Launch of Draft Management Plan Consultation

The management plan for the Forth Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is being updated and people with an interest in the bridge and surrounding area are invited to comment on the draft plan.

The Forth Bridge was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2015. UNESCO asks that all World Heritage Sites maintain a management plan to support the future management needs of a World Heritage Site, to coordinate the interests of associated organisations, groups and individuals, and to maximise the benefits and minimise any negative impacts from the World Heritage Site status.

The Forth Bridge’s Management Plan is now ten years old and is being updated in 2025 for the next ten-year period.

Earlier this year, members of the public were asked to for their input into the content for the new management plan. The results gathered from that have helped a multi-partner working group prepare a draft management plan for public consultation.

As well as an online questionnaire, there will be opportunities to find out more at a public meeting and local drop-in sessions. Details are below and further updates will be published on the Forth Bridges website and social media pages.

Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council's spokesperson for finance, economy and strategic planning said: “The Forth Bridge is an iconic structure of global significance, and its World Heritage status is something we are immensely proud of. Updating the management plan ensures we protect its heritage while supporting the communities and businesses around it.”

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Planning Convener at the City of Edinburgh Council added: “The Forth Bridge is a major rail crossing into the Capital from Fife linking the north with the central belt and the south. Carrying more than 200 trains every day it’s a well-known feat of engineering and one of the first large scale steel structures in the world. Its restoration was complete in 2011 and it’s important that the management plan makes sure it is kept as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We want to ensure this iconic structure is looked after for generations to come. I’d encourage Edinburgh residents to contribute to the consultation”

People are encouraged to give feedback on the draft plan by completing an online questionnaire by 31 March 2026 at: www.fife.gov.uk/forthbridge

Or, by scanning the QR code below:

A public meeting will be held on Tuesday 20 January at the Contact & Education Centre, Ferrymuir Gait, South Queensferry from 6pm until 8pm.  Please register to attend this meeting here.

And drop-in sessions are planned for throughout January 2026:

• 14 Jan 1pm-4pm, Rosebery Hall, South Queensferry
• 15 Jan, 10am-2pm,  Inverkeithing Civic Centre
• 15 Jan, 3.30pm-7pm, North Queensferry Community Complex
• 19 Jan, 10am-1pm, Parkgate Centre, Rosyth
• 20 Jan, 2pm-5pm, Contact & Education Centre, South Queensferry
• 22 Jan, 11am-2pm, South Queensferry Library

Image Credit: VisitScotland/Stuart Brunton