West Central Scotland Cycling Feasibility Study Brief

Transcription

1 West Cental Scotland Cycling Feasibility Study Bief 14 Febuay, 2005 Intoduction Foesty Commission Scotland (FCS) in patneship with Scottish Entepise Foth Valley (and potentially Agyll and Island Entepise) ae commissioning a feasibility study into the potential fo socially, economically, and envionmentally sustainable cycling facilities acoss fou foest disticts: Cowal and Tossachs Foest Distict, Lone Foest Distict, Scottish Lowlands Foest Distict & West Agyll Foest Distict. Backgound FCS has become the maket leade in foest cycling in Scotland. Intenationally enowned facilities have been developed in Fot William and Glentess. Cuently thee ae no national o egional level cycling sites in West Cental Scotland and thee is inceasing pessue fo development to both meet the needs of local cyclists, develop local economies and to povide additional eceation povision to the lage populations in cental Scotland. The pupose of the feasibility study is to ensue that futue cycling povision in the West Cental egion is consideed on a stategic level to ensue maximum impact fom any esouces invested. This study will infom the emeging FCS Scottish Cycling Stategy and suppot patnes investment decisions. The potential locations fo the developments ae: Cowal and Tossachs Foest Distict 1. Tossachs (cented on David Mashall Lodge) 2. Adgatan 3. Glenbante (possibly twinned with Adgatan) 4. Dunoon Lone Foest Distict 5. Glen Ochy to Cianlaich 6. Oban Aea (Feanoch & Bacaldine) 7. Glen Coe & Glenachullish Scottish Lowlands Foest Distict 8. Aan 9. Caon 10. Kelty West Agyll Foest Distict 11. Knapdale 12. Kilmichael 13. Inveay A summay of the main issues can be found in Appendix 2 and a map of the sites ae in Appendix 3. Objectives of the Study a) Detemine the potential maket fo each of the 13 aeas above. This should be consideed in the context of the emeging cycling povision in Scotland. b) Detemine the socio-economic impact fo each of the 13 aeas. c) Evaluate each site in tems of potential visito expeience (diving time, views, foest stuctue, quality of tails, available facilities) 1

2 d) Conside the scale of development applicable fo each of the 13 aeas above. This should be on the scale: Nationally Impotant, Regionally Impotant, Locally Impotant and finally Not Suitable fo Development. e) Conside the type of customes and theefoe tail type most appopiate fo each site. f) Identify the potential fo public investment in cycling infastuctue to encouage pivate secto investment in associated facilities. Issues to Conside Public oad access Requiement fo additional facilities such as ex ta paking, Bike Shed, Café & Changing facilities Existing local infastuctue (cateing, accommodation, bike-hie/ epais) Social and economic benefit to the local economy Points of inteest (views, vaiety) Foest stuctue (vaiety of species, age ange, open space) Robustness of sites (teain, soil types) Potential fo vaiety of outes / abilities Linkage to othe facilities in West Cental Scotland Potential maket and custome pofile Relation to othe cycling facilities in Scotland Potential conflicts of inteest (othe eceation uses, consevation, havesting, neighbous) Refe to Towads a Cycling Stategy fo Scotland scotland.og.uk/about_us/publications.cfm?uuidpublication=02c647b5-2b33-de5e- DC88B604E987DF83 The stategic fit of cycling in patnes wide pioities Key tasks to be coveed in the epot I. Put the study int o the context of the m aket fo Scottish biking and othe adventue activities. Conside the question of displacement and the impact this might have fo the viability of existing facilities which FCS and othes have invested in. II. III. IV. Conside the scale and pioity of development of cy cling developm ent in cental west Scotland. Suvey of t he potential foests listed above, anal ysis and ecommendations fo the best location(s) with egad to the issues listed above. Thee has been incedible gowth in c ycling and i n paticula m ountain biking. The study sho uld consi de whethe this gowth is sustainable, ae we missing potential customes and what the implications might be if thee was some fom of downtun in the activity and o the economy. V. Feedback on local consultations with ega d to the poposals and, showing suppot o othewise fo the ecommended location(s). VI. Developed outline options which coul d allow phased pogamme of poject developments including facilities and elated infastuctue with tails of vaying, cost the constuction of the pojects in tems of capital and evenue and identif y potential souces of income and othe funding contibutions. Timescales, Repoting: 2

3 The poposed deadline fo the final epot is 30 June. The management of the study will be by Stuat Chalmes at Cowal and Tossachs Foest Distict. A contact list is povided in appendix 1. 3

4 Appendix 1 Contacts Main Contact fo Feasibility Study Stuat Chalmes Distict Foeste Envionment Foesty Commission Scotland Cowal and Tossachs Foest Distict Abefoyle Stiling FK8 3UX Tel Mobile stuat.chalmes@foesty.gsi.gov.uk Cowal and Tossach Foest Distict Stuat Chalmes Distict Foeste Envionment Foesty Commission Scotland Cowal and Tossachs Foest Distict Abefoyle Stiling FK8 3UX Tel Mobile stuat.chalmes@foesty.gsi.gov.uk Lone Foest Distict Elaine Jamieson Distict Foeste FM & E Foesty Commission Scotland Millpak Road Oban PA34 4NH Tel Elaine.Jamieson@foesty.gsi.gov.uk Scottish Lowlands Foest Distict Rena Tawinska Distict Foeste Communities and Envionment Foesty Commission Scotland Baxfield Road Lanak ML11 9BU Tel Rena.Tawinska@foesty.gsi.gov.uk West Agyll Foest Distict James Bickley Foesty Commission Scotland Whitegates 4

5 Lochgilphead PA31 8RS Tel Othe FCS Contacts 1. Alan Stevenson, Communities, eceation and touism Manage Tel Fiona Muay, Foest Touism Initiative Manage Tel Kal Batlett, 7stanes Poject Manage Tel Steve Williams, Senio Infomation Office Tel Non FCS Contacts Glasgow Mountain Bike Club (Pete Siebelt) Wheels Scottish Cycle Cente (Mak Schimidzu) - scotcycle@ Mid Agyll Mountain Bike Club Stiling Mountain Bike Club Noth Ayshie Council Aan Access Office Andew Fyfe Caon Valley Development Goup (esp mountainbiking) Niall Thomson Chaiman niallt@ Noth Agyll Cycling Club Scottish Natual Heitage (Ross Johnson) Ross.Johnston@snh.gov.uk Scottish Entepise Foth Valley (Paul McCaffety) Agyll & Islands Entepise (Steven Dott) - s.dott@hient.co.uk Spot Scotland Loch Lomond and Tossachs National Pak (Bidgett Jones Access Office) bidget.jones@lochlomond-tossachs.og - (01389) Agyll & Bute Council Stiling Council (Robet Hunte Countyside Development Office hunte@stiling.gov.uk) fo Caon Noth Lanakshie Council (Mak Foest, Planning & Envionment foestm@nothlan.gov.uk) fo Caon Fife Council (Economic Adviso in Touism Development Sevices alison.laughlin@fife.gsx.gov.uk ) Also Donald Mudoch, Envionment & Implementation ext 29 donald.mudoch@fife.gov.uk. Dounans Scottish Outdoo Cente Benmoe Outdoo Cente Adoy Outdoo Cente 5

6 5. Appendix 2 Main Issues with each site Location Issues 1. Tossachs Mountain Bike epot poduced by Pete Laing in 2000 identified high potential fo aea. Pessue fom Glasgow Mountain Bike Club to develop site. Tail develop by club used annually fo aces. Cuently mix of uses in the aea may lead to conflict. Steep teain give potential fo technical cycling and excellent views. 2.4 Million people within one hous dive. Main cycling povision on foest oads On oute of National Cycle Route 7 Cuent custome base at David Mashall Lodge is mainly family goups. Within Loch Lomond and the Tossachs National Pak The ecent stategic development famewok poduced fo Callande, which identified the town s aspiation to be the activity cente of the Pak 2. Adgatan Aea aleady attacts outdoo pusuits loves. The Adgatan peninsula aleady used fo cycling Aea was identified as a potential cycle aea, twinned with Glenbante, outes identified. Within one hous dive of a lage population fom Glasgow. High volume of taffic pass cente. FCS looking at potential ove next yea to futhe develop the Adgatan visito cente. This has the potential to encouage people to visit FCS foests in Cowal, West Agyll and Lone. Within Loch Lomond and the Tossachs National Pak. 3. Glenbante Fist FCS mountain bike specifics oute to be developed in next yea. Aea was identified as a potential cycle aea, twinned with Adgatan, outes identified. The development of mountain biking in this aea was seen as a way to bing a new client base to the Cowal aea which is cuently seen as the most unde visited aea of the National Pak. Within Loch Lomond and the Tossachs National Pak 4. Dunoon Population of ove 10,000 live in the Dunoon aea. Dunoon is seen as a pioity aea fo development and egeneation. Fey links fom Gouock to Dunoon, Potavadie - Tabet & bus sevice fom Dunoon to Inveay which links in with Oban, Lochgilphead & Dalmally. Dunoon is the "Gateway to the West" and the maine gateway to the Loch Lomond and the Tossachs National Pak 5. Glen Ochy to Cianlaich Thee is a stong community dive in Stathfillan (Tyndum & Cianlaich Bidge of Ochy lost its pimay school last yea and so seems to be becoming moe fagile. Glen ochy is aleady a focus fo outdoo activity dawing on the Glasgow aea population. FCS have a cycle tail in the Glen which has futhe potential, ca paking is an issue as is any mention of inceased taffic though the glen. The ive is also well used by fishemen and paddle spots. The community has expessed an inteest in a walking/cycling link though the glen. 6

7 6. Oban Aea (Feanoch & Bacaldine) 7. Glen Coe & Glenachullish 8. Aan (Glenickad) Last yea saw an investment in mountain access to a Cobett in the Glen. Pat of the zone is in the NP and thee ae aleady plans in motion fo a long distance cycle oute. Glen Ochy aleady has high and at times conflicting use. A focus aound Cianlaich o Tyndum would theefoe be appopiate, with long distance tails linking to the Glen eventually. Feanoch has geat potential but is not immediately associated with a population. To each this site with bikes hied fom Oban o Taynuilt would equie tavelling with bikes on cas. The village of Feanoch is small and may be unable to suppot business oppotunities. Bacaldine is aleady the focus fo the newly fomed Noth Agyll Cycling club. A local issue of mtb / walke conflict at Beinn Loa has meant that FCS staff have had to put in a lot of effot to get them to this stage. A community poject will develop a site in Bacaldine; this will not peclude futhe development. Both of these aeas ae just off the main oad and between 15 and 30 mins fom Oban. This is an aea which aleady attacts the outdoo type so developments hee would pove vey popula. Howeve a top class facility aleady exists about 30 mins away at Fot William. Thee is aleady a small local demand showing itself in unauthoised constuction of jumps etc. The community council is vey active and Glencoe Development Company has ecently been fomed and ae taking fowad the 'Glencoe obital' poject - to allow low level, accessible path links aound the village and safe access acoss the main oad. Becklet foest design plan is close to appoval and this is adjacent to an NTS site which aleady has a numbe of the facilities which would allow a poject of this sot to flouish- Campsite with lage tun ove, paking, toilet facilities etc. Popula island with good tanspot links County oads often naow, winding with stone walls eithe side; vey busy in summe Road cycling aleady popula with day visitos Community goup looking to develop cycling outes on island, including though foest. Local bike club woking with FD on small scale Foest within easy cycling distance of fey Outdoo pusuits heavily biased towads walking; oppotunity to divesify 9. Caon Community goup (CVDG) ecently successful in getting 30K fo development of mountain bike oute. Clananald (histoical e-enactment goup) building eplica medieval fot and toilet block at foest capak. Wokshop Januay 05 of inteested paties and agencies ecognised potential fo development fo eceation & touism economy. List of shot, medium, and longe tem wok in CV now being pepaed. 2.8 Million people within one hous dive Caon Valley still to each its eceation potential Remote, highland atmosphee with hills suounding lage esevoi (Scottish Wate) and ive Nationally impotant upland species pesent eg ed squiel, black gouse, 7

8 mountain hae 10. Kelty Inteest fom Fife Council to develop foest as pat of economic egeneation poject fo Kelty aea. Within easy each of Edinbugh, so potential to elieve pessue fom Glentess Assessment by 7stanes tailbuilde done Nov 04 saying scope fo tail Immediately adjacent to Junction 4 on M90 Potential to develop othe foest-based inteest eg histoy of coal mining fom monks in 12thC via deep mines to OCC of today; designed landscape adjacent to home of Adam family wold-famous 18 th & 19thC achitects and designes 11. Knapdale 34K CED Funding in place fo feasibility study and tail development. Pessue and suppot of Mid Agyll Cycle club Wide vaiety of teain types, outstanding views to the inne Hebides ceates a wow facto much sought by ides. Suppot infastuctue in the immediate aea is good with a local cycle shop fo epais etc and a ange of cafes, estauants and accommodation to suit diffeent budgets. Community goups and Agyll and the Isles Entepise ae stongly suppotive and see touist infastuctue development locally a pioity. The scale of foests means that any use conflicts can and have been easily esolved though zoning. The aea is a Scottish cente fo sufing and a UK cente fo sea kayaking. Thee is coss-ove between these spots enthusiasts. When conditions don't allow sufing/kayaking enthusiasts ide bikes. 12. Kilmichael As Knapdale Facility development has been caied out aleady in Kilmichael in concet with Mid Agyll Cycle Club esulting in appox 5km of excellent single tack. New tails getting alot of use fom local ides and also ides coming in fom outwith the aea. Tail development has stimulated inceased sales of bikes locally. Any futhe developments and incease in visito numbes would be of significant socio-economic benefit to the aea and would be well eceived. 13. Inveay Inveaay has good tanspot links and is a majo touist destination locally. The FD has a deficit of eceation facilities in the Inveaay aea. 8

9 Appendix 3 Kilmichael Knapdale Oban Aea Inveaay Glenbante Glen Coe Aea Dunoon Adgatan Glen Ochy / Cainlaach Tosschs Caon Valley Kelty West Cental Scotland Cycling Feasibility Study Cycling Locations by Foest Distict Cowal and Tossachs Lone Scottish Lowlands West Agyll Foest Distict Boundaies Aan Cown Copyight. All ights eseved. Foesty Commission, GD272388, 2001