Local Access Forums - a guide to good practice

The guidance is intended for:

• members of Local Access Forums
• participants in outdoor access who may become members of their Local Access Forum or who may have dealings with it
• professional staff and access authority members who have the responsibility for guiding and servicing Local Access Forums.

Introduction

The first edition of the Local Access Forums guidance was published in 2002 before most Local Access Forums had been set up. This was replaced with a second edition in 2006, by which time Local Access Forums had a statutory role in helping access authorities to manage outdoor access.  This third edition updates the guidance, taking account of the experiences of those involved in Local Access Forums and including examples of their current practice.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ model for Local Access Forums. Rather, the aim of this guidance is to help Local Access Forums structure their operations to suit the needs of their area.  

Achieving the ideal Forum is neither straightforward nor easy. Local Access Forums, like any other institution, can go through cycles of fluctuating effectiveness and need periodic review and renewal in order to evolve and progress over time. Essential elements include:

• Getting the right people together and encouraging active participation
• Creating the right organisation and cultivating a culture of consensus
• Clarifying the role, tackling the work and keeping the process under review.

Role and status of Local Access Forums

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives the lead role on access management to Scotland’s 32 local authorities and two national park authorities (collectively known as ‘access authorities’).  It also requires each access authority to set up at least one Local Access Forum - an advisory body with a balanced representation of land managers, outdoor access participants, community interests and relevant public agencies.  

The Forum’s role is to give impartial, well-informed and practical advice to the access authority and others, and thereby foster improved understanding, build mutual respect and trust, and help develop consensus about how to manage outdoor access in the interests of everyone.  

Successfully managing outdoor access is central to achieving key national policy objectives for health and wellbeing, sustainable transport, safe and vibrant communities, tourism development, etc.

Relationship with access authority

Local Access Forums have a special kind of relationship with their respective access authorities. Charged with giving impartial advice to the authority and any other person or body who asks, they are nevertheless closely involved with the authority and dependent on it for operational support.

The statutory duty to set up a Forum clearly implies a responsibility on access authorities to ensure that the training and resources essential for the Forum’s effectiveness are in place. Section 25(7) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 states that access authorities may pay Forum members expenses and allowances as they see fit.  Access authorities will need to resource Forums adequately, both individual expenses and Forum operating costs, or risk failing to fulfil their own statutory duty. The investment of resources by the access authority to develop, support and maintain an effective Local Access Forum should be repaid through the Forum’s good decision-making and maximising use of scarce resources for the public benefit.

The Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities on Part 1 Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 expects that in most cases the access authority will provide the secretariat for the Local Access Forum.

The partnership working between the Forum and the access authority should be characterised by active engagement rather than critical distance. This does not mean agreeing about everything, or being the tame servant of the access authority, rather it means agreeing to collaborate on shared objectives. The Forum should offer advice that is realistic and relevant, based on their expertise. The spirit of partnership requires a Local Access Forum to inhabit the same reality as that faced by its access authority while acting as an access champion.

Annex 1 has links to information about 22 Local Access Forums set up by 17 access authorities.

Relationship with National Access Forum

Close liaison is required between Local Access Forums (LAFs) and the National Access Forum (NAF) to identify emerging issues and to disseminate guidance and best practice.  This liaison is facilitated through the LAF representative on the NAF and via annual joint meetings. Annex 2 has links to the agendas and summary notes of recent NAF-LAF meetings.

People

Getting the right people together

A Local Access Forum needs to be large enough to be inclusive, but small enough to be a team. Bear in mind likely attendance levels when deciding on membership numbers e.g. a Forum with 16 members may result in an average attendance of 8-10 people. Exact numerical equality between land manager, outdoor access and community representation is not essential provided there is a balance of interests, as issues will be decided by consensus.

Attracting new Forum members can be done by one or more of the following methods:

• Direct contact to land managers, recreational groups, community organisations and public agencies.
• Local press – articles and/or adverts.
• Leaflets and posters - placed in public buildings to reach the general public or specific places to reach key stakeholders e.g. veterinary surgeries to reach dog walkers, agricultural suppliers to reach land managers and horse riders.
• Dedicated web page on access authority website.
• Social media.

Examples of online information to encourage new Forum members:
Aberdeenshire - join the outdoor access forum
Highland Council - new members wanted for Local Access Forums 
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs Access Forum recruitment
Moray Local Outdoor Access Forum - supporting information for new members
North Lanarkshire Local Outdoor Access Forum

Forum representatives may be chosen in a number of ways ranging from seeking and agreeing nominations through to assessing candidates based on written applications and/or interviews. Strictly speaking, members are appointed to the Local Access Forum by the access authority though they could endorse proposals recommended by the Access Officer. Many access authorities are finding it hard to recruit new Forum members, so approaching and inviting individuals can be a more effective option.    

Examples of Local Access Forum application forms:
Highland Council
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs
Moray

Members of the access authority can be appointed to serve on the Forum. This provides a useful link to the political process and can raise the profile of outdoor access if they are effective ‘access champions’, though raises the need to be clear what interest(s) they are representing.

Local Access Forum members are appointed to represent constituencies of interest and must take active steps to stay in touch with the constituency they represent so that they can convey its views to the Forum.  Members must ensure that they do not promote their own views, pursue their own pet projects or use the Forum to resolve personal issues.

The role and responsibilities of a Forum representative can be promoted by:

• Drawing up a ‘person specification’ and/or ‘job specification’ for Forum vacancies.
• Producing a Code of Practice, Terms of Reference or similar for Forum members.
• Making agendas and minutes publicly available to encourage people to feed their views to their representatives (examples in Annex 1).
• Providing opportunities for members to meet people from the constituencies they represent to discuss matters of interest.

Examples of online information about Local Access Forum members:
Aberdeenshire
Cairngorms 
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs 
Orkney 
West Lothian

Ensuring a common understanding

The remit of the Forum, as set out in the Terms of Reference or Code of Practice, should consider the following items:

• Name and Area – to ensure that the area they serve is clear to the public.
• Equal opportunities – as required by various legislation.
• Roles – drawn from section 25(2) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and any additional appropriate activities.
• Structure – number of representatives for each of the constituencies of interest; substitutions; working groups; communication and involvement of other contacts; provision for reviewing and changing the structure.
• Membership – process for nominations, elections and re-elections; appointment tenure; provisions relating to member rotation to balance continuity and new representation; provisions relating to office-bearers; provisions relating to unsatisfactory attendance or behaviour.
• Meetings – frequency; provisions relating to agendas and minutes; provisions relating to declaration of interests, provisions relating to inviting non-members and/or public attendance; AGM.
• Working groups – remit; membership.
• Contact group – role.
• Communication strategy – protocols for communications within the Forum, with the access authority, with the wider Contact group and with the media and the general public; data. protection considerations; Freedom of Information statement.
• Administration and finance – admin support; training; expenses; payment methods.

Examples of Local Access Forum protocols:
Aberdeenshire Local Outdoor Access Forum Operating Principles
Clackmannanshire Access Forum Partnership Agreement 
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs Local Access Forum Summary Terms of Reference
Highland Council Local Access Forum Code of Conduct 
Orkney Local Access Forum and Countryside Committee Constitution
Perth & Kinross Outdoor Access Forum Terms of Reference 
Shetland Access Forum Partnership Agreement 
West Lothian Local Access Forum Terms of Reference and Standing Orders

Aberdeenshire LOAF used Knowledge Hub (Khub) to share information.
East Lothian LAF has a facebook page to communicate with the public.
Orkney LAF has a news page on its website.

Forum members need core knowledge on:

• Overview of the origins and evolution of outdoor access in Scotland
• Access rights, access authority duties and powers in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act
• Scottish Outdoor Access Code development and content
• Scottish Government guidance to local authorities
• Local Access Forums functions and role
• National Access Forum constitution and role

The access authority staff can provide this information through presentations and information packs.  The Outdoor Access Scotland website provides a wealth of information on the access legislation, Scottish Outdoor Access Code, access management, resources to promote responsible access and education resources. There is also a section on the National Access Forum history and achievements, meeting papers and guidance documents and contact information for access authorities, recreation organisations and other organisations with access interests.  Access-related training courses (in-person and online modules), networking events and good practice advice are provided by the Scottish Outdoor Access Network, Walking Scotland (formerly Paths for All), recreation organisations such as the British Horse Society and others.  

Orkney LAF website has a Useful links and resources web page, NAF meeting updates web page and NAF summary of joint meeting web page – albeit needing updating. 
Other Forums provide updates from the National Access Forum at their meetings, with West Lothian providing links to NAF minutes and guidance in their meeting records.

Local Access Forum members should be encouraged to share their knowledge, skills and experience with other members e.g. land management, recreation and visitor management.

Newly-recruited Forum members would benefit from a structured induction and mentoring programme from existing Forum members, supported by the Access Officer. Site visits can be a good way to build practical knowledge and understanding, as can participating in cross-boundary meetings with other Local Access Forums and attending NAF-LAF joint meetings. Specific issues may bring up the need for training on particular topics (e.g. rights of way, wildlife disturbance) or with particular organisations (e.g. police). There should be a commitment to continuous learning and development, and to re-evaluating training needs as the Forum membership changes over time.

West Lothian Council issues member packs containing relevant guidance to all Full Members and provides presentations on the access legislation and role of the Local Access Forum, as detailed in Decision Record 2 May 2023. Training opportunities over the subsequent year included online workshop on the Scottish Outdoor Recreation Alliance (which was recorded for those not able to join the live event), examples of SOAC-compliant and non-compliant signage and a visit to National Path Demonstration Site at Oatridge College.

Organisation

Getting the right structure

Geography and capacity are two key factors in determining the right structure for the Forum.  Considerations and options include:

• Multiple forums – where the geographic area is very large and is divided into administrative areas served by Area Committees e.g. Highland Council area.
• Rotating meeting venues across the Forum area.
• Holding hybrid or fully online meetings.
• Using topic or area-based working groups for specific tasks or purposes on a time-limited or permanent basis.
• Involving participation from a wider group of contacts – based on information dissemination (e.g. meeting minutes, briefing papers, newsletters) and opportunities for involvement (e.g. feedback mechanisms, questionnaires, working groups, annual event).

Aberdeenshire has five online meetings a year and occasional special meetings or site visits.
Argyll & Bute has three in-person meetings a year at different venues.
East Lothian has two online meetings and two in-person meetings a year.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs run hybrid meetings with the option to attend online or in-person.
Moray has a Contact Group email list for those who’d like to keep in touch or get more involved.
Perth & Kinross has a Forum Contact Group who are invited to open meetings.
West Lothian has Corresponding Members including Police Scotland and Forestry & Land Scotland.

The structure should be reviewed and, if appropriate, revised to reflect changing needs and circumstances of the Forum.

Highland Council established six Local Access Forums in 2004, matching Access Officer’s areas.  Meeting frequency has been reduced from four to two a year to reflect workload and resource requirements, and the annual pan-Highland Access Forum was discontinued in 2009. Reviews were undertaken in 2011-12, 2017 and 2024 to consider re-structuring the Forums to reflect reduced Access Officer numbers and resources. See Highland LAF Review Briefing note 2024 (PDF 588KB). Recruitment for vacant seats is undertaken as part of the periodic reviews.

Cairngorms LOAF considered a paper in February 2024: Reviewing and refreshing the Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum. Feedback was that group can be daunting to join and misconception that a good all-round knowledge was required to be a member. Suggestions included inviting new people from varying backgrounds, induction periods and meeting in social capacity outwith meetings once a year.

Leadership and participation

The achievement of good leadership and the development of a culture of participation are interdependent objectives which will take time and effort to realise.  

All members of the Forum should be eligible to chair the Forum or take on any other leadership roles.  Members of the access authority and officers of the authority or other public agencies must clearly separate any leadership role in the Forum from their role in the authority or other public agency.  Where leadership skills are not already present in the Forum membership, these can be developed over time e.g. through working groups. 

A good Chair must be organised, impartial and diplomatic. Consideration should be given to rotating the Chair between the four constituencies of interest.  Leadership is more than just chairmanship, and all the necessary leadership skills may not be found in one person.  Opportunities should be taken to harness other members’ qualities of imagination, energy and drive that can make the Forum come alive, be fun to be part of and effective in operation.

Some Forums have a Vice-Chair or Vice Convener (e.g. Aberdeenshire, Perth & Kinross, West Lothian), providing cover if the Chair is unavailable and sharing the leadership responsibilities.

Forum meetings should be based on the following principles:

• Everyone’s views should be listened to and taken on board.  Participative techniques can help facilitate this, such as splitting up into small groups to encourage the expression of views.
• There should be a willingness on all sides to be flexible.
• The focus should be on identifying community needs and optimising efforts to satisfy these.
• Forums are there to give advice and offer assistance, not to take decisions or adjudicate in disputes.

Pre-conditions for effective participation in Forum meetings include:

• Timing and location – to suit members’ circumstances and take account of travel logistics including public transport options.
• Comfort and convenience – accessible for those with mobility issues; induction loop; spacious; well-lit; good heating and ventilation; refreshments.
• Engagement and equality – layout that encourages equal opportunity to talk.
• Information and resources – agenda and papers disseminated timeously; paper maps available or maps projected onto a screen; library of online and/or hard copy of resources.

Achieving active participation at meetings is dependent on:

• Preparation – opportunities for members to raise items for agenda or discussion; realistic and achievable agendas; ordering agendas so that the most important items can be concluded.
• Chairing techniques – ensuring all members are involved in discussions e.g. asking each member in turn for ideas on an issue; brainstorming ideas to generate new angles on a topic; using maps and voting cards to contribute ideas on physical proposals; small group discussions and reporting back to the full Forum.
• Management of business – careful time-keeping; reaching clear conclusions and/or actions to be taken and by whom; regular reporting back.

The process of team building requires a high level of sustained effort. It needs to be supported as a prime work objective in its own right by the access authority and its staff.

Conflict is likely to arise at some point within the Forum, and this needs to be managed using the following principles:

• Recognise signs of conflict – can be manifested as overt and plainly stated, attacking something peripheral, going quiet or stopping coming to meetings.
• See it as an opportunity rather than a problem – listening to alternative ideas and handling them properly can help resolve issues.
• Clarify the issues – the priority is to listen and understand, cutting through the emotion and grasping the rational core of what is being said, distinguishing real and perceived issues.
• Focus on issues not personalities – discussion must address the specific problem that has been raised and explore the means of resolving it, without apportioning blame or talking in terms of right and wrong.
• Ensure full participation – the aim should be to demonstrate that an issue for one is an issue for all and that there is a collective will to find a solution, if necessary facilitated by someone other than the regular Chair.
• Get a fresh perspective – those less intimately affected by the issue may offer different thinking and solutions; facing up to a conflict is an opportunity to encourage the creativity of the Forum.
• Keep coming back to first principles – reminder of Forum’s role and members’ responsibilities; may require investing time and effort to work through disagreements to achieve results for the good of all.

Cultivating a culture of consensus

Consensus is neither the will of the majority nor mere compromise. It is the result of an active commitment to take the time to find best outcomes. Decisions reached by consensus are high quality decisions.  The decision-making process requires each member to:

• Prepare their own position prior to the meeting, while realising that missing pieces will be supplied by other members.
• Recognise an obligation to express their view and explain it fully, so that everyone has the benefit of all members’ thoughts.
• Listen to the views of all the other members and be ready to modify their own position on the basis of logic and understanding.
• Avoid conflict-inducing techniques such as voting, compromising or giving in ‘to keep the peace’.
• Realise that differences of opinion are helpful because, in exploring differences, the best course of action will become apparent.

The process concludes when a solution emerges that everyone does not just accept but actively supports. It will often be obvious when this point has been reached, from body language and the words people choose to express their agreement.  A gradient of agreement scale, such as that below, can be used to help reveal where Forum members really stand on a difficult issue:

1. Endorsement (‘I like it’)
2. Agreement with minor reservations (‘I basically like it’)
3. Agreement with stronger reservations (‘I can live with it’)
4. Abstention (‘I have no opinion’)
5. Minor disagreement (‘I don’t like this, but I don’t want to hold up the group’)
6. Formal disagreement but willing to go with the majority (‘I want my disagreement noted but I’ll support the decision’)
7. Formal disagreement with request to be absolved of responsibility (‘I don’t want to stop anyone else but I don’t want to have anything to do with it’)
8. Opposition (‘I would veto this proposal’)

According to the distribution of members along the gradient, the Forum can decide how to proceed.  The first three levels indicate agreement with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and if all the members place themselves in this zone the Forum will probably feel able to conclude that an acceptable level of consensus has been reached.  Level 4 is non-committal, while levels 5 and 6 indicate some unhappiness but not enough to stop members supporting the decision. If most members place themselves in the top three levels and only a few place themselves here, it may still be judged possible to go ahead. If most members place themselves here and only a few in the top three levels, the conclusion will almost certainly be that more talk is needed.  Levels 7 and 8 unequivocally represent lack of agreement, and if any members place themselves here it will not be possible to say that consensus has been reached.

Some factors that will influence the judgements made using the gradient of agreement scale will be the overall importance of the outcome, the expected longevity of the decision, the complexity of the issue, the need for stakeholder support and the stage reached in building group cohesion.

As the Forum’s basic function is to help others reach decisions, sometimes the best way to help is simply to transmit information and a range of opinions without actually making a recommendation.

Work

Clarifying the role

The Forum needs to set down in writing what it is going to do and how it is going to go about it.  The functions laid down in section 25(2) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 must be the foundation of the Forum’s activities:

1. Carrying out its own statutory functions:

Advising the access authority and any other person or body who consults it on
(i) the exercise of access rights
(ii) the existence and delineation of rights of way
(iii) the drawing up and adoption of the Core Paths Plan (section 25)

Offering and, where accepted, giving advice to parties in dispute about
(i) the exercise of access rights
(ii) the existence and delineation of rights of way
(iii) the drawing up and adoption of the Core Paths Plan
(iv) the use of core paths (section 25)

2. Acting as a statutory consultee on:

• Proposed Exemption Orders lasting 6 or more days (section 11)
• Proposed byelaws (section 12)
• Proposed Core Paths Plans (section 18).

It is legitimate for Forums to define broader roles for themselves provided these are justified by the contribution they will make to the achievement of the core statutory functions, such as:

Helping the access authority perform its functions:

• Publicising the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (section 10)
• Exempting land from access rights for less than 6 days (section 11)
• Deciding the need for byelaws (section 12)
• Upholding access rights (section 13)
• Dealing with prohibition signs, obstructions, impediments, etc. (section 14)
• Measures for safety, protection, guidance and assistance (section 15)
• Acquisition of land to facilitate the exercise of access rights (section 16)
• Preparing the Core Paths Plan (section 17)
• Maintaining core paths (section 19)
• Reviewing and amending the Core Paths Plan (section 20)
• Making path agreements (section 21)
• Making path orders (section 22)
• Restoring rights of way or core paths after ploughing (section 23)

Offering local leadership:

• Raising awareness and widening involvement
• Promoting better communication between disparate groups
• Sharing good practice, experience and information
• Helping shape the Outdoor Access Strategy
• Advising on projects, e.g. path building, signage, priorities, etc.
• Liaising with local communities and police on path design and management issues in relation to community safety.

Contributing to the national access effort:

• Responding to consultations e.g. forestry strategy, etc.
• Informing the National Access Forum and NatureScot of significant issues requiring national action e.g. the effectiveness of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

These broader roles can help Forum members stay motivated and feel that their contribution of time and energy is making a difference.

Project management should not feature in statements of roles and remits, though Forums should expect to advise on projects and there are other ways in which Forums can have a connection with ‘real’ work on the ground.

Tackling the work

The work of the Forum is both proactive (e.g. Core Path Plan preparation and review) and reactive (e.g. requests for advice about the exercise of access rights).  Managing this effectively requires the Forum to:

• Draw up a work programme to prioritise and handle the proactive tasks – influenced by the access authorities’ duties but not dictated by the access authority or its Access Officer; making best use of the Forum’s limited time and resources.
• Take steps to anticipate and plan for the reactive tasks so far as possible – using members’ knowledge about access issues, information from consultations, etc. Basic principles should be established for dealing with recurring issues of similar type. There is also a need to avoid getting bogged down in single issues of limited relevance to the wider access picture.
• Create mechanisms for responding to the unpredictable e.g. delegating some level of authority to the Forum Chair, named Forum members or a Working Group to act for the Forum between scheduled meetings.

West Lothian minutes 23-01-2024 has Workplan Discussion as an agenda item.
Perth & Kinross has four Working Groups: Exemptions and obstructions, Water issues, Camping issues, Forestry.
West Lothian currently has two Forum subgroups: SOAC in the Classroom, Control of Dogs.

The Forum Chair and Access Officer must collaborate closely, while giving autonomy to the Forum to control its own agenda.

East Lothian Local Access Forum Chair meets with the Access Officer on a monthly basis.

Other public agencies, land managers, access organisations and the public at large can also be customers for the Forum’s advice, and the Forum needs to understand objectives and engage constructively with each of them in a spirit of partnership.

Moray Local Outdoor Access Forum web page has a link for people to Report Access Issues.

Giving advice on the exercise of access rights, and helping with disputes arising out of the exercise of access rights in general or the use of core paths in particular, are likely to be key tasks of the Forum. This is a challenging role requiring knowledge, good judgement and diplomacy, and the Forum should have standard procedures for dealing with such requests for advice or assistance with disputes, for example:

• Request process – requests in writing for transparency and accountability; judgements made on priorities, potential wider implications and Forum member involvement.
• Establish the facts – applying a calm mind and a clear eye to the situation, separating perceived from actual reality and playing the ‘honest broker’; site visits and/or meetings with the parties involved to establish the facts.
• Appropriate discussion – sufficient to ensure that the Forum can give sound advice.
• Responses – in writing for transparency and accountability.
• Record keeping – records will be a valuable resource for the Forum and help ensure consistency; the Forum’s proceedings should be open to public scrutiny while protecting anonymity of those consulting the Forum.

In practice, the extent to which a Local Access Forum provides advice to the access authority and others will depend on the knowledge, experience and capacity of both the Access Officer and of the Forum members.  

East Lothian Council Access Officer greatly values the snippets of advice and feedback based on Forum member’s experience e.g. a visually-impaired member pointing out how dangerous a bollard could be in a particular location, a horse-rider pointing out that a bridle gate that opens towards a restricted space isn’t suitable.

Celebrating achievements

It is important for the Forum to celebrate its achievements in order to:

• Acknowledge the efforts and results achieved by Forum members, thus reinforcing the motivation of individual members and giving a boost to their sense of team spirit.
• Recognise the contributions of partners, share the credit and thus build stronger working relationships which will deliver benefits in the future.
• Demonstrate effectiveness and credibility of the Forum, and thus justify the support it receives from a range of people, organisations and agencies.
• Raise public awareness of access, strengthen the public profile of the Forum and move access up the political agenda.
• Deliver tangible benefits and catch people’s imagination, and so motivate new people to get involved and thereby increase the pool of skills and experience available to the Forum in the future.

Newsletters, annual reports, annual conferences, press releases and launch events are all means of promoting the role and profile of the Forum through its achievements.

Clackmannanshire reports on the work and achievements of the Forum at its AGM which is open to members of the public: Clackmannanshire Access Forum AGM draft note 19 February 2019.
West Lothian Terms of Reference says that the yearly actions of the Forum will be reported at the first Forum meeting in each calendar year.

It is important to remember that Forum members are volunteers rather than paid staff, and people will only be motivated to offer themselves as Forum members and sustain their involvement over time if they find the experience satisfying and worthwhile.

Keeping things under review

It is essential to undertake a rigorous critique of activities and progress to ensure ongoing success.  The Forum should do this by asking itself questions like those below about its performance in the stages of that process:

Involvement and Representation

• Are all access interests adequately represented in the Forum?
• Do we need more skills or experience in the Forum or Contact Group?
• Have we got everyone interested in access in our Contact Group?

Leadership and Participation

• Have we developed independent leadership from within the Forum?
• Does everyone participate equally in the meetings?
• Are our approaches to ensuring wider participation working?

Role and Remit

• Have our procedures worked effectively?
• Are our resources sufficient for our activities?

Teamwork and Consensus

• Are we focused on collective effort to improve access for all?
• Have we had conflict and how well did we handle it?
• Have we mastered the skill of decision-making by consensus?

Partnership and Progress

• Do we work well with the access authority? If not, why not?
• Have we established a clear role for the Forum in the local scene?
• Have we achieved what we set out to achieve? If not, why not?
• Have we achieved something else?

Profile and Direction

• Is the Forum independent, respected and trusted?
• Does it have a close relationship with Community Planning?
• What changed over the last period, either locally or in the wider scene?
• What changes can we see ahead?
• How do these affect our priorities and work programme?

It is good practice to have regular annual reviews. Reviews can also be undertaken in response to specific circumstances such as a significant change or completion of a major piece of work.

Cairngorms considered a paper on Reviewing and refreshing the Cairngorms Local Outdoor Access Forum at their meeting on 21 February 2024.

A refreshed focus

Many Forums have seen declining membership and attendance, particularly by public agency staff, land manager representatives and also community representatives. This can create an imbalance of interests on the Forum, add to the workload of existing members and risks the Forum not being able to function effectively.

Loch Lomond & the Trossachs Local Access Forum discussed various concerns including progress with recruitment with National Park Authority access staff at their meetings in 2024. Setting milestones is a key step to managing expectations and prioritising workloads.

Following the completion of key work such as drawing up the Core Path Plan, Forums have been involved in a range of tasks including:

• Core Path Plan revisions
• Access issues (e.g. locked gates; signage wording; householder privacy; unauthorised vehicle access; railway crossings)
• Rural crime (e.g. livestock worrying)
• Consultations (e.g. s11 exemptions, byelaws, path diversions, Local Development Plan, Local Place Plan, Active Travel Plan, Outdoor Access Strategy)
• Updates on local path projects and access infrastructure improvements
• Accessibility issues (e.g. motorbike barriers, stiles, vegetation, path surface)
• Path maintenance arrangements and issues
• Planning issues (e.g. new housing developments; windfarm developments; powerline developments; forestry, sustainable transport).

There is the risk however that Forums can lose their focus and that Forum meetings become solely a series of updates on access issues and infrastructure projects rather than also providing their intended independent advisory role. This in turn can lead to de-motivation of Forum members and not make the best use of Access Authorities’ resources.

Ideas to reinvigorate Forums could include:

• NatureScot to create a web page with a library of resources for Forum members and others on the Outdoor Access Scotland website.
• Include training needs on Forum meeting agendas and proactively seek, provide and promote learning opportunities e.g. organising Forum site visits, one or two Forum members accompanying Access Officer on site visits, visiting Walking Scotland’s (formerly Paths for All’s) National Path Demonstration Site, inviting experts on particular topics to meetings. As well as access-related training, consider the need for developing other skills e.g. chairing meetings, communications (social media, blogs, media interviews).
• Produce an annual work programme, identifying and prioritising some specific proactive tasks or particular areas to focus on that add value.  Consider if there are new areas of work that the Forum could get involved with e.g. promotion of responsible access.
• Provide advice on key access issues to keep members interested and motivated.
• Set up Working Groups to progress specific tasks between meetings.
• Forum Chair and access authority contact to have a regular catch-up between meetings.  Specific actions could include development of induction packs and training programmes for new members, drafting of annual workplan, communications plan, etc.
• Establish direct communication channels with specific organisations for consultations.
• Produce and publicise an annual record of achievements.
• Collate examples of achievements to help with recruitment.
• Develop the role of the Contact Group to assist the work of the Forum and potentially provide a pathway to recruit new Forum members.
• Develop closer working relationship with local path groups, countryside trusts, community development trusts and/or community councils to provide strategic oversight of and support for path audits, path maintenance, accessibility improvements, etc.
• Hold an annual meeting or conference open to members of the public.  
• Attend relevant local annual events (e.g. agricultural show, gala, highland games).  
• Review meeting frequency and format and if necessary revise to best suit Forum members.
• Invite colleagues from other departments (e.g. Roads team) to provide updates
• Invite Councillor involvement in the Forum if does not already happen.
• Liaise with other Forums and relevant national organisations.
• Set up Knowledge Hub for Forum members across Scotland to communicate online.

Annex 1. Local Access Forum web pages

Below are links to information on Local Access Forums on access authority websites:

Aberdeenshire 
Argyll & Bute 
Cairngorms 
Clackmannanshire 
East Lothian
Highland 

• Caithness
• Sutherland
• Ross and Cromarty
• Skye and Lochalsh
• Inverness and Nairn
• Lochaber

Inverclyde 
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
Moray 
North Lanarkshire 
Orkney 
Perth & Kinross 
Scottish Borders 
Shetland
South Ayrshire 
Stirling 
West Lothian

Contact details are also available on the Local Access Forums page of the Outdoor Access Scotland website.

Annex 2. National Access Forum and Local Access Forums joint meetings  

Agenda and Summary Note - 20 March 2024
Programme and Summary Note - 26 April 2023
Programme and Summary Note - 25 November 2021
Programme - 26 March 2021
Summary note and Programme Improving NAF-LAF Network - 5 April 2019
Summary Note - 16 March 2018
Summary Note - 17 March 2017

NAF paper - Activity of Local Access Fora - September 2018 
NAF paper - NAF-LAF joint meeting 2019 - feedback from LAFs

Annex 3.  Key sources of further guidance

Participation handbook - National Standards for Community Engagement (Scottish Government, 2024)

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) - Good Governance

Publication information

3rd edition June 2025 (1st edition 2002, 2nd edition 2006). To be reviewed by June 2028.
Produced by NatureScot and approved by the National Access Forum.