Moray Draft Core Paths Plan Public Consultation
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 requires the Council to draw up a plan for a system of paths (Core Paths) “that provides a basic framework of routes sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout their area”. The Council are required to produce this in draft form by February 2008 following public consultation.
This is the first time such a plan has been produced for the Moray Council area. It covers the area within the Council boundary, but does not include that part of Moray within the Cairngorms National Park, which will have its own Core Paths Plan.
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This concept is nothing new for the Council which has been working in partnership with local community access groups and other agencies to plan for, develop and manage Local Paths Networks since 2000.
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This plan is not just about Core Paths. The maps show other paths which when put together with Core Paths provide for a comprehensive
paths network across Moray. |
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives a right of responsible, non-motorised access to most of the land and inland water of Scotland. It also introduces the term ‘Core Path’. A Core Path can physically be any route – a right of way, farm track, an old drove road, a minor public road or even a river.
Although the Act allows any route to be a Core Path, the Scottish Executive has set out some characteristics of a Core Path including:
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Core Paths should be considered as part of wider Moray Paths Network and not just paths in isolation. Taking the network forward through a plan of action could help realise many benefits for Moray including better health, reduction in car usage, improvements in public safety, and more visitors to the area. An integrated Paths network will provide a valuable freely available community facility for everybody to use.
The Moray Core Paths Plan will provide for this ‘Plan of Action’ and is the best way to focus resources to improve things on the ground.
The Core Paths shown on maps within this Consultative Draft Moray Core Paths Plan 
(14 pages, 2.40 MB) were derived from a selection process. Previous consultation exercises have been carried out across Moray
as part of access initiatives established through partnership with statutory agencies and community groups. A great deal of
knowledge has already been gathered telling us which paths are important to people. From these paths Core Paths have been
selected using criteria set by the Moray Local Outdoor Access Forum and the Moray Council.
How can you comment on the Plan
You are encouraged to comment using our online form on any aspect of this Consultative Draft Moray Core Paths Plan (14 pages, 2.40 MB) or download a copy of the form (2 pages, 146 KB). View maps from the plan. Please when responding always bear in mind whether overall you consider that the plan meets the statutory
requirement of “providing a basic framework of routes sufficient for the purpose of giving the public reasonable access throughout
Moray”.
Responses are sought on the following plan elements:
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To help identify what your response specifically refers to please state the respective page number in the case of sections of text, and for Core Paths and Aspirational Core Paths the corresponding route ID number and map number. When commenting on other types of paths shown (i.e. Promoted Paths and Existing Paths) please identify the map number.
All response sheets received by 30th November 2007 will be considered and used to inform the finalised version of the Draft Moray Core Paths Plan that will emerge. Following approval by The Council Committee, the Finalised Draft Moray Core Paths Plan will be published and submitted to Scottish Ministers. The deadline for this is February 2008. At this stage the Plan will be subject to a twelve-week (minimum) formal public consultation exercise, which may culminate in a Public Local Enquiry before being adopted. Once the Plan is adopted by Scottish Ministers the routes identified in the Plan as Core Paths will become statutory designations.
A summary report will be prepared of all public responses received throughout the process of producing the Moray Core Paths Plan. This together with the Council’s recommended action will be placed on the Moray Council Website.
If you require more information on countryside access, access rights, Moray Core Paths or the Core Paths Planning process you can contact the Moray Outdoor Access Manager:
Ian M Douglas
Moray Outdoor Access Manager
Environmental Services
Ashgrove Depot
Ashgrove Road
Elgin
IV30 1UU
Tel: 01343 557049
Email: ian.douglas@moray.gov.uk