Evaluation of Improving Public Access scheme published

NatureScot has published an evaluation of the Improving Public Access (IPA) scheme.

The aim of the scheme was to improve links and connectivity, path conditions and barrier-free access in rural Scotland, alongside the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) and as part of Scotland’s Rural Development Programme (SRDP). 

The IPA scheme had funding rounds between 2015 and 2018 (none in 2019 or 2020), and in 2021 and 2022 after which the fund was then suspended.

In 2020 a review was undertaken with in-depth quantitative and qualitative analysis of applications, the assessment process, deliverables, and stakeholder views.  The data and evidence gathered in 2020 informed several subsequent improvements to the scheme in 2021 and 2022 as well as making recommendations for any future support mechanisms. 

Stakeholders were found to be supportive of the scheme, in particular the contribution It made in rural areas and its simple design.  Funding for paths and access through rural development funds provided an invaluable mechanism for both ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from being in the outdoors and closer to nature; and gave land managers a mechanism to develop or improve access management on their land and provide public benefits alongside operating a productive land-based business - you can see an example of the impacts of the IPA scheme at the video case study at the bottom of the page.

Quantitative data from the applications submitted and contracts issued in the 2021 and 2022 rounds of the IPA scheme has been added to the analysis of the data that took place initially for the 2015 to 2018 scheme years.

Key outputs from the six years that the scheme ran between 2015 to 2022:

• 451 IPA applications submitted.
• 181 IPA contracts issued with a total value of £12.2 million and mean value of £67.3k.
• Funding covered the following path-related capital items: 
  • 255 km of pathwork, of which 145.3 km unbound path, 85.7 km semi-bound path, 21.8 km upgraded path and 2.3 km boardwalk
  • 70.6 km drainage ditch and 858 culverts
  • 663 directional signs, 488 seats, 298 self-closing gates and 292 information signs 
  • 82 bridges totalling 0.6 km in length 
  • 0.5 km timber aggregate steps 
  • 94.4 km stock fencing and 210 stock gates 
  • 187 trees made safe and 14.8 m brashing to create a safe path corridor.
• £10.4 million IPA contract payments made to date (85% of total contracts value), with a further two contracts totalling £228k to be processed giving maximum payments totalling £10.6 million (87% of total contracts value).
• IPA contracts were issued across Scotland covering 21 local authority areas.

The evaluation found that the most common reason to apply for IPA was to improve access for the local community, followed by providing access as part of a wider project, to provide improved access for visitors and to manage an access issue. A significant number of contracts were on, or linked to, a core path.

IPA contracts covered 21 access authority areas, with larger clusters of projects in Aberdeenshire, Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, East Lothian. This is partly due to applicants successfully submitting projects in subsequent rounds and/or having a number of smaller contracts forming part of a larger collaborative project such as on a long-distance path. It is also likely to be linked to raised levels of awareness of the scheme and levels of success e.g. amongst agents and landowners in one area.

It further identified that funding for paths and access through rural development funds is seen as an invaluable contribution to ensuring the public can benefit from Scotland’s world-class access to the outdoors, whilst providing land managers the means to manage access on their land alongside operating a productive and economically viable business.

Scheme improvements

The evaluation included a range of recommendations broken down into three categories - short-term scheme improvements, key recommendations and longer-term recommendations.

Short-term scheme improvements:

The model for IPA should be improved in the following key areas to enable a new scheme to be launched should funding be made available by Government:

1. Guidance for applicants and contract holders
2. Application process refinements
3. Administration and Assessment processes
4. Fixed cost rate review.

Key recommendation:

The provision of better pre-application guidance and advice for applicants:

• To make the process of designing a path project easier and to a higher and fit for purpose standard.
• To minimise the number of errors in an application and to make application supporting documents easier and quicker to assess.
• To create a dedicated “one stop shop” IPA funding scheme section on the ruralpayments.org website, not mixed in within AECS pages, with enhanced guidance including capital item drawings for guiding construction and installation to meet capital item requirements.
• Provision of a dedicated pre-application advisor to answer queries and advise.
• Provision of either a downloadable map template with a standardised legend; or ideally RP&S web-embedded mapping tool linked to the schedules of work and contract issue. 
• Provision of training, learning and sharing good practice events and opportunities for applicants to learn more about path design and construction.

Longer-term recommendations:

The further development of access funding including consideration of models for:

• Annual path and access management support for lapsed IPA projects (post 5 years)
• Annual path and access management support for other type of existing access or path provision e.g. core paths, National Cycle Network, Scotland’s Great Trails, access authority endorsed paths.
• A revised capital items menu choice with options for smaller-scale, lower-cost access improvements e.g. gates, advisory signs, erosion controls; and options for other path types e.g. upland paths, mountain-bike paths.
• Addition of “greening measures” e.g. wildflower/grass verges, woodland fringes and hedges, as-dug paths option.
• Integration with Forestry Grant Schemes and Woodlands In and Around Towns funding, so that there is one path funding scheme to cover all land-uses.
• Integration with outcome-based approaches for conservation and land management, with an access provision and people management component.
• Use of regional land-use partnerships in deciding funding priorities and distribution in their respective areas e.g. Cairngorms National Park.

Find the full evaluation report including a downloadable version at: Improving Public Access (IPA) scheme evaluations 2015-2022 | NatureScot

You can find an example of how IPA supported access in East Linton where farmers Andrew Hunter and Robert Drysdale talk about how they have benefitted from the Improving Public Access funding scheme at https://vimeo.com/543578222