East Renfrewshire Council Deer Management Statement
Published: March 2021
1. Purpose
The purpose of this statement is to inform East Renfrewshire Council’s production of a Deer Management Statement that will establish a framework for East Renfrewshire Council to discharge its deer management responsibilities. Information is also provided to set the context by summarising: the current national law and policy on deer management; available information about deer in East Renfrewshire; and the responsibilities that East Renfrewshire Council has to manage deer under current legislation both as a landowner/manager, and as a public body.
2. Background
2.1 What is the law on deer management?
The key piece of legislation on deer management is the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 [the Act]. The Act has been amended several times, most significantly in 2011 and 20161. Closed seasons during which deer may not be taken and minimum requirements for firearms for killing deer are established under the Act. It also prohibits certain methods of killing or taking deer to protect deer welfare. In 2011 the functions of the Deer Commission for Scotland under the Act were transferred to NatureScot2. The Act gives NatureScot powers to secure deer management by: requiring landowners to produce a deer management plan; negotiating a control agreement with landowners to implement specific deer management measures; and if a control agreement cannot be negotiated, to apply to Scottish Ministers to make a control scheme requiring specific deer management measures. These powers are available under the Act where deer and/or current deer management (or lack of) are causing (or are likely to cause): damage to woodland, agriculture, deer welfare or the natural heritage; damage to the public interest; injury to livestock e.g. where deer compete with them for food; or where deer are a danger or potential danger to public safety e.g. because of the occurrence of or the risk of deer vehicle collisions.
1By Part 3 of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 and Part 8 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.
2Scottish Natural Heritage is still the legal entity under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991. It rebranded as Nature Scot in 2020, and so is referred to as NatureScot throughout this document.
One of the amendments made to the Act in 2011 required NatureScot to produce a Code of Practice on Deer Management, to provide practical guidance on sustainable deer management, and to give examples of circumstances in which NatureScot would use its powers under the Act.
The Code of Practice on Deer Management [the Deer Code] was approved by the Scottish Parliament on the 14 December 2011. It is not an offence to breach the Code, however, compliance with it is a consideration for NatureScot in deciding whether to use powers under the Act (Scottish Natural Heritage 2011).
2.2 What is the Scottish Government and NatureScot's policy on deer management?
The Scottish Government and NatureScot’s key policy on deer management is ‘Wild Deer a National Approach’ [WDNA]. This strategy document was first published in 2008, and then reviewed and revised in 2014. The revised document was accompanied by an Action Plan setting out actions to be implemented between 2015 and 2020. WDNA sets the following vision for deer management in Scotland to be achieved by 2030:
“There will be widespread understanding and achievement of sustainable deer management.
- Deer will be valued as part of Scotland’s natural heritage, in balance with their habitats and will contribute to a high quality, robust and adaptable environment;
- Deer will be a resource for diverse sustainable economic development with adverse impacts on other land being minimised;
- Deer management will promote social well-being through enjoyment of the outdoors and healthy lifestyles.
Wild deer will be managed in an inclusive way with knowledge used to underpin all decisions.” (Scottish Government 2015)
NatureScot’s policy is to secure sustainable deer management through a voluntary approach which seeks a partnership with deer managers and encourages effective collaboration between neighbours. NatureScot will only seek to use its powers under the 1996 Act where this approach has been attempted and exhausted. NatureScot’s approach to deer management is summarised in a flow diagram in Chapter 5 of the Deer Code which has been reproduced in Appendix 3 of this document.
WDNA highlights other relevant Scottish Government policies and objectives which achieving deer management can make a contribution towards implementing and meeting. These include in particular the policies and measures the Scottish Government is committed to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. These measures include:
- Climate Change Targets to reduce Scotland's emissions of all greenhouse gases to net-zero by 20453
- Scotland’s Climate Change Plan, which sets out the measures which need to be implement to achieve net-zero. The measures include increasing woodland creation from 12,000 hectares in 2020-21 to 18,000 hectares from 2024-25 (Scottish Government 2020a).
- The Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Strategy, which set a challenge of restoring 15% of degraded ecosystems. The Scottish Government will publish a new biodiversity strategy in 2022 (NatureScot 2020a).
3now set in the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019
2.3 Recent and future policy developments
2.3.1 Lowland Deer Panel
NatureScot convened a Lowland Deer Panel in January 2018 to answer five key questions on deer management in the Lowlands. The panel was remitted to make recommendations within the scope of the existing legislative framework. The panel reported in February 2019, its main recommendations were that:
- NatureScot should work more extensively with Local Authorities to ensure they were aware of their responsibilities under the Deer Code
- Collaborative deer management in the lowlands should continue, with the structures to deliver it varying according to the species present, with collaboration over larger areas where herding species (red, sika, fallow) are present, and more locally where only roe deer are present.
As part of the consultations undertaken during its work, the panel identified “a strongly held view by recreational deer stalkers (particularly in the Central Belt) that their expertise is not being used to provide sustainable deer management in their local area. They point to the large areas of Local Authority land where culling does not take place and suggest that this is the source of many of the issues surrounding roe deer management in urban and peri-urban areas.” (Scottish Natural Heritage 2019).
2.3.2 Deer Working Group
The Scottish Government appointed an independent Deer Working Group in October 2017 to recommend changes to ensure effective deer management in Scotland that safeguards public interests and promotes the sustainable management of wild deer.
The Deer Working Group submitted its final report in December 2019. The >350 page document provides a comprehensive review of all aspects of deer management in Scotland, and made 99 recommendations for changes to law and policy.
The Group considered the specificities of managing deer in the urban environment, e.g. the fact that there are a large number of property owners, with little or no experience or interest in managing deer, and also the challenge of managing deer using high-velocity rifles in densely populated areas. It weighed up whether this warranted a different approach, where local authorities would become the deer authority in certain designated areas, with a range of regulatory powers e.g. to licence deer control. It stopped short of recommending this.
The Group made two recommendations which specifically referred to local authorities. These were that NatureScot should work to develop deer management at a local authority level as an intermediate level between the national and local levels (recommendation 91); and that NatureScot should appoint a panel of public sector representatives for each local authority area to advise on deer management recommendation 94). The Group suggested that these panels should include representatives of Scottish Forestry; Forestry and Land Scotland; the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate; and Police Scotland; as well as representatives to cover local authority responsibilities for roads, venison dealer licensing and planning.
The Scottish Government (2021a) published its response to the Deer Working Group’s report in March 2021. The Government has accepted almost all of the recommendations the Group made. It has said it will take forward the recommendations for legislative change in the next Parliament, and that there will be public consultation before any proposals for legislation are introduced to the Scottish Parliament. The Government has said that while these proposals are being developed, it will implement the Group’s recommendations which do not involve legislative change, prioritising those which support the achievement of climate and biodiversity targets. On the recommendations referred to above, the Government has accepted recommendation 91, and that NatureScot will develop proposals for Local Authorities (or a similar alternative such as Regional Land Use Partnerships) as an intermediate level for deer management. The Government has not accepted recommendation 94 on the establishment of local authority panels. It has said it will consider this recommendation further once it has developed its policy on an intermediate level of deer management through the implementation of recommendation 91.
2.4 What deer are present in East Renfrewshire?
All available information suggests that the only deer species regularly present in East Renfrewshire is the roe deer. Roe deer are one of Scotland’s two native species of deer, the other being the red deer. Two other introduced species of deer, sika and fallow, are present in Scotland. A fifth species, also introduced, the Muntjac, is expanding its range Northwards in England, but is not currently thought to be established in Scotland.
The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas of Scotland has 55 records of roe deer in East Renfrewshire. The results of the British Deer Society’s (BDS) 2016 deer distribution survey showed that roe deer were present in all of the 10km squares (hectads) within East Renfrewshire (British Deer Society 20164). According to the BDS5, the nearest red deer to East Renfrewshire are to the North of the Clyde near Dumbarton6, and the nearest Sika deer are in the Trossachs. There are records of Fallow deer to the East of East Renfrewshire. Fallow deer’s current distribution in Scotland is often associated with the old deer parks from which animals originally escaped, of which there were none in East Renfrewshire.
There is very limited information available on numbers or densities of deer in East Renfrewshire, or in lowland Scotland in general. Nature Scot has not carried out any night counts of deer in East Renfrewshire, but has counted roe deer at Gleniffer Country Park in Renfrewshire in 2012.
Due to the nature of the terrain, often being flat with limited vantage points and the fact that deer spend much of their time in woodland and other concealing habitat, it is not feasible to try to establish the size of roe deer populations in the lowlands by direct counting. Instead, the approach of NatureScot and other deer managers is to manage deer according to the impacts they are having, e.g. by monitoring the impacts of deer browsing on trees, or the rate and locations of deer vehicle collisions. Where impacts are at an unacceptable level, further management measures are put in place to attempt to reduce impacts, with ongoing monitoring to assess whether management is having the desired effect.
4British Deer Society. 2016. Deer Distribution Survey 2016 – Roe deer:
5British Deer Society, personal communication.
6Red deer are farmed near Eaglesham
2.5 Deer habitat in East Renfrewshire
Roe deer are woodland animals. They use woodland or dense scrub to lie up during the day or for refuge when disturbed, moving to open ground to feed at dawn and dusk. The increase in woodland cover in Scotland over the last century has allowed Roe deer to increase in range and number in lowland Scotland.
Woodland cover has increased four-fold in East Renfrewshire over the last forty years7, as is shown in the table overleaf. It remains below the Scotland average (12.9% of land area, compared to 18.5% for Scotland8).
7Analysis of all types of woodland in the Land Cover Scotland 1988 and the National Forestry Inventory for Scotland 2018 datasets. See Map 1 in Appendix 2.
8Forestry Commission. 2018. Forestry Statistics 2018.
| Year | Woodland area, all types (hectares) | % of East Renfrewshire |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 435 | 2.5% |
| 2018 | 2,243 | 12.9% |
Sources: Land Cover Scotland 1988 and National Forest Inventory for Scotland 2018
East Renfrewshire Council directly manages 345 hectares of land. This includes 116 hectares of woodland.9
9East Renfrewshire Council (2016) and (2019a)
Anecdotal evidence received in the course of information gathering to inform this statement suggested that the intensity of farming in some parts of East Renfrewshire has declined in recent years. This was investigated by requesting information from the Scottish Government on land use and livestock in the four main agricultural parishes within East Renfrewshire. Information was provided on areas of crops and grass, and the type and number of livestock kept, from agricultural census returns for 1990 and 2020.10 The main changes have been a reduction in the area of rough grazing, and an increase in woodland; and a reduction in livestock numbers, particularly of sheep. The number of sheep kept in East Renfrewshire declined by nearly 40%, from 33,975 to 20,590. The decline in sheep numbers is particularly pronounced in the Neilston parish, declining 80% from over 14,000 in 1990 to fewer than 3,000 in 2020. There has also been a 22% decline in the number of cattle kept in East Renfrewshire over the same period. Together, these changes will have increased and improved the area of habitat available to deer in East Renfrewshire. The declines in livestock numbers are in line with the national trend, with a 32% and 19% decline in the number of sheep and cattle kept in Scotland from 1990 to 2020.
10Scottish Government (2021b) pers comm.
The availability of woodland cover for refuge, and abundant forage on improved grassland and arable fields means that roe deer in lowland Scotland are typically in good condition. This means that females typically rear two young each year, often breeding in their first year and breed more often during their lives. The expansion of woodland in the lowlands in recent decades has created roe deer habitat, and has allowed the lowland roe deer population to expand rapidly. They are now found throughout the lowlands, including in urban parks and gardens.
2.6 Why manage deer?
Deer have an effect on our countryside and us in different ways at different times. These effects are described as impacts. Effective deer management aims to reduce negative impacts, and/or improve positive impacts. As explained in section 2.1 sustainable deer management can make important contributions towards meeting the public policy objectives to address the climate and nature crises. Examples of deer management measures which local authorities could implement are shown in the table below.
| Management measures | Example |
|---|---|
| Vegetation palatability, taste based repellents | Planting/managing palatable and unpalatable plant species to encourage/discourage deer in certain areas. Using taste based repellent chemicals to discourage deer from eating certain plants |
| Vegetation management | Controlling road-side vegetation so that deer by the road can be more easily seen by motorists |
| Road signage | Warning signs to alert motorists to deer hazards at Deer Vehicle Collision hotspots |
| Wildlife bridges / underpasses | Provision of crossing points over roads/railways to allow deer and other wildlife to cross safely |
| Tree protection (individual trees) | Use of tubes, tree guards or cages to protect individual trees from deer browsing |
| Fencing (electric or non-electric) | Deer fencing to prevent deer accessing sensitive habitat e.g. newly planted woodland, to prevent deer crossing a road, or to funnel deer movements towards a safe crossing point |
| Scaring | Use of auditory or visual scaring techniques to discourage deer from particular areas |
| Responsible public access | Providing information to the public e.g. in parks regularly used by dog-walkers, to advise the public of the presence of deer and of the need to keep dogs under close control |
| Lethal control | Local authorities could arrange culling of deer either by contacting: Members of a local deer management group / Lowland Deer Network Scotland Contracting a professional deer controller (this is the approach often taken by Forestry and Land Scotland, including in East Renfrewshire) Training staff in deer control (the Deer Stalking Certificate) NB: NatureScot holds a register of fit and competent individuals who have the requisite level of skills and experience to carry out deer control safely and effectively. |
Positive impacts e.g. stalking and venison income, enhancing biodiversity or improved animal welfare and negative impacts e.g. crop or habitat damage or road traffic accidents may affect both private interests and public interests in different ways.
2.7 What information is needed to inform deer management?
Three main types of information can be available to inform deer management:
- Information about deer impacts: e.g. deer vehicle collisions, assessments of the impacts of deer grazing and browsing on biodiversity; forestry, farming, greenspace and domestic gardens
- Information about deer: e.g. species presence/absence; density; numbers; sex ratio; reproductive rate; condition
- Information about deer management: e.g. number, sex and location of deer culled; carcass weight and condition of culled deer; location, condition and date of erection of deer fences; number of people employed in deer management; income generated by recreational deer stalking
There is currently limited information of all three types available to inform deer management in East Renfrewshire. McMorran et.al (2019) investigated the availability of information on deer management in a pilot area in the Stirling and Falkirk area. They identified a number of gaps in information in all three of the above areas, and made some recommendations for improvements in data collection. These recommendations were endorsed by the Lowland Deer Panel. However, it is unlikely that the availability of information to inform deer management is going to change substantially in the near future.
Where there are gaps in the information available to deer managers, decision making should follow the precautionary approach. This means that decisions about how to manage deer should not be deferred, they should be made on the basis of the information that is available. An adaptive approach could also be adopted, with management being revised in the light of new information and results of previous approaches.
3. Current deer impacts and deer management in East Renfrewshire
3.1 Deer impacts in East Renfrewshire
There is very limited information available about the positive impacts that flow from deer management in East Renfrewshire in terms of income from sporting stalking, venison sales, and downstream spend in the local economy. It is possible to say more about the negative impacts that roe deer can have, and the table below identifies the potential negative impacts, and comments on their severity in East Renfrewshire.
| Negative Impact | Private / Public Interest | Impact in East Renfrewshire | Trend, Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer vehicle collisions | Both | There were 47 Deer Vehicle Collisions in East Renfrewshire in the 5 years 2008 to 2012. This increased to 83 in the 5 years 2013 to 2017.11 The majority of collisions are recorded on the M77 accounting for 74% and 46% of records in these time periods (See Appendix 2, Maps 2 and 3) | Worsening, High It is highly likely that recorded DVCs are a substantial underestimate due to under reporting. There is a strong reporting bias from the trunk road network. |
| Forestry | Both | East Renfrewshire Council is part of the Clyde Climate Forest initiative. The project will aim to improve connectivity of existing woodland from the headwaters of the River Clyde through to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.12 Forest and Land Scotland owns and manages just under 1000ha of forestry in East Renfrewshire which is part of Whitelee forest. The most recent assessment of deer damage on young trees in the Scottish Lowland Forest District included assessment of four areas within Whitelee forest, none of which were within East Renfrewshire. Levels of browsing on Sitka spruce and more palatable conifers were tolerable. Planting with broadleaved trees was only a minor component of the restocked sites at Whitelee. One of the areas assessed two-thirds of planted broadleaves were deer damaged. In considering the results of this assessment it should be borne in mind that there is an active programme of deer control at Whitelee. Further details of this are provided below. General background information from Scottish Forestry was that their general impression is of a significant roe deer issue in East Renfrewshire, and throughout the central belt. The roe deer population has expanded significantly in the last 15 years. Used to be able to establish trees unprotected (i.e. without tree tubes/fencing), now cannot establish even Sitka spruce unprotected (this is the species most resistant to deer browsing). Even where plantations are fenced, roe are gaining access. No response from the main private forestry company in East Renfrewshire (Scottish Woodlands). | Trend and severity of impacts will be site specific and will depend on the level of deer management undertaken. Deer control by Forest and Land Scotland is keeping impacts on restocked conifers within tolerable levels, but evidence suggests deer impacts on unprotected planted broadleaves are high, even where there is an active programme of deer control.
|
| Deer welfare – deer health and condition | Both | Roe deer in East Renfrewshire are in general likely to be in good condition. In certain urban sites there can be animal welfare concerns and the physical condition of deer can be poor compared to other areas.13 Where deer occur at high density individual deer can experience welfare problems from parasites/disease. | Uncertain, likely to be relatively low. |
| Deer welfare – poaching and antisocial behaviour | Both | There have been two deer poaching/coarsing crimes recorded in the Greater Glasgow Police division in the four years 2015-16 to 2018-19, one in 2016/17, and one in 2018/19.14 There has been an incident in Pollok park in Glasgow in 2021.15 It is not possible to obtain a breakdown of incidents recorded by Police Scotland for East Renfrewshire specifically.16 Information from the East Renfrewshire Council ranger service is that antisocial behaviour incidents involving deer are infrequent. | Uncertain, likely to be relatively low. |
| Natural Heritage | Public | There are six Sites of Special Scientific Interest in East Renfrewshire. Five of these are designated for features which are not impacted by deer (geology or freshwater lochs). Cart and Kittoch Valleys SSSI is designated for its upland mixed ash woodland. It is one of the largest areas of semi-natural woodland within the greater Glasgow area. It is primarily within Glasgow City, and partly within East Renfrewshire. The site is in unfavourable condition, with the main reason for this being the lack of native tree regeneration and the presence of non-native tree species (beech). The site is known to be impacted by roe deer. A thermal imager count of the SSSI in 2018 found 41 roe deer within 47 hectares, equating to a density of 87 roe deer per km2 – a very high density. The Dams to Darnley Country Park covers 552 hectares and straddles the boundary between East Renfrewshire and Glasgow City. Two-thirds of the Country Park is within East Renfrewshire. The park contains a range of habitats including woodland, and roe deer are present within the park. There is currently no information about deer impacts within this woodland. Under its Local Development Plan, East Renfrewshire Council has designated 72 Local Biodiversity Sites, covering a total of 1,179 hectares.17 | Uncertain, low to moderate, may be locally high. There are high roe deer impacts on woodland at Cart and Kittoch SSSI. Herbivore Impacts have been assessed by an independent consultant and recommendations for future management have been made. NatureScot is currently developing management plans for the site in conjunction with Glasgow City Council. Fencing the part of the SSSI within Glasgow City would displace deer onto the part of the site within East Renfrewshire and be likely to increase deer impacts there. Collecting HIA information from woodlands within the Dams to Darnley Country Park would be a valuable first step to considering the need for deer management there. The Council could review the Local Biodiversity sites to identify those which have features which could be damaged by deer, focussing initially on woodland. Particularly on sites which include land managed by the Council, or close to such land, the Council could carry out HIAs to determine levels of deer impacts. |
| Farming | Both | No response from National Farmers Union of Scotland members to information request made through local bulletin as part of this project. | Uncertain, likely to be relatively low. |
| Parks/amenity | Public | There is no systematic recording of impacts, but browsing damage to planted saplings and antler fraying in an orchard have been noted. | Uncertain, likely to be relatively low. |
| Private gardens | Private | No reports of any deer impacts raised with the Council or Nature Scot. | Uncertain, likely to be relatively low. |
11Analysis of Deer Vehicle Collision data available from SNH Natural Spaces website
12Glasgow City Region Green Network. 2020. Introducing the Clyde Climate Forest.
13Green, P (2008) cited in Watson et. al (2009)
14Scottish Government. 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Wildlife Crime in Scotland Annual Report Series.
15East Renfrewshire Council, personal communication.
16Police Scotland, personal communication.
17A webmap of the Local Biodiversity sites with information about each site is available.
3.2 What deer management does East Renfrewshire Council undertake currently?
The Council has not undertaken culling of deer on the land it owns. The Council has not currently put up any deer warning signs on roads for which it is the roads authority. Its policy is that it would put up signs at DVC hotspots. Decisions on the need for deer fencing or other tree protection are taken on a site by site basis on the land which the Council owns/manages.
3.3 What deer management is carried out by others in East Renfrewshire?
NatureScot can request an annual cull return from deer managers, which detail the number, sex and species of deer culled on a particular area. Deer managers are only required to submit a return if requested by NatureScot.
There is one property in East Renfrewshire which submits cull returns to NatureScot. For the five years 2013-14 to 2017-18 it had an average total cull of 11 roe deer.
The average cull of roe deer at Whitelee forest over the three years 2017/18 to 2019/20 was 197. The forest spans East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire, and covers a total area of 5,886 hectares, of which 966 (16%) are in East Renfrewshire.
These two records are a substantial underestimate of the amount of culling of roe deer going on in East Renfrewshire. NatureScot does not request a return from all deer managers, so formal cull returns submitted to NatureScot only form part of the picture.
Hitherto, cull returns have been requested by NatureScot from large estate type holdings along with large forestry complexes. The lack of returns from farms has long been recognised as an information gap. The nature of land ownership on lowland farmland, with comparatively many smaller landowners, means that the significant resources would be required to collect cull returns from all those managing deer in East Renfrewshire. National population estimates and culls at LA scale are not required to inform local decision making. As also set out in section 2.4 above, this can be based on what information, particularly in relation to deer impacts, is available locally and then an adaptive management model can be followed.
4. Future deer management by East Renfrewshire Council
4.1 How should the Council decide whether deer management is required?
Whilst until now East Renfrewshire Council has not had a formally adopted policy or plan in place in relation to deer management, the Council takes its deer management responsibilities seriously. The Council will manage deer in accordance with an agreed deer management statement, which will set out how the Council will manage deer in accordance with the Deer Code. This statement will be the first step in adopting more detailed policies on deer management, and in implementing deer management actions in a consistent way, following an agreed process. In order to decide whether deer management is required, the Council should consider the information available to it. Decisions should be reviewed when new information is available, and in some situations, the Council may need to collect or commission information to support its decision making. The diagram overleaf illustrates an iterative decision-making process the Council could follow.
Figure 1 - A decision making process for deer management
Click for a full description
Are deer present > No > Continue monitoring for deer presence
Are deer present > Yes > Are deer causing, or are they likely to cause damage
Are deer causing, or are they likely to cause damage > No > Continue monitoring deer impacts
Are deer causing, or are they likely to cause damage > Yes > Is there an appropriate deer management option? e.g. road signage, information provision, fencing, culling, or a combination of measures
Is there an appropriate deer management option? e.g. road signage, information provision, fencing, culling, or a combination of measures > No > There should be objective justification for this decision and it should be supported by the evidence
Is there an appropriate deer management option? e.g. road signage, information provision, fencing, culling, or a combination of measures > Yes > Implement deer management > Reasess impacts after implementation of deer management measures to evaluate continuing need for deer management and/or need for additional measures
Note: under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 “damage” includes situations where deer and/or current deer management (or lack of) are causing (or are likely to cause): damage to woodland, agriculture, deer welfare or the natural heritage; damage to the public interest; injury to livestock e.g. where deer compete with them for food; or where deer are a danger or potential danger to public safety e.g. because of the occurrence of or the risk of deer vehicle collisions.
4.2 How does the Deer Code apply to East Renfrewshire Council?
Chapter 1 of the Code states that it applies to all land managers who own or manage land where wild deer occur. East Renfrewshire Council directly manages 345 hectares of land, including 116 hectares of woodland.18 The Code therefore applies to East Renfrewshire Council.
18East Renfrewshire Council (2016 and 2019a)
Chapter 2 of the Code poses some questions, to help determine what deer management actions are relevant. The table below shows these questions, together with commentary in relation to East Renfrewshire Council.
| What species of wild deer occur on your land? | Roe deer occur widely on land owned/managed by the Council. |
|---|---|
| How often are there wild deer present on your land? | Deer are present throughout the year |
| What is the density and distribution of the wild deer population on your land? | Roe deer occur widely. There is no information about deer numbers at particular sites such as Dams to Darnley Country Park or Rouken Glen Park. |
| What is the health of the wild deer population on your land? | Most deer in East Renfrewshire have access to improved grasslands and arable fields. They are therefore generally in good condition and good reproductive performance. Roe deer are widespread in urban and peri-urban areas in East Renfrewshire. Whilst roe deer have adapted to live in these areas, they may be less than ideal deer habitat – deer are disturbed more often than they would be in rural locations, including more frequent interactions with dogs; and the ability of deer to access areas in which to feed may be restricted by development and roads. |
| How mobile are the wild deer which occur on your land? | Deer territories span across ownership boundaries. Roe deer are resident and do not move large distances seasonally. Male deer and young deer will move to establish new territories, and during the mating season. |
| What effect are the wild deer having on your own land? | There is no information available to assess this. |
| What effect are the wild deer on your neighbouring land? | Available evidence suggests that deer can have high impacts in places e.g. browsing damage to young trees. The trend and severity of such impacts will depend on what deer management is undertaken, if any. |
| Can wild deer on your land move onto public roads and into green spaces? | Yes |
Chapter 3 of the Code sets out what actions are needed to deliver sustainable deer management. Actions are divided into those which MUST be done to comply with the law, actions SHOULD be taken to avoid regulatory action by NatureScot, and actions which are ENCOURAGED as they demonstrate good practice in deer management.
Chapter 4 of the Code explains how landowners should collaborate to achieve sustainable deer management. Collaborative deer management in the lowland context was considered in detail in the report of the Lowland Deer Panel. The panel concluded that the scale over which collaboration was required depended on the species present. Where roe deer is the main species, as in East Renfrewshire, the panel concluded that collaboration was appropriate at a local level.
Chapter 6 of the Code explains how it applies to Public Bodies. It states that Public Bodies should demonstrate good practice in the way they collaborate over deer management with neighbours. Additionally the Code states that Public Bodies must consider the Code when making regulatory decisions that could have an effect on deer, for example, local authorities should consider the implications of planning decisions on deer.
4.3 What MUST East Renfrewshire Council do?
4.3.1 What MUST East Renfrewshire Council do to manage deer?
The actions listed in the Code which MUST be undertaken largely relate to compliance with legislation and the Code can be read as presupposing that deer management by culling is already occurring. In East Renfrewshire Council’s situation the legal requirement to comply with the provisions of the 1996 Act e.g. on close seasons, and with Firearms legislation, would only become applicable if deer were being managed by culling on land where the Council is responsible for deer management.
4.3.2 What MUST East Renfrewshire Council do to regulate sales of venison?
Under section 33 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996, local authorities have powers to grant venison dealer licences. Each Local Authority is required to send a list of venison dealers in to NatureScot every year on the 1st January. Venison dealers are required to keep records of the deer they buy, including the species and sex, for at least three years. Under section 36 of the Act, it is an offence to sell venison without a venison dealer’s licence, or that has not been purchased from a licensed venison dealer.
The Deer Working Group reported that in 2018 there were 178 licenced venison dealers in Scotland. The Group also found that 12 local authorities were not making returns of venison dealers in their area to NatureScot, including East Renfrewshire.19
19Deer Working Group. (2020) Final Report, Section 11.4 and Figures 25 and 26.
4.4 What SHOULD East Renfrewshire Council do?
It is more relevant to consider the actions which the Code says East Renfrewshire Council SHOULD be taking. The actions which are most relevant to East Renfrewshire Council are listed in the table below with some commentary.
| ACTIONS IN THE CODE | IMPLEMENTATION BY EAST RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL |
|---|---|
| Actions to ensure that wild deer welfare is safeguarded | |
| Take account of the impact on the welfare of deer in planning decisions relating to the layout and management of public places and amenity planting. | Some of the areas, e.g. around Neilston, Barrhead and Newton Mearns which are being considered for development under the East Renfrewshire Local Development Plan are likely to have roe deer populations.20 When development begins, deer will move. The need to manage deer on sites which are being developed should therefore be considered by the Council as part of the local development plan process, and in relation to planning applications. For example, the Council could request information on deer as part of the assessment of planning applications, and set conditions on permissions to ensure that any implications arising from developments are addressed. E.g. a requirement for the developer to produce a deer management statement or deer management plan.21 20East Renfrewshire Council. 2019b. Local Development Plan 2, Proposals Map. 21For an example of such a requirement, South Lanarkshire Council’s Planning Committee proposed that a deer management statement be a planning condition for the Kypemuir wind farm extension (Report to Planning Committee, 29 January 2019, Application Reference: P/18/1013). This recommendation was followed and the Energy Consents Unit’s Decision Letter of 13 September 2019 includes a requirement for the developer to produce a deer management statement at paragraph 54 (Reference ECU 00000541) The Council should also consider whether developments provide an opportunity to create infrastructure which will help to mitigate deer impacts, e.g. providing wildlife bridges or underpasses to enable deer and other wildlife to cross roads/railways and reduce collision risk.22 22For a review of the effectiveness of wildlife bridges see, Conservation Evidence. Install overpasses over roads/railways and Install tunnels/culverts/underpass under roads. |
| Actions to protect and enhance the environment | |
| Manage levels of grazing, trampling and browsing to deliver the favourable condition of natural features within designated sites. | Herbivore Impact Assessments for designated sites owned/managed by the Council have not been carried out. The Council should consider the need to collect information about deer impacts on designated sites it owns and manages in order to better inform its deer management decision making e.g. by training staff in Herbivore Impact Assessment methodologies. As deer impacts are most likely to occur on woodland, the relevant survey is the Woodland Grazing Toolbox.23 23The Woodland Grazing Toolbox has been developed by Scottish Forestry, and is a guide to developing a woodland grazing plan. As well as advice on developing a plan, it contains a methodology for assessing herbivore impacts in woodland. |
| Manage grazing levels designed to prevent loss or damage to Scotland’s biodiversity, especially those key species and habitats identified in the Scottish Biodiversity List. | Herbivore Impact Assessment of woodland in the Cart and Kittoch SSSI, which is partly owned by the Council, has shown high deer impacts. Apart from this there is no information available about the extent to which deer are negatively impacting on biodiversity on land owned/managed by East Renfrewshire Council and/or on neighbouring land. The Council should consider the need to collect information about deer impacts on species and habitats on the land it owns and manages in order to better inform its deer management decision making e.g. by training staff in Herbivore Impact Assessment methodologies. The Council should also consider deer impacts at Local Biodiversity Sites, and collect information about them, particularly for those sites with features which can be impacted by roe deer, and which include land that the Council manages. |
| Follow the Invasive Non-native Species Code to prevent further establishment of non-native species. | Available information suggests Sika and Fallow deer which are non-native species are not present in East Renfrewshire. The Council should have a procedure in place to record and report any sightings of Sika or Fallow deer on Council owned/managed land, which would then be a trigger for a decision on whether management was required. Muntjac deer are another non-native species which are not currently considered to be established in Scotland. They are spreading Northwards in England and are present in Cumbria. The same procedure should apply should there be reports of Muntjac on land which the Council owns or manages.24 24British Deer Society. 2016. Deer distribution survey: Muntjac. The Deer Working Group’s report also discusses Muntjac at section 17.3 |
| Actions to support Sustainable Economic Development | |
| Take account of other economic activities when managing wild deer and minimise negative impacts on them (e.g. food production, forestry, tourism and other rural businesses). | The Council should consider the implications of its decisions on deer management on its own land for its neighbours. |
| Actions to support social well-being | |
| Contribute to co-ordinated action to reduce road safety risks | Deer Vehicle Collisions are increasing in East Renfrewshire. The Council will address areas with an identified high risk of deer vehicle collisions for roads where it is the Roads Authority by erecting warning signs and/or reducing speed limits in affected areas. Where the risk of DVCs remains high after these measures have been implemented, the Council should collaborate with its neighbours to ensure that additional deer management is undertaken to reduce the risk of Deer Vehicle Collisions to an acceptable level. |
| Be appropriately trained, equipped and aware of health and safety risks associated with your deer management | If the Council decided to use its own staff to cull deer, they should be appropriately trained25 and work to site specific risk assessments. If the Council decided to secure deer control via a third party it should consider only using persons from the Fit and Competent Register kept by NatureScot26. There are currently six people listed on this register who live in East Renfrewshire.27 25The recognised training which assesses competence in deer management is the Deer Stalking Certificate (DSC), which has two Levels. Achievement of Level 2 is generally regarded as a satisfactory level of competence for a person to go out and manage deer on land belonging to a third party e.g. it is normally required by Forestry Commission Scotland for contractors/recreational stalkers in order to manage deer on the National Forest Estate. |
| Contribute to action to reduce negative impacts of deer on green spaces, public areas and gardens | There is no information available about the extent to which deer are impacting on green spaces, or public areas in East Renfrewshire. If high impacts are identified, e.g. an unacceptable level of damage to trees, shrubs, or other plants, the Council should consider what deer management is appropriate to address the damage. |
| Actions which should be undertaken by Public Bodies | |
| Demonstrate good practice in collaborative deer management | The Council should take an active role in collaborating on deer management with neighbouring landowners and deer managers. As a minimum there should be a designated point of contact within the Council with whom deer issues can be raised. |
| Consider the impact of regulatory decisions on deer | The Council should consider the impact of regulatory decisions it makes on deer, e.g. it should consider how planning decisions affect deer as described above |
4.5 What further actions COULD East Renfrewshire Council take?
The focus of this Deer Management Statement is ensuring that the deer management carried out by East Renfrewshire Council meets its requirements. The Code proposes a number of additional actions which could be taken to demonstrate good practice in deer management. Two examples of these actions are given below, with commentary.
| Examples of actions to be ENCOURAGED under the Code | Comment |
|---|---|
| Promote training and on-going professional development of those involved in deer management. | The Council could offer staff the opportunity to undertake training in herbivore impact assessment methodologies, deer management and/or the opportunity to obtain Deer Stalking Certificate qualifications. |
| Provide information, such as where wild deer are likely to be seen, and encourage people to understand more about wild deer and their management. | Public enjoyment of wildlife, including deer, is promoted by the Council’s Ranger Service, including e.g. signage, guided walks and education outreach. |
Based on the Deer Code, Wild Deer a National Approach, the recommendations of the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee following its inquiry into deer management, and other relevant policy and legislation, NatureScot (2017) defined 14 public interest actions for deer management. The table overleaf lists these actions, and comments on how they might be delivered by East Renfrewshire Council in respect of its own land.
| Key Public Interest | Comment |
|---|---|
| Contribute to the delivery of designated features into Favourable Condition through managing deer impacts | Deer impacts noted at one SSSI which is partially in East Renfrewshire, Cart and Kittoch Valley SSSI. |
| Contribute to the Scottish Government woodland expansion target of 25% woodland cover | East Renfrewshire Council is contributing to the development of a climate change adaptation strategy for the Glasgow City Region. Consultation on a draft strategy closed at the end of 202028. The draft strategy includes an action to create the Clyde Climate Forest. Research is currently ongoing into the opportunities for establishing new woodland as part of this project. The project will aim to improve connectivity of existing woodland from the headwaters of the River Clyde through to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.29 The final version of the strategy will be completed by March 2021. It is important to note that one of the consequences of increased woodland creation and in particular increasing woodland connectivity will improve the quality of deer habitat in the landscape and increase their ability to move within it and colonise new habitat. 28East Renfrewshire Council: Climate Change. |
| Manage deer to retain existing native woodland cover and improve woodland condition in the medium to long term | East Renfrewshire Council directly manages 345 hectares of land. This includes 116 hectares of woodland. The part of the Dams to Darnley Country Park within East Renfrewshire contains 55 hectares of woodland. There has been no herbivore impact assessment within this woodland. The draft Glasgow City Region Climate Change adaptation strategy contains an action to restore ancient and semi-natural woodland. |
| Monitor and manage deer impacts in the wider countryside (not improved agricultural land) | There is limited information available about deer impacts in the wider countryside. Monitoring of deer impacts at Whitelee Forest where deer are actively managed, suggests that deer impacts may be locally high on sensitive habitats / features where there is no deer management in East Renfrewshire e.g. unprotected broadleaved tree plantings or regeneration. There is no deer control on land owned/managed by East Renfrewshire Council. |
| Improve Scotland’s ability to store carbon | East Renfrewshire Council is contributing to the development of a climate change adaptation strategy for the Glasgow City Region. Consultation on a draft strategy closed at the end of 202030. The draft strategy includes an action to create the Clyde Climate Forest. Research is currently ongoing into the opportunities for establishing new woodland as part of this project. The project will aim to improve connectivity of existing woodland from the headwaters of the River Clyde through to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.31 The final version of the strategy will be completed by March 2021. 30East Renfrewshire Council: Climate Change. |
| Reduce or mitigate the risk of establishment of invasive non-native species | The Council should have a procedure in place to record and report any sightings of Sika or Fallow deer on Council owned/managed land, which would then be a trigger for a decision on whether management was required. A similar procedure should apply should Muntjac deer ever become established in East Renfrewshire |
| Protect landscapes and historic features from deer and deer management activity. | This is, or may be applicable to deer management on Council owned/managed land |
| Optimise economic benefits of Deer Management in Scotland | The economic impact of deer management in East Renfrewshire is not known. East Renfrewshire Council is developing a deer management statement which will identify the actions the Council will take to minimise the economic costs of deer |
| Minimise the economic cost of deer | |
| Contribute to delivering higher standards of competence in deer management | East Renfrewshire Council is committed to ensuring that staff / contractors involved in deer management on Council owned/managed land have the appropriate qualifications, training and equipment. |
| Identify and promote opportunities contributing to public health and wellbeing benefits | East Renfrewshire Council encourages appropriate public access to the land it owns and manages to encourage public enjoyment of the countryside and for health and wellbeing benefits. Deer management on land owned and managed by the Council will be consistent with this. |
| Ensure effective communication on deer management issues | East Renfrewshire Council will communicate effectively with neighbouring land owners/managers about deer management issues. |
| Ensure deer welfare is taken fully into account at individual animal and population level | East Renfrewshire Council is committed to ensuring that deer management on land it owns/manages takes into account deer welfare |
| Develop effective mechanisms to manage deer. | East Renfrewshire Council is developing a deer management statement which will set out the Council’s approach to deer management. |
5 Recommendations
- East Renfrewshire Council should submit a return of the number of licenced venison dealers within its area to NatureScot each year, as required by the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996
- East Renfrewshire Council should consider the effects of proposed development on deer as part of the development planning process.
- East Renfrewshire Council should consider opportunities to create green infrastructure to allow deer and other wildlife to safely cross roads and railways as part of the development planning process, and otherwise.
- East Renfrewshire Council should consider the effects of proposed developments on deer in its role as planning authority. It should ensure that developers provide it with information in order to allow it to assess this. Where developments are likely to have an adverse impact on deer, the Council should require developers to address them through the production of a deer management statement.
- East Renfrewshire Council should adopt an iterative approach to deer management. The first step in this approach is to begin gathering information on deer impacts. Once this information is available, the Council should consider what further deer management measures are required, and then implement them and monitor their effect.
- East Renfrewshire Council should consider the need for deer management measures as part of initiatives it is implementing as part of action across the public sector to tackle the nature and climate crises, for example, the creation of new woodlands in East Renfrewshire on land which the council owns or manages, as part of the Clyde Climate Forest.
- East Renfrewshire Council should develop a procedure to record and report any sightings of Sika, Fallow or Muntjac deer on Council owned/managed land, which would then be a trigger for a decision on whether management was required.
- East Renfrewshire Council should have a nominated point of contact for any deer issue.
- East Renfrewshire Council could consider training officers in Herbivore Impact Assessment. Assessing impacts in woodlands and other habitats at the Dams to Darnley Country Park would be an obvious place to begin making herbivore impact assessments once officers have been trained.
- East Renfrewshire Council could consider training officers in the Deer Stalking Certificate qualification. The qualification includes training in deer identification, and the law on deer management, and food safety. This would not be with a view to officers of the Council carrying out deer control, but would provide a useful background on the issues involved, should the Council decide to carry out control e.g. using a third party.
6. References
British Deer Society. 2016. Deer Distribution Survey 2016.
British Deer Society. 2020. Personal Communication.
Conservation Evidence. Install overpasses over roads/railways.
Conservation Evidence. Install tunnels/culverts/underpass under roads.
Deer (Scotland) Act 1996
Deer Working Group. 2020. Final Report.
East Renfrewshire Council. 2016. Open Space Asset Management Plan 2016-2021
East Renfrewshire Council 2019a. Local Development Plan 2. Schedule of Council owned land.
East Renfrewshire Council. 2019b. Local Development Plan 2, Proposals Map.
Forestry Commission. 2018. Forestry Statistics 2018.
Glasgow City Region Green Network. 2020. Introducing the Clyde Climate Forest.
Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016
NatureScot 2020a. Scottish Biodiversity Strategy post 2020 - A Statement of Intent.
NatureScot. 2020b. Personal Communication
Police Scotland. 2019. Personal Communication
Scottish Forestry. 2020. Personal Communication
Scottish Government. 2015. Scotland’s Wild Deer a National Approach, Including 2015-20 Priorities.
Scottish Government. 2021b Personal Communication
Scottish Government. Undated. Deer Working Group.
Scottish Natural Heritage. 2011. Code of Practice on Deer Management. Available at: Code of Practice on Deer Management. 2011. Scottish Natural Heritage.
Scottish Natural Heritage. 2017. Deer Management Plans: Delivering the Public Interest.
Watson, P. Putman, R & Green, P. 2009. Methods of control of wild deer appropriate for use in the urban environment in England. Deer Initiative Research Report 09/4.
Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011
7. Appendices
7.1 Appendix 1 - Information requested and meetings held in preparing this statement
Meetings
3 December 2020– Inception meeting with Mark Brand, Joe Connelly and Stephen McHenry, East Renfrewshire Council.
Information requested from NatureScot
- Details of any deer counts / monitoring involving SNH in East Renfrewshire?
- Cull returns received from properties in East Renfrewshire
- Authorisations granted in East Renfrewshire for night shooting, shooting out of season.
- Fit and competent persons within East Renfrewshire
- Deer Vehicle Collision maps for East Renfrewshire
- Summary details, if available to SNH, of any complaints raised in relation to deer by farming, forestry, private citizens?
- Designated sites in East Renfrewshire in unfavourable condition due to deer impacts?
Information requested from East Renfrewshire Council
- Details of land owned/managed by East Renfrewshire Council
- Details of any deer impacts recorded in public parks
- Details of the Councils policy in respect of Deer Vehicle Collisions
- Details of information provision to encourage public enjoyment of deer in East Renfrewshire
Other information requests
British Deer Society – contacted by email requesting any additional information on distribution of deer in East Renfrewshire.
Forestry and Land Scotland – requested information deer management at Whitelee Forest. Videoconference call on the 21 December 2020. Also a telephone conversation with the contract deer manager at Whitelee Forest.
Glasgow City Council – contacted in relation to deer management in the Glasgow City part of the Dams to Darnley Country Park. No response was received.
Lowland Deer Network Scotland. Telephone conversation with a member of LDNS from East Renfrewshire.
National Farmers Union of Scotland - a paragraph was included in a newsletter to local members explaining the project and with contact details. No NFUS members got in touch.
Police Scotland – information provided by Police Scotland in relation to prior work in East Lothian in 2019 was that a more detailed breakdown of wildlife crimes involving deer could not be provided as it would breach the cost threshold for providing a response.
Scottish Forestry – requested information re: deer damage to forestry in East Renfrewshire. Telephone conversation with Forest District Manager.
Scottish Land and Estates – contacted to describe project. Local members were contacted in case they wanted to report any issues. No members got in touch.
Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) – requested information on any callouts or reports related to deer welfare in East Renfrewshire. Nil response.
Scottish Wildlife Trust – contacted to ask for information about deer, deer management and deer impacts at their Loch Libo reserve.
Transport Scotland – requested information on green bridges and other green infrastructure installed as part of A9 dualling project, and received a detailed response with information on what has been done on each stage of the project, and links to supporting references.
7.2 Appendix 2 - Maps
Map 1 - Change in Woodland Cover in East Renfrewshire 1988-2018
Map 2 - Deer Vehicle Collisions recorded in East Renfrewshire 2008 to 2012
Map 3 – Deer Vehicle Collisions recorded in East Renfrewshire 2013 to 2017
7.3 Appendix 3 - NatureScot's approach to deer management
Appendix 3 - NatureScot's approach to deer management
Click for a full description
Involvement
NatureScot can advise to what extent the Code is relevant to your circumstances
NatureScot can work with you to:
Identify how to maximise the net public benefit for your land/property
Minimise/reduce negative impacts to the public interest
NatureScot can provide advice on ways to develop appropriate and effective:
Links with the local community
Collaboration with neighbours
Also, where issues are identified, NatureScot can provide guidance to help resolve them
NatureScot can provide advice on:
The planning process
Managing impacts through habitat and population assessments etc.
Possible threat to public interest identified by NatureScot
Intervention
Where damage is occurring to the public interest, NatureScot may facilitate negotiation to reach a solution. This can include instigating a Deer Panel (Section 4) or a Voluntary Control Agreement (Section 7)
NatureScot assesses whether a public interest is continuing to be damaged and whether it will be addressed by the land manager's actions
Regulation
Where a Voluntary Control Agreement has failed or has a high risk of failing, NatureScot may seek to implement regulation through a Control Scheme (Section 8) or where necessary take Emergency Measures to address damage to public interest.
When monitoring demonstrates objectives are being met, regulation ends.
