Back to HOMEPAGE Responsible access to the countryside
was the slogan.
But what happened to the responsibility bit?
James Irvine
Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie, Perthshire
Filed 23 Aug 08
©www.land-care.org.uk
The Land Reform Scotland Act (2003) gave wide public access to the Scottish countryside with the promise that those taking advantage of the new legislation would behave responsibly. Widespread education, to be provided by such bodies as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), was promised. But the Code had little or no legal foundation with regard to enforcement as far as the public were concerned. It just appealed to the public's better nature.
But of course such political promises had little foundation. SNH may have produced lots of brochures, and given a few talks at meetings, but they have done little else. SNH may well have funded extra staff, either directly or indirectly, to explain the access code to the public, and to explain the responsibilities of 'land managers' and the penalties that 'land managers' may face if they do not comply. Councils may have appointed rangers who work regular office hours and are seldom to be seen when the public (and they themselves) are taking their leisure. But even during their standard office hours it would seem that much of their time is taken up with sitting in committees or doing paper work. The result is that there is little evidence of responsibility on the part of the public in terms of taking access to the Scottish countryside. This is particularly so over the vexed question of litter. The Scottish countryside - as well as its cities and towns - may be even more littered than ever.
Discarded old tent and other rubbish left at a beauty spot
at Comrie, Perthshire
(To enlarge photo Click Here )
More rubbish left at the same site next the River Ruchill
on the same occasion
(To enlarge photo Click Here)
The Land Reform Scotland Act (2003) was brought in under a Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition in a devolved Scotland. with Ross Finnie (1) and Jim Wallace (2) of the LibDems playing particularly prominent roles. Roger Crofts in his capacity as Chief Executive of government funded SNH was given the task, in the early days, of selling the project to the public and forcing it down the throats of 'land managers' with false assurances (3). His successor, Ian Jardine, has been involved in an extraordinarily wasteful enterprise in trying to bribe his reluctant staff in Edinburgh to move to an extravagantly expensive but ecologically wonderful new building in Inverness (4).
Now, neither Labour or the Liberal Democrats are in power in Scotland. Roger Crofts became a member of the Board of SAC and ironically is secretary to the Royal Society of Edinburgh Inquiry into the major problems that currently face the uplands of Scotland.
With the economic downturn currently affecting the UK and many other countries, the public are now wondering how this country managed to squander so much of its resources on ineffectual ideological projects, leaving nothing in the kitty for the economic bad days that have arrived with such a vengeance.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James (2007). Eight years of Ross Finnie as Scottish Minister for Environment and Rural Affairs: what did he have to say for himself at NFUS agm, Dunblane, February 2007?
See SOCIAL/ECONOMCI/HOMEPAGE, filed 02 Mar 07, www.land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
2. Editorial (2005). Westminster Election Special. So Charles Kennedy says " Trust the Liberal Democrats", but why should we?
See SOCIAL/ECONOMCI/HOMEPAGE, filed 02 May 05, www.land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
3. Irvine, James (2003). Responses to SNH Draft Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
See SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE, filed 22 Sep 03, www.land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
4. Mitchell, Ian (2003). Nature's protectors should get out more.
This article was originally published in the Sunday Times 3rd August 2003. It is reproduced in full with the kind permission of its author and of the newspaper.
See ENVIRONMENT Homepage, filed 23 Aug 03, www.land-care.org.uk Click Here to View
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