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Progress Mapped for SRPBA
Members of SEARS’ Frontline Delivery Design team spent time on tour over the summer speaking to a number of regional committees of the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA).
Alongside SEPA’s Allan Virtue, Phil Gaskell of Scottish Natural Heritage was part of the series of meetings with one of the key stakeholder bodies, which includes a large number of Scotland’s land managers.
Here he explains what went on:
“We have been particularly keen to get more ideas and feedback from rural land managers on what the Project has delivered and what it might deliver in future. An example has been feedback from SRPBA Regional Committees. We were invited to attend these and to discuss experiences of land managers.
“This gave us more ideas for the future, but also confirmed that we are on the right track in terms of what we've done to date in meeting customers’ expectations.”
SRPBA members raised a number of important topics including inspections and biosecurity, but also some fundamental questions about SEARS itself and how it plans to interact with other bodies including the Food Standards Agency and local authorities.
Chairman Luke Borwick said:
“Our five regional committees found the SEARS ‘Future Direction’ presentations given by representatives of SNH and SEPA extremely helpful in informing them of the planned changes, what these will mean to those running rural businesses, and how this will result in improved systems and interfaces.
“Our members look forward to seeing the benefits of these efforts by the Scottish Government to reduce the regulatory burden come to fruition on the ground.”
Phil Gaskell added:
“Overall, this has to be seen as a worthwhile endeavour and Frontline Delivery are currently seeking ways in which we can engage with other key stakeholder bodies.”
More news on discussions with other stakeholders will be posted as it happens.
An Historic Agreement?
Attendees of some recent SEARS meeting and workshops may have noticed an unfamiliar presence lurking quietly at the back. Representatives of the Scottish Government’s heritage agency Historic Scotland have been listening on recent discussions.
As the agency within the Scottish Government responsible for helping to safeguard and promote the nation’s historic environment, Historic Scotland has a major part to play within our rural communities.
Their Head of Policy Liaison and Modernisation, Miles Oglethorpe has now attended several programme boards and workshops and was keen to offer his views:
“We have increasingly engaged with SEARS in recent months, already having had important operational relationships with SEARS’s partners, such as the Forestry Commission Scotland.
“Since 2007 a member of our staff has worked with the SRDP implementation team in the Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate to provide support for historic environment issues within the wider rural priorities and land management options.”
Of course it won’t be lost on you that the Minister with responsibility for Historic Scotland is now Michael Russell who was a key figure in SEARS’ development and launch with a key aim of reducing bureaucratic burdens on Scotland’s land managers.
Noting their continued work with the two National Park authorities, joint training with SEPA and close collaboration with SNH, Miles added:
“We have also benefited from Animal Health’s recent new advice on biosecurity, and have been able to alert our field teams to the most recent guidance.
“The last few months of engagement with SEARS have been very enlightening and productive.
“Our regulatory and technical conservation responsibilities and our visitor attractions require an active and responsive presence on the ground in rural Scotland, and the shared experience of the SEARS partners offers us the opportunity to enhance and expand our services.
“To date, we have been participating as an observer, but there is a real possibility that Historic Scotland will soon become the tenth partner in the SEARS family.”
SEARS on Twitter!
You can now follow SEARS news on Twitter. To sign up go to: www.twitter.com/ruralscotland
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