Scottish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020: ex-post evaluation - annex A scheme summary report

8. Improving Public Access

Scheme description

The Improving Public Access (IPA) scheme was a sub-scheme within the larger AECS (see Chapter 1) and was delivered between 2015 to 2022. The IPA scheme was jointly administered by NatureScot and the SG RPID. NatureScot managed the application process and issued contracts while RPID was responsible for processing claims, undertaking inspections, and making payments.

The IPA scheme supported the development of new and upgraded paths in rural Scotland that would cater for a wide range of uses and user groups. More specifically, the IPA scheme aimed to:

• improve links and connectivity.
• improve path conditions.
• improve barrier-free access in rural Scotland.

The IPA scheme ran annual competitive grant funding rounds between 2015 and 2018. There were no funding rounds in 2019 and 2020, and then the scheme ran funding rounds in 2021 and 2022. Under the SRDP 2014-2020 final co-financed payments were made to beneficiaries in 2022 and then the SRDP funded scheme formally closed.

Public expenditure

The IPA scheme was programmed to contribute to Priority 6 (Promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas) and to FA 6B.

A summary of the public expenditure achieved by the IPA scheme is provided in Table 8.1. Under the SRDP 2014-2020 the IPA scheme made final payments to beneficiaries in 2022.

Source: Scottish Government, Annual Implementation Report 2023.

Performance indicators

A summary of the outcomes achieved by the IPA is provided in Table 8.2.

Source: Scottish Government, Annual Implementation Report 2023.

One of three target indicators under FA 6B related to the IPA scheme - the percentage of the rural population benefiting from improved services/infrastructure.

For the IPA this indicator related to support for new and upgraded paths for public use. The AIR 2023 reports that by the end of 2023:

• the projects supported by the IPA scheme had benefited 261,821 people - this is equivalent to 10.82% of the rural population benefiting from improved services/infrastructure.
• the target of 10.14% of the rural population was achieved by the end of 2023.

Scheme evaluation

NatureScot undertook a review of the IPA scheme delivery during 2019-2020. This was with a view to making improvements for the last two years of the scheme and to inform future plans for rural development policy and support more generally.

The scope of IPA scheme review was to: assess the efficiency of the scheme; quantify the achievements delivered through completed IPA contracts; and identify recommendations for IPA as a future option within agricultural/land-use support mechanisms.

The scheme level review involved taking stock of the application and assessment process, quantitative and qualitative analysis of data captured during the application process and in contracts agreed (including any variations), and an assessment of scheme deliverables. It was also informed by stakeholder interviews and surveys, including engagement with NatureScot case officers; RPID area office co-ordinators; National Access Forum; National Farmers’ Union of Scotland (NFU Scotland); IPA contract holders; a land managers survey; and a local authority survey (141 responses were received to the various surveys).

NatureScot updated the IPA review report (June 2024) to incorporate data from the 2021 and 2022 funding rounds and to provide a comprehensive overview of the scheme delivery period as a whole. No additional stakeholder engagement was undertaken to feed into the updated report.

What worked well and/or less well

What worked well:

• the two-stage assessment process comprising stage 1 (eligibility checks) and stage 2 (scoring and site visit).
• demand for IPA support was strong overall – including repeat custom.
• a timely review of the IPA scheme delivery to date helped NatureScot and RPID to make minor improvements to scheme guidance, capital items requirements, and to adjust the application scoring criteria to place more emphasis on the connectivity and accessibility of paths.
• the scheme was able to support a diverse range of projects, including small to larger scale paths projects alike.
• good coverage - IPA contracts were issued across Scotland covering 21 local authority areas.
• the target indicator was achieved in full.

The short- and longer-term recommendations presented in the IPA scheme review report remain valid and could be used by NatureScot and SG to inform any future funding support for improving public access.

What worked less well:

• a large proportion of applications submitted to the IPA scheme were rejected for a variety of reasons.
• while awareness of the IPA scheme was good it could be improved to help improve uptake across Scotland.
• there were significant levels of non-payment due to failure to claim for constructed paths within the permitted claim timescale, over-specification at the application stage, and items found to be ineligible for payment at the inspection stage.

A lesson learned from the SRDP domestic programme 2021-2024 period for the IPA relates to annual budgets – multi-annual funding allocations are better for providing security and stability for planning, staffing and delivery.

Lessons learned

Lessons learned for the IPA scheme include that:

• it could be made easier for potential applicants to find out about the scheme (and related documents and comprehensive guidance, including on planning consent requirements), for example, a dedicated webpage for the IPA scheme could increase awareness and help reach a wider audience.
• offering standard payment rates for capital items works well in practice.
• standard payment rates were set for the whole of Scotland, but in future could better reflect the higher costs of doing business in, for example, remote and island communities.
• provision of dedicated pre-application support to help answer applicant queries and to provide advice could help identify ineligible projects at an earlier stage (saving time and effort for both applicants and the staff assessing the applications) and improve the overall quality of applications.
• prompt assessment and payment of financial claims can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to better manage cash flow.

Current status of the scheme

The final IPA scheme funding round was in 2022 – the scheme formally closed to new applications and at the present time the scheme remains closed to new applications.