Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park celebrates a triple success: firstly as finalists in the Renfrewshire Quality Awards with their ‘Windows on Wildlife’ project; then as part of the ‘Branching Out’ team led by Forestry Commission Scotland that gained the ‘Innovation Award’ in the prestigious Nature of Scotland awards; and becoming a Centre of Excellence for disability sailing.
2012 CSGN FORUM: HOW GREEN NETWORKS MAKE OUR TOWNS AND CITIES LIVABLE
Venue: The Grand Central Hotel, 99 Gordon Street, Glasgow, G1 3SF
This second annual Forum for the CSGN looks at the health and vitality of our major towns and cities and draws inspiration from green infrastructure projects in London, New York and closer to home. As well as some fantastic speakers, conference delegates will be able to learn about 2 of 8 CSGN-funded case study projects. The Forum also provides an opportunity to meet up with colleagues from across the Green Network.
Working in partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland, Central Scotland Forest Trust are recruiting for the posts of "CSGN Woodland Creation Development Officer" and "CSGN Planning and Acquisitions Officer" as fixed-term appointments to work across the CSGN.
In December the Scottish Government published its refreshed Regeneration Strategy “Achieving a Sustainable Future” which set out its vision of a Scotland where our most disadvantaged communities are supported and where all places are sustainable and promote well-being. The role of the CSGN in achieving this vision is noted in the strategy, and a commitment is made to continued support for projects that improve the environment in regeneration areas through the CSGN Development Fund.
Three CSGN local authorities, Fife, North Ayrshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils, have been working with greenspace scotland to develop a framework for producing locally responsive open space standards covering quantity, quality and accessibility. The initial interim report on this work was launched at an SNH Sharing Good Practice event on 31 January 2012.
A workshop in September 2011 with other local authorities to discuss the emerging framework identified a series of next steps which will be addressed during 2012/13. Work will include testing the framework in an urban context and against other approaches; developing guidance; and producing a full report for publication and dissemination.
There is more information about open space standards on the greenspace scotland website.
‘Good Places Better Health for Scotland’s Children’, the Scottish Government’s latest health report, recommends having well maintained and managed public spaces; creating neighbourhoods which support and encourage children's access to the natural world in their everyday lives; and creating a Scottish Neighbourhood Quality Standard that is used as a standard for neighbourhood asset development.
The CSGN, supported by Scottish Natural Heritage, is developing proposals to extend by 2014 the existing John Muir Way which currently runs from Dunbar to Fisherrow in Musselburgh through to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park-Scotland’s first national park and over to Helensburgh. Studies have shown that such a route will prove attractive not only to native Scots but to many abroad, not only in the United States but around the globe where Muir’s name resonates loudly. The economic benefit study shows that with appropriate marketing some 700 jobs could be created over the first five years of the route’s existence with an estimated 9,000 end to end walkers in the first year.