Chapter 4: Governance

The delivery of the Strategy will be, primarily, through new projects and management measures within the existing Transport Scotland Estate. Whilst the Strategy reflects the wider objectives of the Strategic Framework for Biodiversity and the Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan 2024-2030, the responsibility for its governance, management and delivery will fall to Transport Scotland.

To maintain focus at the highest levels and monitor progress towards achieving the Strategy objectives, a suitably qualified Biodiversity Manager or Champion will be appointed within each Trunk Road Network OC or DBFO Concessionaire and on each new road project, who will liaise with and report to the Transport Scotland Biodiversity Lead.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

Transport Scotland’s statutory Biodiversity Duty report, published every three years, will contain analysis of the success of the Strategy including the extent to which the overall aims and objectives have been met. In addition, to maintain focus on the short-range 2030 target for halting biodiversity loss, the progress on delivering this Strategy’s Delivery Plan actions will be reviewed and reported annually by the Transport Scotland Biodiversity Lead, via an Actions Tracker.

On existing trunk road schemes, biodiversity reporting as part of the Annual Landscape Management and the Annual Sustainability reports is already a requirement under the Network Maintenance Contracts, however, it will need to be more detailed, measurable, and include progress on delivery of each of this Strategy’s Objectives. To achieve this, Transport Scotland and its supply chain will need to work on updating the relevant current and future requirements to ensure:

  • improved biodiversity focus is built-into the contract and enhanced biodiversity reporting is aligned with the Delivery Plan objectives;
  • appropriately skilled and experienced biodiversity specialists are appointed and empowered to make decisions affecting ecological assets and provide internal oversight of biodiversity reporting;
  • landscape operatives are trained and equipped to improve biodiversity records and deliver the Strategy in the field;
  • performance and compliance in relation to ecological information is measured using clear, deliverable indicators, e.g. species numbers/habitat area and condition, detailed georeferenced photographic and other records uploaded on AMPS, and KPIs, for example relating to INNS; and
  • the contracts can accommodate future reporting requirements for example to align with updated Delivery Plan objectives or legislation changes, such as the introduction of statutory nature restoration targets.

Following consultation on this Strategy, it has been agreed that a Biodiversity Forum will be established and held every six months. The forum will involve appropriate representation from Transport Scotland, the Trunk Road Operating Companies and DBFO Concessionaires with the aim of reporting on biodiversity outcomes, ensuring a consistent approach, and sharing good practice across the four regional trunk road network units and DBFO schemes. Representatives from Network Rail, CMAL, Scottish Canals, HIAL and Prestwick Airport will also be invited to sit on the forum. This will also provide the opportunity to review relevant Actions and Activities from the Delivery Plan, discuss progress, and assess and agree any amendments or additional actions for the future.

Transport Scotland currently measures performance against business plan objectives, each of which is grouped under corporate plan priorities. Key Performance Indicators and milestones continue to be developed and refined to improve programme and portfolio management, and delivery of this Strategy will be added to them.

Effective Spending and Partnerships

This Strategy reinforces the need for biodiversity considerations to be incorporated into all facets of Transport Scotland’s activities. This includes making informed decisions on actions to protect or promote biodiversity within the existing project parameters and budgets allocated for everyday actions and interventions.

However, the extent of the challenge and the scale of the targets we need to achieve dictate that dedicated funding and coordinated effort will be critical for the effective implementation of the Strategy, with resources allocated efficiently to optimise impact.

Collaborative working with partner organisations and neighbouring landowners will need to play an increased role to deliver meaningful and cost-effective benefits. Where existing resources dedicated specifically to biodiversity improvements are limited, for example for the maintenance of the ‘soft’ estate on the existing Trunk Road Network, changes to the management approach or techniques and improved engagement and understanding will be required to ensure the necessary improvements are delivered.

There may be a need to review and revise contract documentation, both for new works and maintenance activities, to encourage greater consideration of biodiversity impacts. One area might be to require appropriate staff appointments to champion and deliver biodiversity-focussed actions and mechanisms for enabling partnership working.

The approach to decision-making for prioritising biodiversity-related funding allocations within Transport Scotland has been informed, in part, by lessons learnt from the 2022 NatureScot report large-scale nature restoration projects. The report explores barriers and opportunities to such projects, using initiatives mainly from within Scotland but also including examples from the rest of the UK and Europe.

Each year Transport Scotland will assess proposals for biodiversity related projects and determine funding allocations as part of our wider business planning process.

The approach criteria are to prioritise:

  • actions directly contributing to reaching the nature restoration targets to be introduced by secondary legislation resulting from the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill;
  • actions having landscape-scale (rather than localised) positive effects for biodiversity;
  • actions improving permeability and connectivity of the Transport Estate to counteract its barrier effect and contributing to wider habitat networks;
  • actions led by experienced chartered Ecology, Landscape, and Arboriculture specialists or reputable nature conservancies to ensure that any habitat restoration and improvement efforts are carefully sited and considered to avoid the mistakes of monoculture non-native afforestation and prevent greenwashing;
  • actions aligning with biodiversity improvements on adjacent land (e.g. on trunk roads passing through the National Parks’ nature restoration projects);
  • actions involving partnership working with a variety of organisations and ongoing engagement with local stakeholders; and
  • actions involving academics in monitoring and evaluation of changes at scale.

Transport Scotland will also use opportunities for coordinating biodiversity actions with a wide variety of partners. For example, the agency will seek to work more efficiently and promote agreements and collaboration with all neighbouring landowners, local organisations, and volunteers to restore degraded habitats, to enhance habitat connectivity and nature networks, and control invasive non-native species where these extend beyond the boundaries of the Transport Scotland estate. On new road schemes this could be delivered as part of offset mitigation.

The agency will seek to increase partnership working with NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland, National Parks, Local Authorities and other entities to achieve larger-scale impact, including engagement with initiatives like 30 by 30, Nature30, and Nature Networks. Transport Scotland will also establish information exchange to ensure successful biodiversity enhancement solutions are shared between all bodies responsible for the Scottish roads and implemented on a large scale to maximise the effects.