Rural Management Measures
Rural Management Measures for the Historic Environment
The Scottish Government offer a number of funding streams through the Scottish Rural Development Programme that can be accessed by both individual land managers and by communities.
SRDP
The current SRDP which will operate until 2013 and ‘any individual, business or properly constituted group’ can apply for funding under the Rural Priorities of the new Rural Development Contracts.
Entrants are required to have a Business Reference Number before applying. Entry is competitive with currently 2 application periods per year.
Historic environment options
SRDP Measure Code (323) ACTIVE MANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE THE CONDITION OF VERNACULAR RURAL BUILDINGS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL OR HISTORIC SITES AND HISTORIC LANDSCAPES can be viewed here as part of a listing of all SRDP measures. Adopted in April 2008 this is the measure justifying expenditure on the historic environment. Only capital payments can be paid for archaeological management and agri-environment payments made under the previous programme (covering income foregone, for example when an archaeological cropmark site was removed from cultivation) are no longer available. Details on the Rural Priority Options are included under Management of Archaeological or Historic Sites & Management of Vernacular Buildings
Additionally archaeological management can be protected incidentally under other measures. The full list of options can be seen here
Forestry
Though now forming part of the SRDP, grants continue to be managed by Forestry Commission Scotland for new planting and re-stocking or for management of existing woodlands. This includes measures to protect archaeological & historic sites. See Forestry for further information
Two funds are operated by the Forestry Commission Scotland.
Woodlands In and Around Towns (WIAT) seeks to improve the woodland environment and the quality of life for inhabitants in and around woodland in both urban and peri-urban areas. This option is available to managers of woodlands that do not form part of the national forest estate (managed by Forest Enterprise Scotland). This can include woodlands owned by local councils.
The Forests for People Challenge Fund is open to ‘community and voluntary groups, schools and educational groups and other non-profit distributing organisations with local community benefit as their core aim’ and can be awarded on any forest land.
