SHAW, ROYTON AND CROMPTON DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP

Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward

Report of Executive Director Economy, Place and Skills

Portfolio Holder: Executive Member Neighbourhoods / Housing, Transport and Regeneration

3 October 2011

Officer Contact: Richard Vink Ext. 4086

Purpose of Report The purpose of this report is to seek agreement from the District Partnership for the: • Formal adoption of the Crompton Moor Vision and Masterplan • Incorporation of the Crompton Moor project into the District Plan for Royton, Shaw and Crompton • Existing Crompton Moor Project Board to be made a formal sub-group of the Shaw PACT and tasked with steering the delivery of the Crompton Moor Action Plan and reporting back to the District Partnership (as the strategic lead) • Existing Crompton Moor User Group to be disbanded and public engagement continued through a new Stakeholder Forum for Crompton Moor and the existing Shaw PACT meetings held by the District Partnership.

Executive Summary Crompton Moor is a key strategic site within the borough’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Network. In line with other key GI sites (such as Moston Brook, Rochdale Canal Corridor and Dove Stone reservoir), an overall vision and masterplan has been developed for the site. Below this an action plan has been produced to bring together and help structure the 32 objectives identified in this process. Some actions are already being implemented where existing resources are in place, for example the woodland management and volunteer work. However others actions are longer term aspirations and will require additional resources to be secured by the council as no budget exists for this activity. Therefore the overall delivery of the vision for Crompton Moor will be dependant on funding being secured through the District Partnership and/or external sources.

Having been developed through two years of consultation the Crompton Moor project has reached the point where the overall vision and masterplan for the site need to be ‘signed off’ so the focus can move to delivery and engaging local people/users in shaping the detail of how and when we deliver the action plan.

Therefore the next steps for the project are to: • Get the vision, masterplan and action plan formally adopted in order to provide a firm basis for delivery and resourcing • Integrate the management of the Crompton Moor action plan into the District Plan and District Partnership structures. • Change the way we engage with users and local people to reflect where we are in the project (namely delivering the action plan, refining the detail for the agreed actions and securing funding), the council’s aims regarding localism and the need to make as efficient use as possible of limited council resources.

Recommendations The District Partnership is recommended to approve the: • Formal adoption of the Crompton Moor Vision and Masterplan • Incorporation of the Crompton Moor project into the District Plan for Royton, Shaw and Crompton • Existing Crompton Moor Project Board to be made a formal sub-group of the Shaw PACT and tasked with steering the delivery of the Crompton Moor Action Plan and reporting back to the District Partnership (as the strategic lead) • Existing Crompton Moor User Group to be disbanded and public engagement continued through a new Stakeholder Forum for Crompton Moor and the existing Shaw PACT meetings held by the District Partnership.

Page 2 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 Royton, Shaw and Crompton 3 October 2011

Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward

1 Background

1.1 Crompton Moor is a 79ha area of mixed upland owned by the Council found to the north-east of Shaw. Originally the Moor was open heather moorland used for grazing and then mined for coal and sandstone. Once these industries declined by the 1970s the Moor was sold to the Council and extensively reclaimed for nature and recreation. By 2003 the site had enough wildlife value to be designated a Site of Biological Interest. Its upland landscape character and proximity to Shaw makes Crompton Moor attractive to walkers, horse-riders and mountain bikers as well as those enjoying dedicated activities such as orienteering, birdwatching and rock climbing.

1.2 The Moor consists of a mixture of acid grassland, marshy grassland, dry heath and coniferous woodland plantations. These woods are being slowly transformed to mixed woodland to encourage wildlife value. Many remnants of its past mining and farming history remain and on the brow of the Moor there is a relatively new addition in the form of a telecommunications mast. The moor offers fine views from most of its open areas. The site hosts and extensive footpath and bridleway network, including parts of the Oldham Way and Crompton Circuit, and has very good links to the wider countryside.

Page 3 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 1.3 There have been a number of smaller projects over the years to improve access and facilities on Crompton Moor. These include woodland and habitat management, improving the access road and car park, development of a small mountain bike trail and skills area and mapping and waymarking of graded walking routes.

2 Current Position

2.1 For the past two years Oldham Council has been consulting widely on how best to manage Crompton Moor. A number of pieces of work have been undertaken to assess how to best enhance the recreational, educational and social benefits of the Moor while respecting the special environment. These include: o Undertaking a user survey of over 500 people o Setting up the Crompton Moor User Group and hosting workshops to seek views on particular themes o A biodiversity assessment and bird survey undertaken by the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit o A bat survey undertaken by the South Lancashire Bat Group o A Forum for Age workshop on access o A ‘Spaceshaper’ workshop with local primary school children o A mining survey to identify old mining features as well as any risk o An archaeological survey undertaken through the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit

2.2 Vision, Masterplan and Action Plan

2.2.1 The consultation and survey work revealed that Crompton Moor benefits people and the environment in a number of different ways. Not only is the site important for its biodiversity it also meets five core needs for the benefit of the community who use it. As a result, the vision for Crompton Moor is to create a space that, through careful management, provides: o A high quality natural environment o A space for health promoting activity o A source of emotional health and well being o An opportunity for lifelong learning, and o A shared resource for the whole community

2.2.2 After talking to local people and others with an interest in the Moor the Council developed a vision and a masterplan which included a series of 32 proposals grouped under six main themes. These were proposed at and endorsed by a well-attended stakeholder event. The six themes are: o Managing habitats and upgrading infrastructure o Boundary management and signage o Trail development and improvement o Viewpoints and interpretation o Opportunities for recreation and play o Community engagement and promotion

Page 4 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 2.2.3 Since that event the Council has been refining the details of the masterplan (Appendix A) and developing an action plan which sets out who would take the work forward, key partners and an expected timeframe (Appendix B).

2.2.4 The vision and masterplan for Crompton Moor meets the corporate plan as follows:

A confident place: the project will realise the potential of Crompton Moor for social, educational and health and well being benefits for the local and wider community through access for all to a high quality natural environment. It will also make a pioneering example of delivering outcomes for a greenspace that are established from a clear and thorough community engagement process.

A University town: the project will provide increased opportunities for learning and training through volunteer and training plans. The Moor will have marked trails and interpretation as well as a body of back-up information and resources for individuals and groups. People from the whole Borough, and beyond, will have an opportunity to access easily an area of countryside to undertake activities and learn in a countryside setting.

An address of choice: the project will provide Oldham with a high quality and accessible natural space which enhances the attractiveness for people to live and invest in the town. The project will deliver unique outcomes that meet local needs and will also draw a wider audience into the Borough.

Services of choice: the project is ground-breaking in terms of community involvement at all stages and establishes a benchmark in community relations and service standards. It will afford the Council and its partners opportunities to deliver unique services for the benefit of all sectors of the community.

2.3 Community Engagement

2.3.1 The Crompton Moor User Group was set up in November 2008 as independent body representing the views of the users to work in partnership with the Council to develop a vision and masterplan for Crompton Moor. The Group was constituted in May 2009 with the following vision:

“To ensure Crompton Moor remains an attractive countryside area providing opportunities for inclusive use by the local community and those beyond. This involves the protection and enhancement of the environment and its wildlife while providing recreational, educational and social functions and encouraging responsible access to the wider countryside”

Page 5 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 2.3.2 The Group established a committee consisting of representatives of the users of Crompton Moor:

o Walkers/ramblers (2 members) o Dog walkers (2 members) o Horse-riders (2 members) o Off road cyclists (2 members) o Site neighbours - people with property directly adjacent to the site boundary (2 members) o Environment/conservation and inclusive access (2 members) o Young people (2 members) o Oldham Borough Councillor (1 member) o Shaw & Crompton Parish Councillor (1 member)

2.3.3 The Group was instrumental in shaping the vision and masterplan for Crompton Moor and were pro-active in carrying out work such as mapping and agreeing a bridleway infrastructure. However, in recent months the group has lost real focus (as the project has moved from working in partnership with the Council to develop a vision for the Moor to actual delivery) and a number of members have recently resigned.

2.3.4 Whilst the Crompton Moor User Group has lost focus, the independent group called the Friends of Crompton Moor continues to have an active interest in the moor.

2.3.5 The User Group is not currently providing a suitable structure to engage with local people / site users, and as the focus of the project shifts to the delivery of the agreed action plan, refining details and seeking funding, it is both appropriate and necessary to look at alternative options for how the Council can continue to engage with users.

2.3.6 The proposed new structure for engagement is for the Council to facilitate a ‘stakeholder forum’ as a way forward to communicate and engage users on developments and progress of the Project. The forum would be comprised of individuals (for example users, Friends of Crompton Moor, neighbours) and agencies (for example Greater Manchester Ecology Unit, West Pennine Bridleway Association, North West Riders, Greater Manchester Archaeology Unit, local schools and youth groups etc) with an interest in Crompton Moor. Further detail will be available at the District partnership meeting but it is envisaged that the Forum would meet quarterly, with meetings timed to fit in gaps between the PACT meeting timetable.

2.3.7 This Forum would provide feedback to the project team to help develop the action plan and complement the work of the Project Management Board as a sub-group reporting to the Royton, Shaw and Crompton District Partnership through the Shaw Ward PACT (see below).

Page 6 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 2.4 Crompton Moor Project Management Board

2.4.1 The Crompton Moor Project Management Board provides overall direction to make sure the project is meeting its agreed aims, is being delivered on time, to the agreed quality and within budget. The Board monitors the quality of the work, recommends future actions, considers any changes and ensures strong communication and engagement with stakeholders. The Project Manager reports to the Project Management Board.

2.4.2 The Board presently consists of: o Local Ward Councillor o Crompton Moor User Group Chair o Crompton Moor User Group Vice Chair o Oldham Council Countryside Officer (responsible for Crompton Moor) o Oldham Council Regeneration Officer

2.4.3 In light of changes outlined above it is proposed that the membership would change to reflect the leadership of the proposed Stakeholder Forum. Further the Board would continue, but as a sub-group of the Shaw PACT as part of the District Partnership structure. In order to reflect the proposed inclusion of the Crompton Moor project in the District Plan, and to provide a second mechanism for the local community to influence the development of the Project (namely through attendance at the public PACT meetings, taking place 4-5 times a year).

3 Options/Alternatives

3.1 Option 1 – Retain the ‘status quo’, namely making no change to the governance of, and engagement structure for, the Crompton Moor project. Without formal endorsement/adoption of the vision for Crompton Moor, it will be difficult to continue to prioritise the use of officer time on the development and delivery of the resulting action plan. In addition, without formal status for the vision and action plan it will be harder to attract external funding. Continuing with the current engagement structure, namely the CMUG, would limit the effective engagement of local people and site users in the ongoing development and delivery of the action plan.

3.2 Option 2 – Embed the Crompton Moor Project within Council’s formal objectives and the District Partnership governance structure, alongside improving the structures for community/user engagement, through the establishment of a new Stakeholder forum and use of existing Shaw PACT meetings. The formal adoption of the vision and masterplan for the site will provide a clear justification for the continued use of council resources on the Crompton Moor project and help to support applications for external funding for its delivery. Establishing links with the Shaw PACT and a new stakeholder forum will improve the current level of engagement with local people/site users, and create more opportunities for them to influence the delivery and development of the project action plan.

Page 7 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 4 Preferred Option

4.1 Option 2 is the preferred option, on the basis set out in paragraph 3.2 and section 2 above.

5 Consultation

5.1 The vision, masterplan and action plan for Crompton Moor have been produced following a lengthy process of consultation over the last two years, including: o Undertaking a user survey of over 500 people o Setting up and attending meetings the Crompton Moor User Group (see paragraph 2.3.2 for membership details) o Hosting public workshops to seek views on particular themes relating to Crompton Moor o A Forum for Age workshop on access o A ‘Spaceshaper’ workshop with local primary school children

5.2 The proposed new governance and community engagement arrangements outlined in section 2 above have been developed in consultation with local ward members and officers within Economy, Place and Skills Directorate.

6 Financial Implications

6.1 There is no council capital budget for the Crompton Moor Project, so the overall delivery of the vision for Crompton Moor will be dependant on funding being secured through the District Partnership and/or external sources. It should also be noted that there is no additional revenue funding available for any increased maintenance costs arising out of the masterplan delivery.

6.2 To ensure that the full financial implications (capital and revenue) of any use of District Partnership budget or external funding are considered, further detailed reports will be produced as required during the development and delivery of the Crompton Moor action plan, which will contain comments from the Treasurer’s section. [Imogen Fuller] 6.3 Treasurers comments

6.3.1 There are no financial implications of adopting the actual vision and master plan being proposed in the recommendations, as it is being indicated that this will make it easier for the project to successfully apply for future external funding.

6.3.2 However, the delivery of the action plans contained within the Crompton Moor project contain various funding issues - summarized in the table below, that will need to be considered individually via the production of separate detailed reports highlighting any financial implications.

Page 8 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 6.3.3 Summary Table of Crompton Moor Project action plan :

Action/Objective Confirmed Funding source Potential Cost £ funding 1 No Tbc £1,500 2 Yes Forestry commission WIG £8,800 3 NO tbc £2,000 5a , 6a completed Nil 6b NO Tbc £11,000 7 a,b,c NO Tbc £30,800 8 b Yes Forestry commission £1,500 10, 25c Yes Inhouse existing staff 0 11 a Yes Forestry commission £350 11 b, c No Tbc £1,500 12d Yes forestry Commision £1,100 12c NO Tbc £1,000 13c Yes forestry commission £1,100

4a-d, 8a , 9a, 9b, Yes Inhouse existing Nil 9c, 12 a,12b,13a, staff/volunteers and parish 13b, 14a,14b, councils (19a) 15a, 16a,16b, 17a, 17b, 18, 19a, 20, 21a, 21b, 22a, 23a, 23b, 24a, 24b, 24c, 25a, 26a, 26b,26c, 27b, 27c, 28a, 29a, 29b, 30a, 31a, 32a 15b No tbc £35,000 16c No Tbc £40,000 19b , 19c yes Inhouse existing £8,600 staff/volunteers and forestry commission 19d No Tbc £6,000 21c Yes Forestry commission 2,780 22b, 22c No Tbc £1,500 23c No Tbc £1,000 25b No Tbc £1,500 27a No Tbc £500

6.3.4 As the report is indicating the Crompton moor project is adopted under the district partnership governance structure there will be potential budget implications within district partnership.

Page 9 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 6.3.5 This proposal will need to be considered at the next Royton, Shaw and Crompton district partnership meeting due to potential funding issues. (Sadrul Alam/ Nicola Harrop 16.09.2011)

7 Legal Services Comments

7.1 There are no direct legal implications which arise from the recommendations. Before the Action Plan can be implemented it will be necessary to identify appropriate funds and to ensure that the Councils Constitutional requirements are followed. [Daniel Howard]

8 Human Resources Comments

8.1 Not applicable

9 Risk Assessments

9.1 None

10 IT Implications

10.1 None

11 Property Implications

11.1 The recommendations outlined above will have no direct impact on the council’s land ownership at Crompton Moor. However, the delivery of the action plan would result in improvements to the council’s landholdings at Crompton Moor (asset number 685) and the potential acquisition of land adjoining this site.

Page 10 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011

12 Procurement Implications

12.1 Not applicable.

13 Environmental and Health & Safety Implications

13.1 The realisation of the Crompton Moor masterplan will result in an improved environment in terms of biodiversity (supporting the site’s sub-regional status as a Site of Biological Importance), visual appearance, and safety (e.g. addressing mine shaft survey recommendations).

14 Equality, community cohesion and crime implications

14.1 The realisation of the Crompton Moor masterplan will improve physical accessibility to and around the site (for example through the creation of a tramper trail). It will also support the engagement of new users, especially those less confident in countryside locations, through improvements to signage and waymarking. The vision for Crompton Moor also seeks to meet the needs of the wide range of different recreational users in a way which minimises conflict and maximises opportunity for partnership working.

15 Equality Impact Assessment Completed?

15.1 No

16 Key Decision

16.1 No

17 Forward Plan Reference

17.1 Not applicable

18 Background Papers

18.1 The following is a list of background papers on which this report is based in accordance with the requirements of Section 100(1) of the Local Government Act 1972. It does not include documents which would disclose exempt or confidential information as defined by the Act:

Name of File: Crompton Moor Project File Records held in Economy, Place and Skills Directorate, Room 310, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1UH Officer Name: Richard Vink Contact No: 0161 770 4086

Page 11 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011 19 Appendices

19.1 The following appendices should accompany this report:

• Appendix A – Crompton Moor Masterplan • Appendix B – Crompton Moor Action Plan • Appendix C – Stakeholder Consultation Event results • Appendix D – Crompton Moor Impact summary • Appendix E – Crompton Moor Summary of Survey findings

Page 12 of 12 Crompton Moor – Adoption of Vision and Way Forward 3 October 2011