Lochore Meadows Country Park - WhatDoTheyKnow

Lochore Meadows Country Park

Masterplan Update

April 2013

Master Plan Update

Fife Council

Lochore Meadows Country Park Master Plan:

Update April 2013

April 2013

13 Coates Crescent

Edinburgh EH3 7AF

Telephone: 0131 220 6121 Facsimile: 0131 220 6131

Email: [email protected] Website: www.naturalcapital.co.uk

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.naturalcapital.co.uk/

Master Plan Update

Fife Council

Lochore Meadows Country Park Master Plan:

Update April 2013

For and on behalf of Natural Capital Ltd Approved by: Dr Phil Say

Signed: Position: Director Date: April 2013

This report has been prepared by Natural Capital Ltd. with all reasonable skill, care and diligence within the terms of the Contract with the client, incorporating our General Terms and Conditions of Business and taking account of the resources devoted to it by agreement with the client. We disclaim any responsibility to the client and others in respect of any matters outside the scope of the above. This report is confidential to the client and we accept no responsibility of whatsoever nature to third parties to whom this report, or any part thereof, is made known. Any such party relies on the report at their own risk. In line with our company environmental policy we purchase paper for our documents only from suppliers who supply recycled and/or sustainably sourced paper. Registered Office: Natural Capital Ltd, 3 Ormidale Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 6DY. Registered in Scotland. No: 185394

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 BACKGROUND 1 1.2 PURPOSE OF THE UPDATE 1 1.2.1 Access and Masterplan Context 1 1.2.2 Masterplan Drawing Update 1

2 MASTERPLAN UPDATE 3 2.1 MASTERPLAN DRAWINGS 3 2.1.1 Development Plan: Masterplan 3 2.1.2 Development Plan: Conservation Use 5 2.1.3 Development Plan: Recreational Use 5 2.2 FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE MASTERPLAN 7 2.2.1 Introduction 7 2.2.2 Conclusions from the Access and Traffic Management Plan 7 2.2.3 Taking the Masterplan Forward 7

Master Plan – Update Lochore Meadows Country Park

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND The objectives of the current assignment, established at a workshop held with Councillors on 21st September 2012 and subsequently in a follow up scoping meeting with Council Officers on the 10th October 2012, were to:

1. Complete a detailed Masterplan of the Park; 2. As input to this Masterplan undertake a traffic and transport feasibility study

that would cover access into and means of transport across the Park, especially with reference to access issues into and across the Park from the west end (ensure that access roads and linkages are included in the Masterplan);

3. Produce a Business Plan that will underpin the Masterplan and act as a delivery mechanism – within this to identify revenue generating activities that can be started as a matter of priority;

4. Develop discrete ‘sub-plans’ for the ‘Eco-bunkhouse’ and ‘Eco-camping’ initiatives within the Business Plan; and

5. Develop a draft customised ‘ready to go’ web-site for the Country Park. Budget was made available for the completion of the first two objectives and these are the subject of this report.

1.2 PURPOSE OF THE UPDATE 1.2.1 Access and Masterplan Context The ‘seeds’ for the above objectives can be traced back to the development plan produced for the Country Park by Natural Capital in November 2008. In this plan there were a number of discrete Strategic Action Plans (SAPs) together with Topic Action Plans (TAPs) recommended. Within the SAPs the following are directly relevant to Objectives 1, 3 and 5 above:

• SAP2 – To Develop a Masterplan for the Park for Future Development; • SAP3 – To Ensure that Funding is Available to Deliver the Plan; and • SAP4.3 – Revamp the Lochore Meadows Country Park web site.

Within the TAPs the following are directly relevant to Objectives 2 and 4:

• TAP1.3 – Improve access and where possible transport links into the Country Park from the west end (Kelty);

• TAP2.2 – Carry out a design study for developing an overnight camping, camper van, caravanning facility; and

• TAP2.3 – Carry out design study for ‘eco-designed’ zero carbon bunkhouse.

1.2.2 Masterplan Drawing Update A number of the key elements of the Masterplan (specified in the Development Plan) include those listed in the following table (they are presented with an indication of their current status):

Natural Capital Ltd 1 Fife Council

Master Plan – Update Lochore Meadows Country Park

Element Completed? Comments Map of key constraints indicating ‘no go’ areas (protected by either various designations or by their natural or cultural heritage value)

This has proved useful in identifying areas where future development would best be avoided and has been used to inform the Access Options Report

Zoned areas for sporting activities, nature conservation/biodiversity value, recreational value, educational value etc

This has helped to clarify the importance of parts of the loch and country park for particular functions. This too has helped to inform the Access Options Report

Preferred areas for any new build This has helped to focus in on areas that would be suitable for future developments

Key land tenures (e.g. leasing etc) This has helped to identify other areas where there may be a constraint for future planned use

A number of critical elements for a Masterplan drawing are now in place and to complete it the remaining gaps would be to:

• complete a traffic and access feasibility study; and• use this study to determine draft access points into the Country Park from

the west end and potential access roads through the site and include thesewithin the Masterplan drawing.

The Access Options Report has been completed and previously submitted to the Council for consideration. Information has been taken from that study and used to inform the revised version of the Masterplan drawing.


Master Plan Update Lochore Meadows Country Park

2 MASTERPLAN UPDATE

2.1 MASTERPLAN DRAWINGS 2.1.1 Development Plan: Masterplan Figure 1 shows the revised main Masterplan drawing. This drawing presents the following information:

• The range of existing site designations and uses, including: o Areas of archaeological significance; o Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs); o Listed Buildings; o Fife Wildlife Sites; o Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC)

or Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS); o Bird Hide; o Golf Course; and o Equestrian Centre.

• Locations of the main Access and Traffic Management Options (taken

from the Grontmij report), including: o Option 1 – Hill Road Access; o Option 2 – Benarty Road Access; and o Option 3 – Southern Access.

• Location of the Key Development Proposals:

o The Eco-Bunk House; and o The Eco-Campsite.

This drawing shows the three principle access options in the context of the key natural and cultural heritage constraints. Some immediate observations that can be made with regard to the access and traffic management options in relation to the constraints are: Option 1 – Hill Road Access

• This road option would clip the top end of Harran Hill Wood and would impact on the Ladath Stripe bridleway path (see Photograph 1). This would have implications for a Core Path bordered by woodland and meadows (see Photograph 2).

• It is likely to involve the removal of trees and shrubs when widening the existing path or track.

• It would then have to descend through the Harran Hill to Lochore House Site of Regional Archaeological Importance. This would have implications for a site noted for its Rig and Furrow formations.

• It would then join the track descending from the Pit Road down into the Park centre.

Option 2 – Benarty and Pit Roads

• Much of this option would follow existing roads (Benarty and Pit Roads) into the Park before descending on the same track from the Pit Road into the Park centre.


Crown Copyright, all rights reserved: 2011. Licence Number: 0100031673

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Development Plan: Masterplan

Figure 1: Lochore Country Park Masterplan

DRAWN BY: CHECKED BY: DATE:

AG PS 18.04.2013

Traffic - Option 1

Traffic - Option 2c

Traffic - Option 3c

Access & Traffic Management Options

Key:

LMCP Boundary

Pilgrim Path (conceptual location)

Eco-Campsite

Bunk House

Development Proposals

Existing Site Designations and Uses

Listed Building

!( Bird Hide

Fife Wildlife SItes

SINC

Area of Archaeological Significance

Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM)

Equestrian Centre Nick Brown

Equestrian Centre

Fife Golf Trust

Car Park

Harran HillWoods

Loch Ore

MossIsland

TodIsland

WhaupIsland

Aitken Fields

The C

lune

OutdoorEducationCentre

GolfCourse

Castle

Park Entrance

Kelty

Ballingry

Crosshill

Lochore

ParkCentre

PitHead

ChapelField

KeltyCar Park

Bird Hide

RidingStables

Option 1:Hill Road Access

Option 2c:Benarty Road Access

Option 3c:Southern Access


Photograph 1 Ladath Stripe Bridleway

Photograph 2 Meadow and Ancient Hedgerow Bordering Ladath Stripe



• It would likely involve the removal of some trees and shrubs when

widening. • It would not create a major impact on any features of natural or cultural

heritage importance. Southern Access

• This would enter the site by way of the Kelty Car Park entrance but then has to cross the main area of nature conservation interest before joining the Benarty and Pit Road option (see Photograph 3).

• It would likely involve the removal of semi-natural willow car and woodland and impact on stream and fen vegetation (see Photograph 4).

• It would encroach closely to areas of bird watching interest including one of the main hides.

2.1.2 Development Plan: Conservation Use Figure 2 shows the areas of main natural and cultural heritage conservation use in relation to the two main development opportunities (Eco-Bunkhouse and Eco-Campsite) and the three main access and traffic management options. Some immediate observations that can be made with regard to both the development options and the access and traffic management options are: Development Options

• Both the eco-bunkhouse and eco-campsite would be well located in terms of minimising any potential direct impacts on features of conservation importance. Neither would be positioned to create direct conflicts with these interests.

• The eco-campsite would be located in an area that would provide good access for those interested in taking advantage of the nature conservation interests of the western end of Loch Ore.

Access and Traffic Management Options

• Of the three options under consideration Option 2 – Benarty and Pit Road is the one that demonstrates the least potential impact on, or conflict with the main areas of conservation use within the Park.

• The other two options would both pass directly through areas of both ‘key’ and ‘high’ conservation use.

2.1.3 Development Plan: Recreational Use Figure 3 shows the areas of main recreational use in relation to the two main development opportunities (Eco-Bunkhouse and Eco-Campsite) and the three main access and traffic management options. Some immediate observations that can be made with regard to both the development options and the access and traffic management options are: Development Options

• Both development options would be well located to take advantage of the recreational opportunities provided by the Park. In particular the eco-bunkhouse would be in the centre of the areas of ‘key’ and ‘high’ recreational use.


Conservation - Key Use

Conservation - High Use

Conservation - Medium Use


Traffic - Option 1

Traffic - Option 2c

Traffic - Option 3c

Key:


LMCP Boundary

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Development Plan: Conservation Use

Figure 2: Conservation Use and Traffic Options


AG PS 18.04.2013

Conservation Use

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Bunk House

Eco-Campsite



Photograph 3 Main Area of Conservation Interest at West End of Loch Ore

Photograph 4 Semi-Natural Willow Car at West End of Loch Ore


Recreational - Key Use

Recreational - High Use

Recreational - Medium Use


Traffic - Option 1

Traffic - Option 2c

Traffic - Option 3c

Key:


LMCP Boundary

0 200 400 600 800m


Development Plan: Recreatonal Use

Figure 3: Recreational Use and Traffic Options


AG PS 18.04.2013

Recreational Use

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Bunk House

Eco-Campsite



Access and Traffic Management Options • All three access options would have some potential impacts on paths

that are currently heavily used for walking, cycling and horse riding. Option 1 would impact on the use of Ladath Stripe, Option 2 would potentially impact on the Pit Road and Option 3 on the southern access path through the nature reserve area.

• Option 2 does have sub-options that would offer alternative ways of safeguarding recreational use of the Pit Road as a path.

2.2 FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE MASTERPLAN 2.2.1 Introduction As stated in Section 1.2.2 a number of the critical elements that would make up the Masterlan are now in place. An access and traffic management study has now been completed (previously submitted)) and this can now be used to determine draft access points into the Country Park from the west end, and a preferred option for an access road through the site. When a preferred option has been selected it can be included within the Masterplan drawing. 2.2.2 Conclusions from the Access and Traffic Management Plan The study investigated several options for providing new vehicular access to the visitor centre from the west. The main conclusions drawn from the study were:

• Option 2C (cost £1.1M) and Option 2B (cost £1.4M) were found to perform best in the comparative appraisal. These both would involve use of Benarty Road, with the extra cost of £0.3M being associated with providing an additional path adjacent to the existing Pit Road.

• Although it was found that Option 3 (Southern Access) would provide the opportunity for even better access from the west, it was found to be too expensive and would cause significant environmental impact (in particular negative impacts on the wetland habitats that form the key areas of nature conservation interest).

• The Hill Road (Option 1) was not found to perform as well as either Option 2B or 2C (and also would be likely to generate impacts on semi-natural ancient hedgerow and meadow habitats adjacent to the Ladath Stripe bridleway and footpath).

The concluding recommendation was: ‘….that all options are subject to further consultation within Fife Council to draw out a preferred access strategy. This will be used to inform the future masterplanning of the country park.’ 2.2.3 Taking the Masterplan Forward Once a preferred option is selected for access into, and traffic movement through the Park, then the Masterplan can be worked up into more of a design plan for the future. It is worth re-emphasising the point that the sustainable future of the Country Park and the delivery of the Masterplan and its associated Development Plan would be best integrated with the other key recreation and tourism initiatives going on in the area namely:

• the ‘Living Lomonds’ Landscape Partnership;



• the Junction 4 and St Ninians & Loch Fitty Masterplan – the ‘Fife Earth’ concept; and

• the development of the ‘Pilgrim Way’ long distance path from Dunfermline Abbey to St Andrews Cathedral that will pass through the Park.

This will ensure that all future planning is ‘joined up’ and that there is no inadvertent ‘competition’ between the initiatives for support and investment from diminishing resources. The next steps will be to progress the masterplanning exercise through its logical stages namely to:

• produce a Business Plan that will underpin the Masterplan and act as a

delivery mechanism; • within this stage to identify revenue generating activities that can be

started as a matter of priority; and • within the Business Plan to develop development briefs for each of the

‘Eco-bunkhouse’ and ‘Eco-camping’ initiatives.


Natural Capital Ltd

13 Coates Crescent

Edinburgh

Tel: 0131 220 6121

Fax: 0131 220 6131

Email: [email protected]

EH3 7AF

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Lochore Meadows Country Park - WhatDoTheyKnow