New Forest National Park Authority Meeting NFNPA 484 /15 24 September 2015 Chief Executive’s Report

NFNPA 484/15 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 and the . 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

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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.

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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

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scheme, will assist commoners with ensuring that they are carrying out best practice commoning which benefits the wildlife conservation of the commons.

NFLAS are now part of a successful tender, in partnership with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIOWWT), to work on a contract for Natural England via a contractor called Promar. Working as a subcontractor, NFLAS and HIOWWT advisors are giving farmers and landowners specific advice on the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme through workshops, 1:1 hour-long meetings and/or four-hour farm visits. This will result in a small and unpredictable income for the Service but is nonetheless very welcome as the work mirrors advice the Service would be aiming to deliver anyway as part of its remit.

NFLAS helped to organise, and then attended part of, the visit of both New Forest MPs; Desmond Swayne and Julian Lewis. The MPs were taken to the Bisterne Estate where they had a New Forest Marque lunch and learnt about the work of NFLAS, the ‘Our Past, Our Future’ Landscape Partnership and the Better Boundaries Project which has been piloted at the Estate.

Matchmaking Service: Several farmers/commoners who are losing land have called in for assistance finding replacement land for grazing and/or haymaking. The Service is working with its contacts to try and help. In addition two Young Commoners were introduced to a landowner whose field is available for hay making.

A beekeeper researching the role of honey in a cure for MRSA, who had been given notice on his tenancy agreement, was introduced to the rangers at Foxbury and several hives will now be put on the site as a result.

A rare butterfly, the White Letter Hairstreak, which relies upon Elm as its food plant, was seen and photographed at Studland Common in Milford on Sea in an area where scrub has been removed (and elm retained) as part of the new management regime put in place by NFLAS.

Growing the Forest and Ecology

Defra consultants have delivered the results of their national work to place a financial value provided by the natural environment (‘Ecosystem Services’) this includes a specific analysis of the New Forest National Park. We are continuing to work with the consultants and supporting a meeting with Defra to explore the use of this work.

We facilitated a meeting with key wildlife stakeholders to take forward strategic actions to ‘Grow the Forest’ - this Natural Environment Strategy Group continues to build on ideas to coordinate delivery for wildlife and take forward actions in the Park Management Plan.

We are continuing to facilitate a group of local and national experts to develop plans and projects to survey and monitor reptiles and amphibians in the Park. Work is underway with survey for smooth snake. Appropriate refugia for reptiles have been set out, volunteers have been allocated to survey areas and final training being undertaken. Work will commence this autumn and continue in 2016 subject to consents. The group is also reviewing opportunities for assessing the status and distribution of Great created newt, building on current successful projects involving volunteer recorders.

Our work to host the New Forest Catchment Partnership is progressing well with project staff liaising with landowners to deliver a number of projects on the ground to improve water quality this autumn and winter. We have been working in partnership with wider Hampshire catchments to prioritise areas where unsuitably managed septic tanks may be causing

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pollution, technical analysis will be available later in September and interpretation materials are being produced. The Partnership attended the Lymington-Keyhaven Reserve Open Day to publicise the work and engage with people on pollution issues. We continue to support volunteers who are undertaking community water testing of their local waterbodies.

The period has again seen a significant input to our shared service with Council to deliver planning advice with over 35 planning applications being assessed as well as input to strategic meetings on alternative greenspace provision and liaison with developers.

We have also provided input to the Forestry Commission work to review the Forest Design Plan, attending a consultation workshop as well as providing individual support. We also attended a meeting organised by the Hampshire Wildlife Trust with local residents to discuss proposals for habitat restoration at Copythorne Common. Support has also been provided to the ecology aspects of electricity undergrounding at Hale Purlieu.

1.2 Ensuring new development is sympathetic and in keeping with its surroundings

Development Control

In this reporting period (16 July – 8 September), the team received 109 planning applications, with 100 decisions issued. The approval rate for the period was 81% and the vast majority of applications continue to be determined within the target timescales (97%).

Eleven appeals were determined and it has been encouraging to see that in most cases (85%) the appeals have been dismissed, with the Planning Inspectorate offering strong support for our local planning policies.

The number of pre-application enquiries continues to be high, notwithstanding the High Court decision to uphold developer contributions towards affordable housing.

We held our Annual Members’ Planning Tour on 10 September, attended by eight members of the planning committee and two guest Members from Dartmoor NPA. The Tour provides a valuable opportunity for Members to review completed developments and helps to inform the future considerations of the Planning Development Control Committee.

A Planning Training/Update Event for Parish and Town Councils is to be held on 22 September 2015 in the Lyndhurst Community Centre. To date, some 70 Parish and Town Council representatives have booked a place on the course which amongst other items, will consider the Local Plan Review, the planning application process and enforcement procedures.

Enforcement and Trees

Since the beginning of July the Enforcement and Trees team has served four Enforcement Notices directed against the most harmful breaches of planning control. We have also had cause to serve four Temporary Stop Notices to immediately halt otherwise unacceptable building works due to adverse impacts on trees and the character and appearance of the area. We have concluded 68 investigations into potential breaches and within this negotiated the resolution of 27 actual breaches of planning control. We have also been at the High Court to progress the two cases where we are seeking an injunction to resolve long-standing planning breaches. We now have dates for both trials which will be heard before the end of the year.

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In respect of trees, we have served six new Tree Preservation Orders in July and August to protect trees that were under threat and which were important to retain owing to the contribution to the amenity of their respective areas. A further 199 Tree Work Applications were determined during July and August. Our Family Trees initiative has also gathered pace with 212 people registered to attend as at 1 September for the planting which will take place on 28 November.

Policy

Following approval at our Annual General Meeting in July, the other partner authorities and statutory bodies are in the process of formally endorsing the New Forest National Park Management Plan update 2015-2020. This is expected to be completed by the end of September and the leadership group will meet in October to discuss how progress against the actions will be monitored in the future.

Our planning role continues to be a key statutory power through which the two Park purposes and related socio-economic duty are delivered. The ‘local plan’ plays a central role in the planning system and hawse have now started a review of our adopted planning policies which date back to 2010. Following awareness raising over the summer (including information at the New Forest Show and presentations at the parish quadrant meetings, the New Forest Consultative Panel and the annual planning agent’s meeting), a formal six week consultation marking the initial stage of the review was launched in early September. The consultation document has been sent to a wide range of local groups, stakeholders and the public and at this stage people are being asked what they feel are the main planning issues facing the National Park.

Local Town and Parish Councils in the New Forest continue to express an interest in preparing ‘Neighbourhood Plans’. These were introduced under the previous Government’s Localism Act 2011 which empowers local communities to prepare their own plans for the first time. These Neighbourhood Plans can be as narrow or as broad in scope as the local community wishes and will, once adopted, have the same status in planning decision making as our own local planning policies. Lymington & Pennington and Hythe & Dibden are the latest local councils which have started working on a Neighbourhood Plan, joining New Milton, Milford-on-Sea and Totton & Eling – all of which include land within the National Park.

Navitus Bay Application

On 11 September 2015 the Government announced its decision to refuse the Navitus Bay wind-park application. This follows the examination in public hearing sessions held between September 2014 - March 2015 and the accompanied sites visits conducted by the panel of Government Planning Inspectors in December 2015. The Authority (like all other affected planning authorities) was a consultee on the application and our ‘Local Impact Report’ - setting out our views on what the likely impacts of the development would have been on the National Park - was submitted to the Government for consideration as part of the examination process. Although the scheme would have contributed to national renewable energy targets, we had significant concerns about both the onshore and offshore impacts of Navitus Bay on the nationally-protected landscape of the New Forest.

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1.3 Conserving the historic environment and local way of life

Design advice and guidance

Nominations continue to be received for our annual Building Design Awards Scheme which recognises the positive contribution new development can make to the built environment of the National Park. Launched at the beginning of July, nominations have been received in all three categories (extensions; individual buildings and larger developments) and once the nomination period closes in October entries will be considered by a panel made up of five National Park Authority Members and specialist staff. Encouragingly nominations have been received from a range of people, including local parish councils, architects and local residents.

The shared building design and conservation service between the National Park Authority and New Forest District Council (hosted by the Authority) has now been established for nearly six months. The service is now fully staffed and the benefits of a pooled team of specialist officers are now being realised. Following the successful cob demonstration at the New Forest Show, we are looking to support traditional building skills through a training programme delivered through the ‘Our Past, Our Future’ HLF bid to help conserve and enhance the historic built environment of the New Forest.

Conservation Area Action Plan for the Western Escarpment Conservation Area

The Western Escarpment Conservation Area Steering Group met twice in September to take forward the verge damage project. The second of these two meetings included a range of statutory bodies – including Hampshire County Council (in its capacity as the local highways authority), Natural England, the Forestry Commission and the National Trust – and the group is aiming to pilot a range of potential solutions to the problems caused by verge parking and overrunning in the Conservation Area.

New Forest Remembers World War II

The online portal (www.newforestww2.org) continues to grow, as content is uploaded from our ‘off-line’ archive as well as by contributions by the general public. The two new oral history interviews, mentioned in the July report, have now been completed. One of these being with Mr Ted Bentley (92) the last living crew member of a vessel that left from Lepe on D-Day taking Canadian armoured divisions to Juno beach.

The project’s final report, evaluation and HLF claim were all finished and submitted on time. The project report is over 100,000 words. It, along with the 26 appendices, will be added to the portal very soon along with the two evaluation reports conducted by Padmini Bromfield of the Oral History Society (oral history element) and Maritime Archaeology Trust (overall project review). Below are some extracts from those reports followed by a short statement from our Grant Officer at the HLF. ‘The volunteer programme…was considered one of the highlights of the project with the number of participants far exceeding the expected targets. The range of tasks undertaken by volunteers … made a significant contribution to the success of the project. Many of the volunteers have shown interest in continuing their involvement with the National Park…’

Maritime Archaeology Trust, 2015. The New Forest Remembers: Untold Stories of WWII, Project Evaluation ‘… it is evident that the New Forest Remembers oral history project has been successful in capturing the memories of a wide range of people who were involved in or remember the war

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time activities in the area. The project more than met its aims of recording interviews and collecting related material, involving local volunteers and making the results accessible to a wide audience.’

Padmini Bromfield (Oral History Society), 2014. Oral History, Project Evaluation Report ‘The report conveys very clearly the significant contribution that has been made by the project to the Historic Environment Record, enhancing knowledge of the impact of the Second World War and wider social history in the New Forest. It is good to see… the variety of community engagement and volunteering activities the project has provided. The team should be very pleased at what the project has achieved.’

Eleanor McGrath, 2015. Grants Officer- South East England, Heritage Lottery Fund ‘The project has been hugely successful, going well beyond all initial expectations. This success is in part down to the support, help and assistance given by many members of staff at the NFNPA from Communications to Business Support as well as the team of volunteers. A big thank you to every one for their involvement in the project.’

New Forest Remembers World War I

Further research continues into the WWI activities in the Forest with potentially new documents being discovered in the British Library relating to the Indian Hospital in Brockenhurst and a series of photographs of the War Dog Training School in Lyndhurst. Plans for the WWI exhibition continue, a date is fixed for a three month display at the New Forest Centre starting on 6 February 2016 followed by a travelling display visiting all the local libraries. Take-up by the local groups, to be involved in this exhibition, has to date been slow but it is still hoped that more will come on board over the next few weeks.

Reclamation: Indian Troops of the New Forest

Work has started to develop a 2-3 year project to reclaim the hidden history of the New Forest Indian troops, to share it with a wider, more diverse public and to preserve it for future generations. Reclamation: Indian Troops of the New Forest will be a partnership with the Singh Twins, New Forest Centre and Art Asia. A number of options are currently being explored to fund the project which would commence in 2016 and run till 2018.

The New Forest’s connection to the history of the Indian troops during WW1 is : • a training camp at Ashurst where they were gathered before leaving for the front line • convalescent camps / hospitals at Brockenhurst and Barton on Sea • cremation sites

The current thinking is that the project would involve the following key elements: 1. Research into the photographic archive of Indian soldiers and other sources 2. Work with local and neighbouring communities to research, discover further histories and understand how this should best be interpreted. 3. Create a public artwork, which explores, highlights and offers an artistic interpretation of the New Forest Indian troops history. This will seek to connect the individual stories and historical information and locations to present a story of the Indian Troops’ experience within the Forest. 4. Develop a New Forest digital public trail that links various imagery within the artwork with physical locations in the Forest (and further afield) that are associated with the New Forest Indian troops story.

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5. Establish an online educational resource that will provide a legacy and means of facilitating ongoing, potentially global, public access to the story of the New Forest Indian troops and their contribution to WWI. 6. A book on the history of New Forest Indian Troops and the artwork.

Festival of Archaeology 2015

Over 500 people attended the New Forest Heritage Weekend in July at Lepe Country Park as part of the Festival of British Archaeology. The event hosted a number of different local and national groups and organisations who presented their research with the New Forest National Park. Guided walks, lectures and interactive activities all allowed the general public to get hands-on with history and learn about the unique heritage of the New Forest.

New Forest Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Scheme LIDAR and archaeological survey

Lidar analysis continues with the HLS now reaching the mid-way point in the 10 year scheme. A number of volunteers were acknowledged both by the National Park and the HLS board for their time and dedication towards survey work as part of the scheme during the HLS AGM in April and survey work will re-commence in October once the bracken has died back. On 17 September a preview evening was held for invited guests to view the HLS Lidar exhibition which will run between September 2015 and January 2016 at the New Forest Centre, Lyndhurst. The exhibition looks to review some of the work carried out over the last five years as well as present the data and discoveries in a number of different interactive ways.

The Walhampton Monument and the Solent Way

Ongoing assistance has been provided to the Sir Harry Burrard-Neele 250 group through staff advice and grant aid from the Sustainable Development Fund and the archaeology budget. The work has been a collaborative effort with volunteers, members of local Lymington groups, Lymington and Pennington Town Council, The Hampshire Gardens Trust, Hampshire County Council, New Forest District Council, St Barbe Museum and the Lymington Society.

The Solent Way footpath that leads past the monument commemorating the naval hero has been upgraded and improved along with drainage works and the removal of invasive tree species. Much of the work of vegetation clearance was undertaken by Community Pay Back individuals and Hampshire Conservation Volunteers along with Town Council staff and contractors.

We commissioned a report on the condition of the grade 2 listed 76ft high Walhampton monument. It is anticipated that the work will be managed by a conservation architect. This should lead to a Heritage Lottery bid for its complete cleaning and conservation. The monument is constructed of granite from the same quarry and at the same time as Nelson’s Column was being constructed in London.

Members of the Royal family contributed to its erection and nearly £1,500 was raised between 1840 from the time of Sir Harry’s death and 1842 when the monument was completed.

The commemorative festival on 16 September involves the ship HMS Medusa - a Harbour Defense Motor Launch involved with ‘D-Day and a current P2000 patrol and training vessel visiting the Lymington River. Two new signboards on the footpath to the monument will be unveiled. An evening concert will take place in the parish church where Sir Harry’s monument, recently professionally cleaned, will be re-dedicated to his memory. The gas column that also

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commemorates him next to the Royal Lymington Yacht Club has also been refurbished and will be the starting point in one of our walks for the Walking Festival in October.

Maritime Archaeology

Continuing from the highly successful HLF maritime project our archaeologists have been working closely with the Heritage Lottery Funded National CITiZAN (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network). There are some 70,000 sites along the British coastline that are at risk before they are lost to the sea. Volunteers are being encouraged to assist with recording them, such as the Second World War anti-tank installations at Barton-on-sea that pose a threat to swimmers. These will be removed by the District Council when conditions are favourable. Other sites along the New Forest coast will be recorded after winter storms and during periods of exceptionally low tides.

2 Enjoy

2.1 Enabling high quality experiences of the National Park

Outreach and health and wellbeing

Our workshop in spring has helped shape our approach to realising the health and wellbeing benefits of the natural and cultural heritage of the New Forest. In September we attended the New Forest Health and Wellbeing Forum action planning and offered to promote active volunteering and the annual walking festival to new audiences which can benefit. We have also run a pilot session with the Coates Centre in Lymington for their users, on how people impacted by illness or bereavement can access the National Park.

Inclusive cycling

The New Forest inclusive cycling project (now operating under the moniker PEDALL) has engaged with 550 people from a diverse section of society since the beginning of April. A not- for-profit organisation is being established over the coming months and trustees are currently being sought to drive this project further in the future. As an example, the team had a fantastic session on Hill House School (a secondary school that works with pupils autistic spectrum disorders, severe learning difficulties and associated challenging behaviour) in Boldre’s new playground area, which they call ‘The Hub’. Staff were filming throughout and have now published a video on their website which gives a great insight into the work that this project is delivering and the impact it has: www.cambiangroup.com/ourservices/service/detail.aspx?Id=14&s=14&News_Id=657&Title=St udents-take-new-wheels-for-a-spin

2.2 Improving understanding of the National Park

Public and community events / rangers

A busy summer has included many public events, including the successful New Forest Show where our stand won the prestigious Drummond Trade Stand Cup for the best trade stand at the Show. Our stand welcomed 3,000 people who took park in various challenges around how we can protect the New Forest for the future. The stand included the chance to help build a cob wall, race against the clock to pull up invasive plants, map the archaeology of the Forest and find out about its rare habitats. There was a planning element to the stand too, where we

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gained views from local and visitor alike on the big issues facing the Park in the future. Over 400 people discussed cob wall building and repairs with the team.

Other events included Wild Play in the Forest event which hosted 400 people at Anderwood, Discover your National Park Day at the New Forest Centre as well as regular mobile unit and Wild Wednesday sessions.

The seasonal rangers, sponsored by Camping in the Forest, have spoken to 1,551 people in 28 sessions over eight weeks.

Interpretation projects

July 17 saw the opening of the Observatory at Lymington – Keyhaven Nature Reserve. This innovative project, led by local charity SPUD, and supported by the Authority along with many other organisations and businesses, has created a ‘sculptural installation that is an intervention, a space, a platform, a shelter and a look-out for a series of artist’s residencies to take place’. The first artist in residence has been meeting hundreds of people a day on the sea wall and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about this temporary addition to the New Forest land and seascape. Two more artists will use the observatory in the autumn and winter before it leaves the National Park for Dorset.

Communications

We launched the local plan consultation including a press release and an exhibition at the New Forest Show.

Our revised Pocket Guide visitor publication which further highlights our ‘caring for the Forest’ messages has received great feedback and required further copies to be printed.

We worked with NFDC and the Forestry Commission to launch a summer litter campaign. This has included ‘leave only footprints’ posters which were distributed widely across the Forest and coastal areas, press releases, social media posts and the backing of our two MPs during their visit with us, which resulted in several media articles.

Our joint Awards with the CLA were presented at the New Forest Show to reward people who were championing the Forest in the categories of sustainability, commoning, rural diversification and local produce. The presentation in the main ring was followed by a reception for current and prospective corporate supporters and sponsors.

The Walking Festival takes place over two weeks from 17 October with guided walks for people to discover more about the culture, history and wildlife of the New Forest. This year 80 walks are available for booking compared to 30 last year, many of which are provided by partner organisations and local businesses.

Over the summer period we promoted a number of visits we hosted to showcase our work and issues in the Forest. These included Defra Director Sonia Phippard, our MPs, and the Chief Executive of Natural England.

This year’s target of achieving 25,000 social media followers has almost been reached. These channels are proving an increasingly cost-effective way of engaging our audiences around our messages and events.

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Formal education

We worked with 411 children from six schools, including delivering the final First Forest Footsteps Litter Assembly; work will soon begin on planning next year’s assembly.

We were fortunate to receive two excellent work experience students from local schools, both nervously entering the world of work for the first time. Their own words best express their experience with the Authority: ‘I have loved my work experience, it has been great to explore so many different aspects of the New Forest’ (Archie) and ‘I really enjoyed my work placement, especially working with the children at Bolderwood. Thank you to the National Park Authority for having me!’ (Tilly). Many thanks to all staff who made the young people welcome during their time with us.

The students’ help during this busy time was invaluable; Tilly’s art skills enabled her to prepare all the resources for the children’s activity at the New Forest Show, and the Our Forest, Our Future Conference for Secondary Schools, which took place on 10 July benefitted from Archie’s IT skills and talent for photography.

The conference was funded by the New Forest Association and supported by members of the Educators’ Forum. 50 delegates from five local secondary schools took part in workshops on the special qualities of the National Park, and the issues which threaten its future. They then worked in groups to present their views on the issues to the rest of the delegates.

In the words of one student, ‘I enjoyed finding out the facts, and moving from activity to activity and the variation of each, but all linking back to one important thing….the Forest.’ Another summed up, ‘Lots to do. I was never bored.’

2.3 Managing recreation to benefit the National Park

Recreation management strategy The Recreation Management Strategy (RMS) Steering Group has completed drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to summarise the desirable outcomes, guiding principles and criteria that underpin the way in which statutory organisations will work together to improve the management of recreation across the New Forest. This important document is on the agenda for this Authority meeting. The RMS Steering and Advisory Groups are keen to progress to the next stage in which specific proposals are developed.

Natural England staff have started working on the proposed coastal path. Whilst this will be relatively easy along some sections of the New Forest coast, there are significant concerns about potential impacts on wildlife on other sections. Officers hope to clarify the role of the NPA very soon – we are well-placed to understand and advise about the various issues that will need to be overcome before a route can be agreed.

Educational campaigns Educational messages continue to be embedded in a range of activities, some of which are reported elsewhere in this report (e.g. Date with Nature, litter campaign, various events, New Forest Tour and the New Forest Show).

We have continued to monitor the organisation and impacts of larger cycle events and at the time of writing are looking ahead to the weekend of 19-20 September when the next UK Cycling Events sportive is to take place; the women-only Cycletta is also planned for the

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Sunday. Events with low flow-rates of cyclists (i.e. less than say 10 cyclists/minute) generally have minimal impact on other road users. A report will be brought to the Authority in January assessing the efficacy of the Cycle Event Organisers’ Charter. Following input from Members, officers commented on HCC’s Cycling Strategy which included several references to cycle events.

Questionnaire results show that very high percentages of dog walkers expect commercial dog walkers to keep control over dogs while being walked and to pick up after the dogs. We plan to discuss these results with commercial dog walkers in the hope that those that currently don’t do these things will rise to these expectations. The New Forest Dog Walking Code mentions ‘stick and flick’ as an option in some circumstances but we are hoping that this can be removed from the code to simplify and strengthen the message.

New Forest Access Forum

The Access Forum met on 7 October. It received a presentation from Natural England’s Coastal Access Team, who explained the processes to implement the proposals outlined in the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 to develop the England Coastal Path between Christchurch and Calshot. It also received a presentation from Ordnance Survey on a project to provide the public with more detailed digital maps of walking and cycling routes within the UK’s National Parks. The Forum has been assisting officers with the development of a new campaign film to encourage mutual respect between different users of tracks, paths and roads within the National Park which will be launched soon.

3 Prosper 3.1 Supporting a distinctive and prosperous local economy

On 4 September 2015, the Leader of Hampshire County Council, Cllr Roy Perry, submitted to Government a devolution bid for a Combined Authority for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The devolution agenda has been gathering pace since Greater Manchester Combined Authority secured the first devolution deal in November 2014, which included increased powers over transport, planning, housing, and skills. The Chancellor’s Budget on 8 July 2015 extended this, signalling opportunities for further devolution around planning, fire and rescue services and children’s services.

The Government is now working towards a second devolution deal for Sheffield, Liverpool City Region and Leeds and West Yorkshire, whilst Cornwall has secured the first ‘county deal’. Derby and Derbyshire and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are also progressing work to develop a deal, which will span two Combined Authority areas.

On 19 June 2015, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association (HIOWLGA) agreed to support the exploration of a Wider Hampshire model as a basis for a Combined Authority covering the County Council, Hampshire’s 11 District and Borough Councils, the two City Councils of and and Isle of Wight Council. The Solent and M3 Local Enterprise Partnership Boards were also invited to be full partners.

An invitation was extended to the two National Park Authorities (New Forest and South Downs) to attend a briefing session on 26 August 2015. As a result of this meeting, it was agreed that the two Authorities should be full partners and on this basis, the Authorities are signatories to the devolution bid.

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Whilst some of the devolved powers sought are peripheral to the National Park purposes and duty, a number of other aspects are of direct relevance, including strategic planning, affordable housing, green infrastructure, broadband and transport. As full partners, both NPAs would have voting rights on any future decisions.

There is still a very long way to go and until it is confirmed what central government would award to Hampshire and Isle of Wight. There are no details on what structure the devolved arrangement would take but so far, the stated intention is to bring existing decisions down from Whitehall to the local level without creating a new layer of government.

3.2 Improving affordable housing provision

Good progress has been made over the summer in selecting a preferred building contractor to implement the Authority’s approved affordable housing scheme on the edge of Bransgore. Further details are to be provided under the Part 2 Affordable Housing Update.

At the end of July 2015, the High Court upheld the legal challenge made by two local planning authorities to the Department of Communities & Local Government’s policy changes to affordable housing requirements for small-scale development. These changes effectively introduced a national threshold below which affordable housing (and other) contributions could no longer be sought from new developments. The changes significantly undermined our ability to negotiate on-site affordable housing (and off-site financial contributions) on small development sites in the National Park. In light of the High Court’s decision, planning applications submitted within the Park which include affordable housing and other contributions have reverted back to being assessed against the requirements of the Core Strategy (2010), which was adopted after satisfying all the legal requirements for a supporting evidence base, publicity and consultation and was tested by independent examination.

We have been working with communities in Copythorne and Sway to take forward options for new affordable housing development in these areas.

3.3 Promoting sustainable transport

Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) programme

The team has been busy ensuring efficient operations of our full range of visitor bus services which have been running all summer. At the time of going to print we have yet to receive final numbers for the season. We anticipate a slight drop in numbers from last year due to a mixed summer weather-wise, however, we anticipate the numbers will still be healthy enough to secure the New Forest Tour for future years. We will report final numbers at the next Authority meeting.

The Travel Concierge service has had meaningful face to face contact with over 6,000 people over the summer helping them get the best out of their visit to the New Forest and encouraging them to leave their cars at home/accommodation. This converted into large sales of New Forest Tour tickets. This year the team have also been engaging with visitors staying at campsites, encouraging them to leave their cars on site for the duration of their visit.

We have recently launched our partnership with Garmin (the global manufacturer of satellite navigation devices) and local cycle hire operators to provide cycling navigation devices to

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cycle hire customers to help them easily navigate around the Forest and stay on the permitted cycling network. Devices are available from four cycle hire outlets across the National Park.

On 9 September, the programme partnership held a stakeholder event in the South Downs National Park in Brighton which was attended by the former minister, Norman Baker, who created the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

New Forest Family Cycling Experiences programme (NFFCE)

The New Forest Family Cycling Experiences programme is nearing completion. All works contracts must be let by the end of September (they can be completed beyond this date).

. A35 Totton to Lyndhurst cycle route – resurfacing works are ongoing on the cycle route between Totton and Lyndhurst, alongside resigning works of the NCN236 along this route. This will be completed by the end of October and will provide a huge improvement to the cycling experience between Southampton and the National Park. . Marchwood to Eling Cycleway – the majority of works to create the route are now complete. Additional works to connect the new route to the highway will be completed in October. . Brockenhurst cycling schemes – a new right turn pocket outside Hollands Wood campsite; safety improvements at the Tilebarn Lane / Church Lane crossing and access; safety and signage improvements from Brockenhurst station will be completed in November. . Salisbury to New Forest Cycle route – the route is now being signed between Salisbury and Nomansland. The section from Downton to Sandy Balls is no longer taking place. . The Cycling Facilities Fund is now closed and all £441,000 has been allocated. Details of the majority of the 24 funded projects can be found here: http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/info/20099/recreation/268/cycling/2

3.4 Encouraging sustainable communities

Sustainable Communities Fund

As part of the extension to the Two National Parks LSTF programme, we continue to work with communities, businesses and organisations on projects that enable visitors and residents to travel car-free in the New Forest and reduce the impact of traffic on the National Park. So far, grant funding of £28,800 has been approved to four projects.

Since the Sustainable Communities Fund began (and the former Sustainable Development Fund) we have supported 206 projects with grant funds of almost £2.2 million, bringing in match funding of around £3.4 million. These projects are currently being reviewed to help inform targeting of future funding programmes and identify areas for follow up.

4 Aiming for Excellence

4.1 Providing the highest quality of service

Processing of planning applications

During this period 83 applications were registered, 90% acknowledged within three working days and 98% registered and available on the website within five working days.

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Meetings and Authority membership

Support to Members and teams across the corporate structure has included support to the Authority and committee meetings, Members’ days and briefings (Wetland Restoration Projects and Members’ Planning Tour), Executive Board, All Staff team meetings and Managers Forum. The new members of the Authority (Gordon Bailey - Borough Council) and Secretary of State (Parish) Members - Harry Oram (South West Quadrant) and George Bisson (South East Quadrant) have all completed the NPA’s induction course and arrangements are being made to ensure that these members attend the NPUK induction courses.

Review of the records management system

Good progress has been made and all folders have been moved across to the new electronic file structure before the set deadline and they are now operating off a new server. The new structure ensures that we are less vulnerable to a virus attack, focuses on data protection and is more organised and streamlined. Work is continuing on removing any remaining duplication or redundant files and setting up an appropriate document retention schedule.

4.2 Working with others in achieving maximum benefits for the National Park

We continue to respond to and arrange requests for public speaking by local organisations on a range of topics; these presentations are made by officers and members. Support is provided for parish quadrant meetings, external partners such as the New Forest Marque, Access Forum and Consultative Panel (which, at its last meeting considered presentations on wetland restoration projects and fungi picking in the New Forest).

4.3 Using available resources effectively and efficiently

We continue to explore opportunities for savings and efficiencies wherever possible. At the last meeting of the Consultative Panel on 3 September our officers (who provide the Secretariat for the Panel), submitted proposals intended to lead to considerable savings and efficiencies for the Panel and consequently the Authority.

Requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and complaints against the Authority continue to be dealt with effectively and efficiently.

Human Resources

As at 1 September 2015 the total staff headcount was 86 or 77.36 full-time equivalents (FTEs).

Headcount FTE Core funded 69* 60.94* Funded by external projects 17 16.42 Total 86 77.36

Of the core funded roles, 10 staff (9.31 FTEs) are working in shared services, 22 are part-time and four are on a fixed-term contract.

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In the last three months we said goodbye to John Lynn (Sustainable Transport Officer). We thank him for his valuable contribution to the work of the Authority and wish him well in his future ventures.

Welcome to:

. Hilary Short – Administration Assistant (Trees) . Harriet Toeman – Scanning Assistant (until October 2016)

Recruitment currently underway for:

. Education Officer (maternity cover) . Sustainable Transport Officer (internal secondment opportunity – 3 days per week)

ICT Services

Two Windows 2003 Servers have been decommissioned with the remaining two to follow once external software suppliers have made the necessary amendments to the current software to allow the move to newer servers. The planning documents are now hosted on the website via Public access. Our broadband has been upgraded to allow faster remote access for staff providing SLA services to NFDC. Officers are currently updating the hardware asset register and Microsoft and Adobe licence register.

5 Members 5.1 Some members were involved in some or all of the following meetings and events

. Planning Development Control Committee, 21 July . Members Day – Wetland Restoration, 23 July . New Forest Show, 28-30 July . Planning Development Control Committee, 18 August . Consultative Panel, 3 September . Resource, Audit and Performance Committee, 7 September . Planning Tour, 10 September . Planning Development Control Committee, 15 September

5.2 Forthcoming activities include:

. Members Day, Countryside Landowners Association, 1 October . Planning Development Control Committee, 20 October . Consultative Panel, 5 November . Planning Development Control Committee, 17 November . Members Day – New Forest Centre, 19 November . Resource, Audit and Performance Committee, 23 November . Members Day – Finance, 10 December . Planning Development Control Committee, 15 December . Planning Development Control Committee, 19 January

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5.3 Chief Executive’s engagements

. South West Rail meeting, 22 July . New Forest Show, 28-30 July . CLA Awards presentation, 29 July . NFDC Cabinet Meeting, 5 August . Hosted a visit by Sonia Phippard, Director General - Defra, 13 August . Hosted a visit by Julian Lewis MP and Desmond Swayne MP, 17 August . National Parks Partnerships Ltd video conference, 1 September . Natural Environment Strategy Group meeting, 2 September . Meeting with Chief Executive of Natural England, 3 September . New Forest Business Partnership meeting, 3 September . Business South meeting, 3 September . HIOW CX meeting, 4 September 2015 . RAPC, 7 September . Meeting with the Deputy Surveyor, 7 September . E-NPOG, 8 September . Peer Group, 10 September . RSPB Summer Reception, 10 September . National Parks Partnerships Ltd Board Meeting, 15 September . HLS exhibition launch, 17 September . Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service stakeholder event, 18 September . HCC Cabinet meeting, 21 September

6 Recommendation To note the report.

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