Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty AONB Office, 4 Castle Street, Cranborne, Dorset BH21 5PZ Tel No; 01725 517417 Email: info@cranbornechase.org.uk Partnership Panel Meeting Thursday 6 th June 2013 The Hulse Hall, Breamore SP6 2EA 10.00am for 10.30am start MINUTES Member Organisation Present Apologies James Stanford OBE Chairman Michael Mounde Chair of Rural Economy Group/ Richard Broadhead Sowing SEEDS / Vice Chairman PP Wiltshire Council and Chair of Steering Group Cllr Jean Hazel East Dorset District Council Cllr Simon Tong deputy East Dorset District Council Richard Henshaw EDDC Officer Judith Plumley EDDC Officer Cllr Adrian Dobinson Mendip District Council David Clark MDC Officer Cllr David Walsh North Dorset District Council Cllr Deirdre Skipwith North Dorset District Council Kevin Morris NDDC Officer Cllr Edward Heron New Forest District Council Neil Williamson NFDC Officer Cllr Lucy Wallace South Somerset District Council Katy Menday SSDC Officer Cllr Fleur de Rhe-Philipe Wiltshire Council Cllr Bridget Wayman Wiltshire Council Cllr David Jenkins Wiltshire Council Mark Smith Wiltshire Officer Cllr Steve Butler Dorset County Council Cllr Mervyn Jeffery SUB Dorset County Council Peter Moore DCC Officer Cllr Steve Rippon-Swaine Hampshire County Council Mark Wilson HCC Officer Cllr William Wallace Somerset County Council Chris Edwards Somerset C C Officer Richard Lemon Natural England Susan Batstone Natural England SUB Ian Briscoe Forestry Commission Lee Dawson Forestry Commission SUB 1
Alistair Fitzgerald NFU / Farmer Phil Matthews Wiltshire Association of Town & Parish Councils Mike Jones Dorset Association of Town & Parish Councils Vacant English Heritage Paul Cottington National Farmers Union Ben Kerwood Campaign to Protect Rural England Gavin Fauvel Chair of Land Managers Advisory Forum Vacant Chair of Planning & Transportation Topic Group / AONB Team Position Linda Nunn FT AONB Director David Blake FT Project Development Officer Anne Carney PT Funding / Partnership Officer Nicky Matthews PT Communications Officer Richard Burden PT Landscape and Planning Advisor Tracy Adams FT Farmland Bird Officer Harry Bell PT GIS Officer Shirley Merrick PT Team Support Officer Jo Taylor PT Team Support Officer Deb Beeson FT Sustainable Rural Tourism Officer Councillor Jean Hazel is now the representative member of EDDC on this Panel, with Councillor Simon Tong acting as the deputy member. Councillor Steve Butler is now the representative member of Dorset County Council, with Councillor Mervyn Jeffery acting as the deputy member. North Dorset representation stays the same. 1. WELCOME AND OPENING COMMENTS FROM THE CHAIR ACTION 1 1. The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and apologies were recorded. 2. MINUTES OF THE MEETING 8 th NOVEMBER 2012 ACTION 2 1. The minutes were agreed as a true record ACTION 3 None 3. MATTERS ARISING AONB presentation to CEO s event. The Steering Group was asked to determine whether this event should be organised or not. 2
4. REPORT A - STEERING GROUP All items covered in Report A are covered further in the following reports. 3.2 The core budget was 2,900 under spent due to an error at County Hall over the office rent payments. The error was only notified to LN when it was too late to rectify the situation. Richard Broadhead (RB) has offered to assist LN in any future issues with the budgets. ACTION 4 1. The Panel notes the work of the Steering Group 2. RB to assist LN in any future queries 5. REPORT B - MOA AND BUDGETS 2013-14 LN updated members on the progress of the MOA being adopted by the Local Authority partners. Wiltshire Council the MOA has been signed by Councillor de Rhe Philipe. NDDC with their legal department portfolio holder still to be appointed. (Post meeting note Cllr David Walsh appointed) KM reported he had a meeting arranged next week with the legal department. Dorset County Council s outstanding questions have been resolved and the portfolio holder had agreed to sign the MOA. EDDC JP reported that her councillors had agreed to sign the MOA on Tuesday 4 th July. HCC the MOA will be signed by a Director or Executive Member. The budget figures for this year are as presented at the last Panel meeting. ACTION 5 1. The Panel notes that Local Authority partners are progressing with signing the MoA 2. The Panel notes that every effort is being made to ensure budget figures this financial year are kept in such a way that full expenditure can be achieved. 6. REPORT C SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FUND The very detailed report on the future of the Sustainable Development Fund was presented by David Blake. The options for how the fund should operate were discussed. Members resolved to keep the way the SDF operates now, and asked to defer any decision until its next meeting in December regarding SDF 2014/15. ACTION 6 1. The Panel discussed how it wished to move forward regarding the operation of the Sustainable Development Fund, and deferred the decision until December. 3
7. REPORT D - COUNTRYSIDE CENTRE & CHARITABLE BODY LN briefed the meeting on the progress of the Countryside Centre regarding the location, the buildings and the Business Plan. The terms, length of the lease and the annual rental fee have still to be agreed; a meeting between the Head of Property Services at Wiltshire Council, the AONB Team, and the landowner will be arranged to progress this. It is still the intention to look to set up some form of charitable body. ACTION 7 1. The Partnership notes the progress on arranging discussions on the potential lease arrangements with the landowner 2. R Broadhead to ensure a staff member of the Property Services is given the responsibility of dealing with the centre lease issues. 3. The Panel recommends that a small Working Group considers how best to move forward regarding setting up a Charitable Body to work alongside the AONB MM & JP offered to sit on this group. 8. REPORT E MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW LN thanked Richard Burden and David Blake for their valuable input into the review, and special thanks to Anne Carney for the substantial amount of work she has done. The first draft is expected by Friday 14 th June. This will be sent out to Panel members and all Topic Groups on that date. LN and AC are working on the appendices. The three month consultation period will be August to October. The final Management Plan will come to the next Panel meeting on 12 th December for endorsement. LN reported on the consultations that have taken place, and the great feedback, comments and quotes already received. ACTION 8 1. The Panel notes progress on the Management Plan review and the slightly amended timetable. 2. The Panel expects to receive a copy of the first draft, text only, by email, for comment before the end of June. 3. Any members who wish to have a hard copy of the draft please let the office know in advance. 9. REPORT F TEAM UPDATE Purpose To update the Panel on the work of the team since the March 2013 meeting. 1. Linda Nunn AONB Director 4
Management Plan review covered above Countryside Centre covered above Annual Forum covered above under Management Plan review Land Use Consultants commissioned by the National Association for AONB s to question AONBs on how they would handle cuts in DEFRA funding. The results of this work will be reported at the next Panel meeting. (IUCN) - Protected Area Management Categories - NAAONB work on continuing to secure Category V status for AONBs in England and Wales. LN has submitted the required forms to the NAAONB. The potential AONB name change was discussed. Cranborne Chase is by far the most popular choice. Councillors de Rhe Philipe and Wayman to meet to discuss Wiltshire Councils reaction to dropping West Wiltshire Downs from its name. LN agreed to bring a map to the next meeting, showing the outer bounds of the original Cranborne Chase. 2. David Blake Project Development Officer The Stepping Stones project is funded by Natural England. Plug plants to be grown this year ready for planting in 2014 in areas identified last year. July 16 th, Land Managers Forum, Cecil Memorial Hall, Cranborne, will discuss game management, and input into the Management Plan review. The Ancient Tree Project is funded by HCC. The Woodland Trust has trained Volunteers to identify and record ancient trees in five Hampshire parishes. The work will be displayed at the Woodfair. 3. Tracy Adams Farmland Bird Advisor Eight farm visits since the last Panel Meeting in March. Last year was the worst on record for breeding of ground nesting birds. Starvation is a great concern for lapwing and stone curlew. 16 pairs of turtle dove are foraging in a local farmers yard. There are still issues for farmers over the HLS scheme. A presentation of the work was given at Wessex Water s Partners Programme by TA. TA attented a South West Farmland Bird Initiative meeting to discuss the future of the project and celebrate the success to date. 4. Anne Carney Funding & Partnerships Officer Management Plan review as discussed earlier. Restoration of the 7th Regiment of London military badge at Sutton Down AC is assisting this group to access Heritage Lottery Funding. 5
Assisting with the Upper Deverills Parish Plan and Village Design Statement 5. Nicky Matthews Communications Officer Cranborne Chase Woodfair 5th & 6th October, Breamore House. All LA partners are welcome to help on the weekend, and invited to have their own display stands. Communication teams are encouraged to contact NM to discuss options. 6. Deb Beeson Sustainable Rural Tourism Project Coordinator Tourism Network of over 180 businesses. They receive regular e- shots. Partnership Working with TICs, three business chambers, Visit Wiltshire and the Green Tourism Business Scheme. 6 network events and training courses with over 130 businesses attending. 10 new walks and 10 new cycle routes volunteers are trialling these. Website information based on simple interactive maps. We have become a partner of Our Land project. A visitor and business survey is underway. The Sustainable Rural Tourism project ends on October 11th. LN and Deb Beeson will prepare a final report in advance of the December Panel meeting. 7. Richard Burden Landscape and Planning Advisor Landscapes of Highways a launch event is intended in the autumn for this report, probably at the P & T seminar in September. Wiltshire Core Strategy the Inspector has instructed the Council and the AONBs to agree appropriate wording on the issue of distinguishing between designated and undesignated countryside. Planning Applications major proposals for a water pipeline, grain stores, PV panels in fields, flood plain habitats and substantial farm workers dwellings have been responded to. Draft PV panel advice for field scale proposals. P & T still has no Chairman for RB to seek advice from. 8. Shirley Merrick and Jo Taylor AONB Support Officers Shirley and Jo are thanked as ever for their support of the team. Next Leader Bid To update the Panel on discussions that have been taking place regarding the next potential Leader bid This AONB, South Somerset and Mendip District Councils are looking at a potential tri-partite bid for the next round of Leader funding. There is a possibility of transition funding beginning on 1 st January 2014. A new Leader programme would start as of 1 st January 2015. LN will keep the Panel informed via email. 6
ACTIONS 9 1. The Panel notes the ongoing and varied work of the AONB team 2. The Panel notes that they will receive a first draft of the Management Plan on June 14th and the official first draft Plan for the three months formal public consultation period, August - October 2013 3. The Panel considered the potential to utilise the shorter name of Cranborne Chase as of 1st April 2014, although retaining the full legal title, but deferred this decision until the Panel meeting in December. 12. SUMMARY BY THE CHAIRMAN The Chairman thanked Members for attending. 13. AOB At its last meeting the Dorset AONB had received a request to apply for National Park status. 14. DATE OF NEXT MEETING Thursday 12 th December 2013 - cancelled The meeting ended at 1pm Minutes signed as a true record on Thursday 9 th January 2014 By James Stanford OBE (Chairman) 7