New Forest National Park Authority Meeting NFNPA 484 /15 24 September 2015 Chief Executive’s Report NFNPA 484/15 NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY AUTHORITY MEETING – 24 September 2015 CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT Report by: Alison Barnes, Chief Executive Summary: This report covers the period since the Authority meeting on 16 July 2015. The report has been formatted to accord with the ‘Protect, Enjoy, Prosper and Aiming for Excellence’ themes from the 2015-18 Business Plan, summarised below: Protect Enjoy Prosper Our priorities: Our priorities: Our priorities: . Enhancing the New . Enabling high quality . Supporting a distinctive Forest’s landscapes experiences of the and prosperous local and habitats National Park economy . Ensuring new . Improving understanding . Promoting sustainable development is of the National Park transport sympathetic and in keeping with its . Managing recreation to . Encouraging surrounding benefit the National Park sustainable communities . Conserving the historic and local way of life Aiming for Excellence In all we do: . Providing the highest quality of service . Working with others in achieving maximum benefits for the National Park . Using available resources effectively and efficiently Recommendation: To note the report Contact: Alison Barnes Tel: 01590 646633, Email: [email protected] Equality & Diversity Implications: There are no equality or diversity implications arising directly from this report. New Forest National Park Authority Meeting NFNPA 484 /15 24 September 2015 Chief Executive’s Report NFNPA 484/15 NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY AUTHORITY MEETING – 24 September 2015 CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S REPORT Report by: Alison Barnes, Chief Executive INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW The format of this report reflects our new Business Plan, retaining the themes of Protect, Enjoy, Prosper and Achieving Excellence but reporting progress under our new objectives. The Management Plan update has been officially endorsed by most partner organisations and work has begun on establishing the governance and monitoring of the actions going forward. Now we look to revise our planning policies through the Local Plan consultation, taking into account how Government policy has changed over the past five years and how changes in the Forest should be reflected in our policies. I would urge everyone to become involved in the various stages of the consultation process over the next year as this will set the framework for future development across the Forest. Our current policies continue to serve us well - 85% of the latest appeals have been dismissed, with the Planning Inspectorate offering strong support for our local planning policies. We heard on 11 September that the Government had refused consent for the Navitus Bay wind farm. Although the scheme would have contributed to national renewable energy targets, we had significant concerns about both the onshore and offshore impacts of the proposed scheme on the nationally-protected landscape of the New Forest. The Authority and the South Downs National Park Authority joined discussions around a devolution bid for a Combined Authority for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The bid was submitted to Government, with both National Parks as signatories. Our ‘Protect’ work is continuing to show real differences on the ground, with invasive plants being removed, woodlands brought into management, community wildflower areas created and special New Forest species being surveyed and protected. As a result of these successes, Land Advice Service is receiving further funding to extend their remit and the Community Wildlife Plans Project has been awarded £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to work with volunteers improving the River Blackwater. We were also pleased to hear that National Grid have selected the New Forest as one of four locations in which they will progress the undergrounding of power cables with the opportunity of significant benefits to the landscape. We work hard to represent Forest issues at all levels. In particular this summer we have been liaising with the Forestry Commission to find solutions to commercial fungi picking, and with the FC and District Council to create awareness around litter reduction around the strapline ‘leave only footprints’. We also hosted a number of visits from Government officials, the Chief 2 New Forest National Park Authority Meeting NFNPA 484 /15 24 September 2015 Chief Executive’s Report Executive of Natural England and our MPs over the summer months to discuss our work and priorities, and seek their continued support. The New Forest Show was one of the busiest yet and our stand included activities for all ages showing how people can help care for the Forest, including building a traditional cob wall and seeking views on the Local Plan consultation on our planning policies. The stand won the prestigious Drummond Cup for Best Trade Stand. Also at the Show we were pleased to recognise, through our joint Awards with the CLA, champions in the areas of commoning, sustainability, rural diversification and local produce. Each were presented with trophies in the main ring and details of the deserving winners can be seen on our website. Our teams have spoken with thousands of people over the summer, encouraging visitors and residents to care for the Forest, and helping people learn and understand more about the National Park’s special qualities. Our seasonal rangers spoke to over 1,550 people during activities at the Camping in the Forest campsites; concierges working at Brockenhurst Station helped over 6,000 people choose car-free transport options. The New Forest Tour and visitor bus services have been well-received. We await an announcement on whether the Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape Partnership bid has been successful. The New Forest Remembers World War II, which is coming to an end of its 2 years, has been commended by HLF as hugely successful in engaging volunteers and for the legacy of the online portal of archives and oral history. Some of the WWII archaeology can be seen as part of an exciting exhibition on Lidar laser mapping of the landscape, which has just opened at the New Forest Centre. This will also showcase how this technique can help inform our management of the landscape into the future. I was also pleased to attend the launch of the Look In Look Out Observatory on the sea wall near Keyhaven. Part sculpture / part artist studio, these temporary structures are at Lymington for six months before moving to another protected landscape. The three artists in residence are working with local groups and schools while they are here to explore the National Park’s environment, history and culture. You can follow their progress atwww.lookinlookout.org. 3 New Forest National Park Authority Meeting NFNPA 484 /15 24 September 2015 Chief Executive’s Report DELIVERY OF NATIONAL PARK PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS The report has been formatted to accord with the ‘Protect, Enjoy, Prosper’ objectives from the 2015-18 Business Plan, a summary of which is set out on the first page. In addition, a fourth section, ‘Aiming for Excellence’, summarises those activities that support and contribute overall to all our work, and the final section lists Members’ activities and events. 1 Protect 1.1 Enhancing the Forest’s landscapes and habitats Community Wildlife Plans Project NFLAS and Fiona Wynne were successful in bringing £10,000 into the Community Wildlife Plans Project through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Sharing Heritage grant. This money will be spent on the River Blackwater where the project has helped to set up the Blackwater Conservation Group. https://blackwaterconservationgroup.wordpress.com/ A site visit was held at Barton Common, bringing together three organisations, to look at habitat management for reptiles. The national Natural England reptile specialist, staff from the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust and New Milton Town Council met with the project officers and made management decisions for adders which are present on the site. The team was involved with the Grow Wild Project in partnership with Kew Gardens and Transition Lymington, helping to plan and facilitate seeding of several of the wildflower areas in six community green spaces and 10 schools around the New Forest, particularly in the Barton on Sea and Lymington areas. A Woodland Management Plan for a site owned and managed by Milford on Sea Parish Council was finally agreed by the Council and implementation has begun after a lengthy process over several years, facilitated by NFLAS and the Community Wildlife Plans Project. The plan will see invasive plants removed and trees thinned and coppiced to enhance the wildlife of the site. The woodlands are adjacent to Studland Common, where NFLAS have helped to reinstate grazing and remove invasive scrub through an Environmental Stewardship Scheme, and therefore the area of habitat in positive management has increased considerably and will increase the diversity of wildlife in the area. Three survey workshops were carried out by the project to teach people about surveying for wildlife in ponds and rivers and how to find and identify bats. Five species of bats were identified during the bat survey workshop on the River Blackwater at Wellow. The Himalayan Balsam pulling season came to an end at the beginning of September after about 20 days were organised by the project and spent removing it from the River Blackwater with volunteers. Thanks to Craig Daters for his help running some of these days. New Forest Land Advice Service NFLAS and the National Trust launched the new Small Grant Scheme for the National Trust Northern Commons which will see up to £1000 being awarded to commoners who turn out stock onto the commons. Grants, which are possible due to NT’s Environmental Stewardship 4 New Forest National Park Authority Meeting NFNPA 484 /15 24 September 2015 Chief Executive’s Report scheme, will assist commoners with ensuring that they are carrying out best practice commoning which benefits the wildlife conservation of the commons.