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Description
The southern farmland plateau extends eastwards from the urban areas. The area comprises gently undulating landscape, within which farming and some woodland areas provide the main land use. The Glasgow to Edinburgh cycle route crosses through the northern end of the area. There is also a number of woodland areas, including some which are part of the 'Walkers Welcome' scheme. |
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Key Issues
Whilst there are some key claimed rights of way in the area, there is no coherent network of routes. Like the Clyde Valley, and the northern farmland area, the area is potentially important for providing opportunities for rural recreation, although for different reasons. The potential of the area is not widely recognised at the moment. There is scope to make more of the environment which it offers through improving signage and making more information available.
Action Area Vision
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Realising the potential of the area for recreation, whilst balancing user demands with land manager concerns about access. |
Priorities
Work already undertaken by the Central Scotland Countryside Trust to make woodlands more accessible should be continued. This might be achieved through ensuring that these areas are clearly signposted on the area's key routes. Further promotion and provision of information will help to raise awareness of the opportunities for recreation offered by these areas. Links into Forest Enterprise holdings at Southrigg, Wester Dunsyston, West Benhar and Mossband could be formalised, to add to the overall provision of access in the area. Links could also be made into South Lanarkshire, by improving and providing routes that pass through areas of private woodland.
In terms of recreation opportunities, this area has considerable potential for extensive networks of access provision particularly suited to the needs of cyclists and horse riders. The Central Scotland Countryside Trust has already started to explore the potential for a network of medium distance routes. These should make use of existing forestry tracks, minor roads and where appropriate, farm tracks. The network should tie into existing long distance routes and provide a connection with local settlements. They should be multi-purpose, suited to use for recreation, community, etc., and could link into the local network of rural railway stations to encourage visitors from further afield to use the area.
It is important that meeting user needs is balanced by the need to address potential conflict with land manager interests in the area. Providing access to the countryside in urban fringe areas that are farmed can often result in problems for land managers as a result of irresponsible or ill-informed actions on the part of the public. Access to private woodland would best be developed in partnership with the landowners. Local land managers should therefore be encouraged to play a more active role in access management.
Information, signage and interpretation could be used more effectively in helping to reduce uncertainty for managers, visitors and local people alike. Experiences from other areas have shown that friendly, positive signage can be a good tool for land managers. People can be asked not to cross fields, but the reasons for this can also be explained more clearly through signage.
Implementation
- North Lanarkshire Council should build on its policy commitment to healthy transport working in partnership with relevant agencies to explore mechanisms and funding for implementing traffic calming schemes on minor roads in the area as a means of facilitating access
- Land managers should be encouraged to play a role within the Local Access Groups. From this partnership, it can be anticipated that a stronger relationship between land managers and communities can be built, with a view to encouraging a balanced approach to access.
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