Public Access Strategy - Review & Analysis - North Lanarkshire – Strategic Documents

The following documents discuss access issues related the area of North Lanarkshire as a whole.

North Lanarkshire Council Corporate Plan

The North Lanarkshire Council Corporate Plan sets out the council's broad strategic aims and vision for the future of the area and community services.  The plan states a commitment to developing a Rural Strategy to meet the needs of rural communities with particular focus on access to services and opportunities.

Within the Corporate Plan, the Environmental Strategy suggests there is potential for the integration of alternative modes of transport with existing transport, including cycle routes.  In its Social Strategy, the plan identifies concentrations of socially and economically disadvantaged groups in parts of North Lanarkshire.  The council propose promoting health related fitness and exercise initiatives, in order to counteract poor health trends. Furthermore, it suggests integrated referral systems between health and fitness professionals.  This could be developed positively in relation to access through, for example, linking access with emerging health-based projects.

The North Lanarkshire Council Strategy for Young People notes that improving access (in social as well as physical terms) should form a fundamental part of developing the strategy.  Given the poor health record of North Lanarkshire, a priority is to increase participation in sport and recreation.  Echoing the Corporate Plan, the Strategy makes links between health based projects and access.  Similarly the Strategy notes the importance of ensuring that community facilities help to encourage healthy lifestyles amongst young people by being informal, accessible and inexpensive.  The safety of young people in the community is also set out as a priority by the strategy, which notes the importance of ensuring that environments providing access to education, employment and leisure are safe.

The North Lanarkshire Partnership, Community Plan Consultative Draft, February 2000 aims to develop effective ways of identifying and meeting the needs of North Lanarkshire's communities.  Access related issues are included within themes and challenges identified by the plan.  In terms of health, the plan identifies a particular problem with coronary heart disease, cancer, asthma and other respiratory problems and underlines how environmental conditions can contribute to this.

Delivering Tomorrow, Partnerships for Transportation in North Lanarkshire, provides an overview of the key issues to be addressed by a transport strategy for North Lanarkshire.  Significantly, the strategy places considerable emphasis on walking and cycling as more sustainable forms of transport.  For example, Chapter 3 details the key objectives in delivering a healthy, inclusive and prosperous society.  It outlines the role of transport in contributing to the key themes of community well-being and community safety, through creating safe, accessible and attractive living environments.  The document also notes the need to link transport strategies with wider health initiatives.  The document supports further enhancement of 'Green Networks': networks of sustainable routes for walking and cycling.  It anticipates that such an initiative will have multiple benefits for recreation, wildlife and ecology and the overall image of the area.

'Delivering Tomorrow' also focuses on the need to reduce barriers to access and its role in delivering a prosperous society.  It refers to the creation of an integrated walking, cycling and public transport network and notes the "potential to link to national cycle networks, the Millennium Canal Link and the Paths for All Initiative."  Explicit reference is made to the need to enhance access to employment.

The Cumbernauld Greenspaces strategy provides a policy and promotion framework for more than 300 hectares of the town's open space.  The space is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in such a way as to protect wildlife as well as provide public access.  The strategy notes that there are more than 20 kilometres of footpath within the Greenspaces, which provide important links for walkers and cyclists.  Community and educational use of the space is also promoted in the document.

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