Down Your Wold Down YourDown Wold

Sharing information A dedicated heritage website www.down-your-wold.co.uk continues to run with an average of 1,000 monthly page hits. Website users are predominately from the UK but people from other countries including Brazil have also engaged with the project’s pages.

DYW social media pages now have a total of 850 followers. These marketing tools are used to encourage participation and promote findings to a worldwide audience.

Three interpretation boards are planned for 2015, as well as a heritage spotter’s handbook which will highlight what to look out for when investigating heritage in the Wolds. 'How To' guides are being created which will be available as pdfs on the DYW website for community groups to download to assist them with their investigations.

Working with communities DYW has worked with 200 volunteers from more than five communities across the Lincolnshire Wolds. Volunteers have taken on a variety of roles from taking part in activities, surveying, event coordination and lecturing.

Special thanks go to volunteers who attend the DYW Steering Group meetings: Geoff and Denise Wheatley from Spirit of Sutterby, Pam Banks from Brinkhill and Mick Lovelock from Partney. Volunteer contribution on a strategic level has helped to ensure that the project has met and exceeded its Heritage Lottery Fund targets.

Case Studies: Spirit of Sutterby A 100 strong group of volunteers have been exploring an abandoned church in the small hamlet of Sutterby through research, investigations and surveying. The group are beginning to unravel the mysteries of the landscape surrounding the church. The volunteers now feel that they have at least two more years of discovery ahead of them, a great legacy for DYW.

With DYW and LWCS support the group has a formal constitution and its own website www.spiritofsutterby.co.uk

Nettleton and Claxby Mining Heritage Group The landscape around Nettleton and Claxby is stunning and tranquil, a stark contrast to what it would have been like from the 1860s to the 1960s when it was mined for ironstone.

Many residents, walkers and visitors are unaware of the fascinating industrial archaeology. DYW has led with setting up a community group who are researching the heritage of the area and coordinating events to help raise awareness.

15 Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project

2014-15 has seen big changes for the Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project (LCSP). Thanks to the support of the partners, the LCSP have successfully been awarded £213,946 of funding from a WREN grant to deliver a three year 'Chalk Stream Restoration in Lincolnshire' project. This has been match funded by Anglian Water.

The 'Chalk Stream Restoration in Lincolnshire' project has enabled the LCSP to employ a second member of staff, a 'Monitoring Officer', to drive forward the LCSP campaign to engage people with their chalk streams via social media and volunteer opportunities. With the grant, the targets are set higher to restore more chalk stream habitat. The plan is to restore over 9.8km of chalk stream at eight different locations in just three years using the funding.

Chalk Stream Enhancements

Hallington Beck, Louth Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project Chalk Streams Lincolnshire The LCSP worked with a landowner on a section of Hallington Beck before it joins the River Lud in Louth. This project was something different as the landowner wanted to make the beck more appealing to schools. This was a great opportunity to work with a landowner interested in education. The LCSP were successful in securing a grant from the LWCS Sustainable Development Grant to help match fund the restoration work to the beck. Fencing along both banks of the approximate 140m stretch was installed that enables livestock to be moved around the fields when school groups are visiting. The project also included gates and a gravel beach so that people can access the chalk stream safely, and the canopy was opened up to allow more sunlight to enter the stream to encourage aquatic plants to grow. The work looks great and the landowner is eager for schools to come along and enjoy learning on the chalk stream.

Waithe Beck, Ashby cum Fenby Two projects are being undertaken with a landowner on the Waithe Beck where they own two separate reaches. The first project opportunity was fantastic, with the gem they had hidden in the valley; remnants of the relic meandering channel from the last glacial melt in a field unused because it's too 'lumpy'. The LCSP have been researching how best to re-instate the meandering channel through the valley, and plan to deliver the capital works with help from the Environment Agency and the Wild Trout Trust in 2015-16.

The second project was the missing piece in a long length of the beck from the A18 to Brigsley. This reach didn’t need much interference, just a helping hand as it was already meandering and creating low lying shelves. The LCSP only worked on the right bank clearing scrub shading the river and scraped back the raised 'bund' from the top of the bank to recreate a more natural channel.

16 Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project

WREN project 'Chalk Stream Restoration in Lincolnshire'

Swallow Beck, Cuxwold Approximately 2.8km of chalk stream was restored by opening up the channel and exposing the gravel bed. Huge amounts of sediment had choked this little beck and it was pretty much dry with vegetation growing from bank to bank. The LCSP worked with the landowner to expose the bed and dispose of the silt back on the surrounding farmland. This project was such a success as the contractor and farm hands went above and beyond to help restore the flow to this chalk stream. It is now a real feature of the village and monitoring will take place for the return of aquatic invertebrates, fish and water vole.

Laceby Beck, Aylesby The LCSP have been working on Laceby Beck for a few years now. This landowner came forward with concerns over the sheet piling weir and the erosion that was widening the river. Three pasture pumps were installed upstream of the weir to stop the cattle using the beck as a cattle drink thereby reducing sediment entering the channel. A 'V' notch was cut in the weir to make it fish passable and works carried out to restore the bank back to its original width to prevent further erosion and direct the flow over the weir.

Claxby Spring, Claxby St Andrews A resident approached the LCSP to see if help was available to alleviate flooding and restore the spring fed pond adjacent to the roadside in Claxby St Andrews. This was once a Local Nature Reserve but it is always at risk of run-off from the road and build-up of silt. The LCSP used a new technique to suck out the silt and return the spring water to the pond so that only the cake like material was sent to landfill. The technique was ideal for the location of the pond as it only took two days to complete the work and already the beneficial results can be seen.

17 Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project

Volunteers At the end of 2014, with grant funding from WREN, the new Monitoring Officer set up the LCSP Volunteer Group, a group of volunteers dedicated to practical conservation work on Lincolnshire's chalk streams. Successful advertising through Lincolnshire's Community and Voluntary Service, Lincolnshire County Council and Lincoln University's Student Union has meant that practical work days have had a great turn out. The last volunteer day, working with local landowner Ian Robinson at Classroom in the Woods in Ashby cum Fenby, was particularly well attended, with volunteers removing young willow saplings from the banks and gently raking sediment to help improve the stream habitat for trout and important invertebrates.

The LCSP has also organised and run two very successful stream conservation workdays with the local communities of Laceby and Welton le Wold. The LCSP would like to thank the group of eight volunteers that helped at Laceby and the 18 that helped at Welton le Wold, they really made an incredible difference. The LCSP are now working closely with KeepBritainTidy and Anglian Water to set up these communities as independent RiverCare groups to regularly look after their chalk streams.

The LCSP would also like to say a big thank you to the 24 brilliant Riverfly Monitoring Volunteers who

Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project Chalk Streams Lincolnshire have been monitoring the health of Lincolnshire Wolds' streams by surveying aquatic invertebrates. The LCSP are now feeding this data into the Riverfly Partnership's national database which is helping to give a national picture of the health of the UK's waterways, and provides essential information to organisations such as the Environment Agency and the LCSP. The WREN funding means more training events can be run next year to take on more keen volunteers to help monitor Lincolnshire's chalk streams.

Education The LCSP has been working closely with several schools in the Lincolnshire Wolds area to help promote the importance of Lincolnshire's chalk streams to the next generation. The LCSP has been working with two primary schools in particular, the Edward Richardson Primary School in Tetford, and All Saints Church of England Primary School in Grasby, preparing to do an exciting ecology project called Mayfly in the Classroom, a practical educational programme developed by the Wild Trout Trust. The project is based around connecting young people with their local streams by studying the life cycles and ecology of mayflies.

The Monitoring Officer worked with Classroom in the Woods to help with a 'stream dipping' activity with children from Tetney Primary School to educate them on the 'minibeasts' that are so important to the stability of the aquatic ecosystem in Lincolnshire's chalk streams.

The LCSP has been out again with staff from Cordeaux Academy in Louth and Duke of Edinburgh volunteer Fin Fox, to monitor otters along the Waithe Beck using our camera traps. The cameras have collected some fantastic footage which is going to be analysed by students at the school.

18 Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project

Social Media LCSP has recently set up brand new Facebook and Twitter pages to raise awareness of the impor- tant work being carried out by the organisation. This has been very successful in engaging the public, with recent posts from our otter cameras reaching over 500 people! Please have a look and 'Like' our Facebook page: LincolnshireChalkStreams or send us a tweet @LincChalkStream.

Funding In addition to the grant from WREN and Anglian Water, the LCSP has continued to be supported by the partners with large financial contributions to help support the work of the team which is much appreciated, especially when budgets are tight.

The LCSP submitted a grant application to HLF twice, being successful the second time. This grant project will help to provide free events for children and families so that they can learn about Lincolnshire's Chalk Streams in different ways. It is hoped to be able to take on graduate volunteer placements over the next three years and provide them with a training budget. There will be live streaming of chalk streams, competitions and Lincolnshire's first Chalk Stream Festival.

As host for the Northern becks in the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) initiative, the LCSP contin- ues to be supported with funds to deliver work specifically on the chalk streams in the North East of the county. We have submitted another application to the Catchment Partnership Action Fund for a larger sum of funding to deliver restoration projects in 2015-16.

Forward Look The future for Lincolnshire’s Chalk Streams is on the up. With more resources to hand, the LCSP continues to work as an active partnership to push ourselves to deliver more – more with landown- ers, farmers, communities and more with volunteers. The external grants will keep us working hard for the next few years and during this time we are always developing more project ideas and innovative ways to engage people and restore Lincolnshire's Chalk Streams.

Check out our website for more information on the work we have delivered and how you can volunteer with us: www.lincswolds.org.uk/chalk-streams/lincolnshire-chalk-streams or get in touch via email: [email protected]

19 Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project

Financial Summary - Chalk Streams Project 2014 - 2015

38.6% 61.4%

Expenditure: £139,299 Core Expenditure - £53,737 (38.6%) Project Expenditure -

Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project Chalk Streams Lincolnshire £85,562 (61.4%)

Income: £239,022 Development Budget: £105,142 1.9% 0.1% 2% WREN: £42,817 4% 4% Environment Agency: £42,000 Lincolnshire County Council: £20,000 8% Anglian Water: £10,000 4% 44% Catchment Based Approach: £9,323 18% LWCS: £5,000

Sustainable Development 18% Fund: £4,287 GLNP: £453

20 Partnerships Partnerships Local Partnerships

The Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service (LWCS) currently implements a varied work programme on behalf of the Lincolnshire Wolds Joint Advisory Committee and its core funders (Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council, West Lindsey District Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and Defra). The LWCS works alongside a wide range of organisations, local landowners, community groups and volunteers advising on policy and undertaking activity that furthers the interests of the AONB and wider Wolds character area.

The care of the AONB has been entrusted to the local authorities, organisations, community groups and those who live and work in the area. Much of the area is in private ownership, with few publicly owned and managed sites. Private landowners, particularly farmers, have a crucial role to play in continuing to safeguard this unique landscape.

Over the past 12 months the LWCS has maintained and developed links with the following local partnerships and initiatives:

Alford Town Team Caistor Walkers Are Welcome Steering Group Campaign for the Farmed Environment Catchment Based Approach Down Your Wold East Lincolnshire Astronomy Club Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership: Lincolnshire Geodiversity Group Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership: Local Wildlife & Geological Sites Panels Hubbard’s Hills Trust Horncastle Walkers Are Welcome Steering Group Keep Britain Tidy ‘Rivercare’ Lincolnshire Biodiversity Action Plan: Farmland and Grassland Group Lincolnshire Biodiversity Action Plan: Rivers and Wetlands Group Lincolnshire Biodiversity Action Plan: Trees and Woodlands Group Lincolnshire Biodiversity Action Plan: Urban Group Lincolnshire Coast Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative Steering Group Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project Lincolnshire Farmsteads Initiative Lincolnshire Layers of History Project Lincolnshire Funding Advice Network Lincolnshire Grazing Marsh Water Vole Project Lincolnshire Local Access Forums Lincolnshire Walk Forum Lincolnshire Wild ower Meadow Network Lincolnshire Wolds Heritage Working Group Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival Lincolnshire Wood Fair Committee Lindsey Action Zone - Rural Development Programme for England Louth Tourism Group Market Rasen Walkers Are Welcome Steering Group North East Lincolnshire Archaeology And Local History Society River y Partnership Traditional Roadsigns in Lincolnshire.

21 Partnerships

Working in Partnership

The Lincolnshire Wolds has an established Joint Joint Advisory Committee Advisory Committee (JAC): a partnership of

Partnerships public, private and voluntary organisations and Ocers Working representatives who have a special interest or Group working knowledge of the area. The JAC acts as Joint Management JAC Topic Groups a forum to advise and guide activity on a wide Group range of issues across the Wolds and is Lincolnshire Wolds instrumental in developing, implementing and Countryside Service monitoring the AONB Management Plan.

National Partnerships

The LWCS team has regularly participated in a number of events organised through the National Association for AONBs (NAAONB) to share skills and training opportunities with our colleagues from other AONBs.

During July 2014, the Landscape for Life conference was held at Penrith with the theme of Sharing, Learning, Inspiring. The event brought together delegates from all over the UK to discuss how collaborative working between people and organisations who can best protect and enhance our nationally important landscape – both AONBs and National Parks. Over the three days, national issues were addressed and the way Protected Landscape teams work in partnership with corporate organisations, local authorities, Government bodies, landowners and others to develop innovative solutions to manage our most precious landscapes were shared.

Site visits encompassed the iconic landscapes of Arnside and Silverdale, Forest of Bowland, North Pennines and the Solway Coast AONBs and the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.

The LWCS has represented the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB at the following: National AONBs Conference, North West England National AONBs stand at the CLA Gamefair, Oxfordshire National AONBs meeting - Lead O cers and Chairmen’s meeting Northern AONBs Group meetings Northern Power Grid and Western Power Distribution Protected Landscapes Working Groups.

22 Partnerships Partnerships The Lincolnshire Wolds AONB Partnership has supported and endorsed the NAAONB on a wide range of initiatives undertaken on behalf of the 46 AONBs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Just some of the important NAAONB activity has included:

Securing continued central government support and funding Fostering a good understanding and support for the AONB family Working to develop national identity for the AONB family via the Landscapes for Life banner Leading on collaboration and communications as an AONB family Collated feedback on the independent 'Maximising Resources in Protected Landscape' report Lobbying and inuencing Ministers and other senior gures in Government and Opposition parties Commenting on a wide range of national strategies and relevant legislative matters.

The LWCS has also been active in the Future Landscapes training programme facilitated by the NAAONB which has included support for personal development and information sharing across the family of protected landscapes. The NAAONB's electronic Basecamp Forum continues to be widely used and is proving invaluable for exploring current issues and linking with other AONB teams to circulate good practice.

23 Financial Summary 2014 - 2015

Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service Core expenditure: £255,470

0.5% 1.25% 2% 0.25% 3% 6.5% Sta & Governance - 55% Projects - 24% 7.5% Printing / Graphics - 7.5% Premises - 6.5% Vehicles - 3% Equipment / Materials - 2% 24% 55% Subscriptions / Conferences - 1.25% Financial Summary Financial 2014 - 2015 Miscellaneous / Consultancy - 0.5% Advertising / Promotions - 0.25%

There is a signed Memorandum of Agreement between Lincolnshire County Council, East Lindsey District Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and West Lindsey District Council and Defra endorsing commitment as funding partners to manage the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, through supporting the Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service staff unit.

Project expenditure: £61,739

4% 3% 8%

SDF & SGS Schemes - 44% 8% Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival -33% Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project - 8% 44% TRiL Project - 8% Interpretation Project - 4% 33% Wildower Meadow Network - 3%

24 Financial Summary 2014 - 2015 Financial 2014 - 2015 Summary

Income: £333,884 (Core and Project funding)

Defra Grant - 46% Development Budget - 29% 29% 5.5% Miscellaneous - 4% 5.5% 1% 21% Local Authority Contribution - 21% Lincolnshire County Council - 9% 9% 46% East Lindsey District Council - 5.5% 4% West Lindsey District Council - 5.5% North East Lincolnshire Council - 1%

Lincolnshire Wolds Grant Scheme 2014 - 15 Total income: £27,368 Total expenditure: £27,368

Grant oered and total project match funding

Grant Oered - 48% 28% Match Funding - 52% 48% 52% Private Sector - 28% 24% Public Sector - 24%

25 Strategic Policy and Planning

Often at the invitation of the relevant local planning authority, the LWCS is invited to submit specialist comments on a proposed development’s impact on the AONB. Over the past 12 months a wide range of planning applications have been reviewed with comments and recommendations returned on numerous schemes including: Caravan/holiday developments Equestrian facilities Farm buildings Flood alleviation schemes Housing Oil exploration Overhead powerline replacement Photovoltaic schemes Quarrying operations and after use of sites Wind turbines and other alternative energy schemes.

Strategic Policy and Planning Policy Strategic During 2014-15, undergrounding overhead wires within Wolds’ settlements has continued. Western Power Distribution has installed 5.7km of new cable and we await the removal of the overhead line and poles, with work being focussed in the Tetford area. Projects also continue to be developed with Northern Powergrid.

A wide range of contributions have been submitted to the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) to assist in national responses to a wide range of legislative and government policy documents.

Formal comments were submitted, or workshops attended, on a variety of strategic planning and policy documents and consultations including:

Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Core Strategy Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Reform in England East Lindsey Draft Core Strategy Framework for Monitoring Environmental Outcomes in Protected Landscapes Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership – Strategic Economic Plan Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership – Farming and Planning Position Statements Horncastle Neighbourhood Plan Lincolnshire County Council – Minerals and Waste Local Plan Lincolnshire County Council Natural Environment Strategy National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Business Plan Review National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Communications Strategy and Action Plan 2014-19 National Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) Water for Life and Livelihood – Challenges and Choices.

26 Governance and Stang Structure Governanace and Staffing Structure Lincolnshire Wolds Joint Advisory Committee (JAC)

Membership as at 31st March 2015: Bold type denotes representatives on the Joint Management Group (JMG)

Tim Allen Historic England Andy Bailey Environment Agency Liz Bates Heritage Lincolnshire Cllr Owen Bierley West Lindsey District Council Sara Blair-Manning National Trust Cllr Alan Caine (JMG Chairman) West Lindsey District Council Paul Chaplin North East Lincolnshire Council Janet Clark Community Lincs Sarah Clarke Lincolnshire Sports Cllr Iain Colquhoun North East Lincolnshire Council Sharon Fox Natural England Charles Dobson National Farmers Union Roger Douglas Country Land and Business Association Cllr William Gray East Lindsey District Council David Hickman Lincolnshire County Council Sean Kent Lincolnshire County Council Marina Di Salvatore West Lindsey District Council Kathy Owen Groundwork Lincolnshire Stuart Parker (JAC Chairman) Ramblers Cllr Stephen Palmer Lincolnshire County Council Alan Robson Churches Together in all Lincolnshire David Rodger TCV Ella Sivil Campaign to Protect Rural England Henry Smith National Farmers Union Caroline Steel Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Cllr Lewis Strange (JAC Vice Chairman) Lincolnshire County Council Kay Turton East Lindsey District Council David White Forestry Commission Tim Woodward Country Land and Business Association

Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service (AONB Unit) as at 31st March 2015:

Stephen Jack Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service Manager Helen Gamble Project Officer Louise Niekirk Project Officer Ruth Craig Project Officer (Lincolnshire Chalk Streams) Will Bartle Monitoring Officer (Lincolnshire Chalk Streams) Claire Harrison Administration and Technical Assistant

27 Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ©NAAONB Photographs kindly supplied by © LWCS, LCSP, DYW, LWWF, LWT LWT LWWF, DYW, LCSP, kindly © LWCS, Photographs supplied by

Lincolnshire Wolds Countryside Service Navigation Warehouse, Riverhead Road, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 0DA Tel: 01507 609740 Website: www.lincswolds.org.uk Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LincsWoldsAONB

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