Draft note of meeting of Caithness Local Access Forum (CLAF)
held in the Pulteney Centre, Huddart  Street, Wick
on Tuesday 26th November 2013

Agenda

Present

Chris Hobson (CH), Chair – Land Manager
David Glass (DG) – Community Group
Ben McGregor (BM) – Access Taker/User
William Bruce (WB) – Access taker/User
Elena Koponen-Baikie (EK-B) – Community Group
Traylan Peat (TP) – Caithness Disability Access Forum

In attendance

Matt Dent (MD) – Access Officer, Highland Council
Kirsty Rosie (KR) – East Caithness Countryside Ranger, Highland Council
Alex Macmanus (AM) – Ward Manager’s Team, Highland Council (clerk)

1. Apologies

Willie Mackay – Landward Ward Member, Highland Council
Roger Saxon – Thurso Ward Member, Highland Council
Marina Swanson – East Caithness Countryside Ranger, Highland Council
Islay Macleod – Prospective Member of CLAF
George Duff – Countryside Ranger & Long Distance Route Manager

2. Notes and actions from meeting of 10th September 2013

Sibster Forest – Halkirk Community Council and the Village Council are both keen on opening up the historic route. Contact has been made with Stephen Fraser, Forestry Commission. CH has spoken with Cllr. Gillian Coghill who advised that Landowner was also keen on opening up the route.

Core Path plan – call for sites. To be actioned by January 2014. ACTION – MD

Core Path signs – New gate at Peedie Sands. (west side of Dunnet)

Core Path signs – Signage for Dunnet has been ordered by MD. MD to send list to John Green or CH.

Brough to Dunnet Head – Nothing done to move rubble. CH to contact SEPA, Thurso (Isobel Ham?) ACTION – CH

Reay – Locked gate now on Sandside Estate at cliff. Not a core path. CH to find name and address of new owners/factor. ACTION – CH

Reay laybys – blockage now removed.

National Access Forum (NAF) 5/11/13, Glasgow – G Duff attended as COSLA rep. Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) issued guidance on maintaining woodland access and forest operations in Scotland. MD believes this is a recommended read. Circulated to CLAF Members on 18th November by the clerk.

DG noted that the guidance made no mention of signage being removed when works had stopped/finished/suspended. Area should be made safe and open again for access.

Steve Jack (SJ) is now the FCS contact for the CLAF and is based in Golspie with an office in Bettyhill. Hazel Maclean would be his line manager. SJ is part of CLAF circulation list.

3. Local Disability Access Panel (LDAP) report – TP

Looking at access issues at premises in Wick and Thurso. No outdoor access issues to date.
Plans for the new school north of the wick river being looked at. MD attends the LDAP.

TP queried the all ability trail at Dunnet forest as being difficult to negotiate. Perhaps clearer signage would be beneficial. DG to get details from TP. ACTION DG. Way marking to be looked at.

TP queried condition of Halkirk core path Braal Castle to Pond as being very muddy and difficult to use. CH would speak to Cllr Gillian Coghill and the local Community Council. ACTION – CH

TP queried condition of Bishops Walk in Thurso as being all abilities when very narrow. CH would contact local Community Council to ascertain land owner. ACTION – CH

Can a booklet on paths in Caithness be drawn up along the same lines as the one for Ross and Cromarty? MD would investigate. ACTION – MD

Katy Webster from Health and happiness is looking at walks. KR would pass her details onto MD. ACTION – KR

4. Core Path Review – MD

An information gathering exercise. This is a review of existing paths. New routes would require a consultation period.

As time was against carrying out a review of all the paths at this meeting is was agreed that MD would forward pro-formas for every Caithness Core path to the CLAF members for their comments/observations/suggestions.

These should be returned to MD by mid-February 2014 to allow him to consolidate the replies before the next CLAF meeting due in early March. ACTION - ALL

5. AOB

Nil

6. Date of next meeting

Thursday 6th March 2014 7.00pm to 9.00pm at Britannia Hall, Dunnet