Public appointment: Member appointed to the Cairngorms National Park Authority

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, today announced the appointment of Jackie Brierton as a Member of the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

Member

Jackie Brierton has been involved in enterprise development for over 30 years and is CEO of rural enterprise organisation, Growbiz Scotland. She is one of Scotland’s Rural College’s entrepreneurs-in-residence and is Co-Chair of Perth and Kinross Business Partnership. She believes that supporting entrepreneurship and enterprise plays an essential role in developing a resilient rural economy.

Appointment

The appointment is for four years from 1 June 2024 until 31 May 2028.

The appointment is regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration and time commitment

The appointment attracts remuneration of £232.67 per day for a time commitment of between a minimum of 32 days and a maximum of 36 days per year.

Other Ministerial appointments

Ms Brierton does not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.

Ms Brierton has had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

Scotland’s National Parks were established by the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 to safeguard areas of outstanding and diverse landscapes, habitats and communities.  They do this by working to co-ordinate the delivery of four main statutory aims:

• to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area;
• to promote the sustainable use of the natural resources of the area;
• to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public; and
• to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities.

This can mean being involved in developing key strategic documents such as:

• the National Park Partnership Plan, which sets out our priorities for the Park’s development in association with partner organisations over a five year period;
• the Local Development Plan, which guides all future development and the use of land.  It acts as a strong catalyst for change and improvement in the area, shaping the environment of the National Park; and
• the Cairngorms Nature Action Plan or the Active Cairngorms Action Plan.

The Parks have statutory planning functions, and the Board makes planning decisions based on the Local Development Plan.  An example of this is the development of the new Cairn distillery outside Grantown on Spey.