29 Scottish Wildlife Trust Ian Mackenzie Living Waters CLL07 Froglife Iain Maclean Living Window CLL28 Scottish Wildlife Trust Ian Mackenzie Meadows & hedges CLL05 Friends of Cumbernauld Glen Karren Morrison Mosswater Smithstone CLL01 North Lanarkshire Brian Thomson 4. Complete 4. Complete 4. Complete Native Forestry R CLL31 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Palacerigg Long Term Forest Plan CLL18 North Lanarkshire Brian Thomson Peatland restoration CLL40 Central Scotland Bog Forum Craig MacAdam, Buglife N/A N/A Pine Marten Project CLL37 North Lanarkshire Gerry Lewis N/A N/A Slamannan Plateau CLL03 Forestry Commission TBC 5. Unknown 5. Unknown 5. Unknown Scotland St Maurice s Pond CLL19 North Lanarkshire Brian Thomson 4. Complete 4. Complete 4. Complete Staff CLL32 Scottish Wildlife Trust Ian Mackenzie SUDS CLL21 Scottish Water / Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark SUDS Phase II CLL21a Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark SWT Long-Term Forest Plan CLL30 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Where have you Bean geese CLL12 North Lanarkshire Laura McCrorie Wildlife Train CLL33 Scottish Wildlife Trust Duncan Clark Woodland Heritage CLL39 TBC TBC N/A N/A Page 5 of 5