Mendip Hills Sustainable Development Fund 2005-2014

SDF Panel members The Sustainable Development Fund would not have been able to function without those who have given their time to assessing the applications received.

It is with thanks to the following who have given considerable voluntary time to reading through documents, attending meetings and undertaking site visits to see projects:

Cllr Harvey Siggs, County Councillor 2005-2009 James Small, local farmer and NFU rep 2005-2009 Bob Handford, Bristol Water, 2005-2008 Simon Whitmore, Mendip Society 2005-2008 Nicola Epps, Arts Officer Council 2005-2011 Tony Shepherd, Mendip Community Transport 2007- 2009 Ian Chedgy, local resident and aboriculturalist 2007 -2010 Dr Simon Gardner, local resident and Environment Agency 2007- 2014 Rachael Clarke, local resident and Folk Fair 2007 – 2014 Sheila Petherbridge, Rights of Way Officer 2009-2011 Chris Head, West of England Rural Network 2009-2012 Martin Grass, local resident and businessman 2009-2014 John Coote, local resident and Hutton PC – 2010-2014 Sue Isherwood, local resident and consultant in arts and cultural services 2012-2014 Andy Mayled, National Trust 2012-2014 Sara Parsons, local resident and community arts 2012 – 2014 Liz Brimmell, local resident and PC 2013-2014

Sarah Jackson AONB Manager February 2014

1 Mendip Hills AONB Sustainable Development Fund - Summary 2005-2014

Year Total SDF Admin cost No of grants Value of Total value of awarded SDF grants projects 05/06 £100,000 £275 10 £99725 £237045 06/07 £80,000 £1828 13 £78172 £547835 07/08 £70,000 £6361.02 10 £63638.98 £763606 08/09 £61,666 £4914.50 16 £56751.50 £180137.50 09/10 £65,000 £832 17 £64168 £100773.61 10/11 £55,000 £968 13 £54032 £109915 11/12 £37000 £517.51 7 £36482.49 £58280.49 12/13 £37000 0 13 £37000 £69475.36 13/14 £20,000 0 10 £20000 £92730 Total £525,666 £15,696.03 109 £509,969.97 £2,179,797.96

The Sustainable Development Fund started in 2005/2006 with a contribution of £100,000 from Natural England to each AONB in England to have a Sustainable Development Fund. The SDF was to aid the achievement of AONB purposes and delivery of the AONB Management Plan by encouraging individuals, community groups and businesses to co-operate together to develop practical and sustainable solutions to the management of their activities.

Natural England provided guidance on criteria for the SDF that each AONB adapted and decided how it was to administer its SDF. Each AONB was entitled to claim up to 10% of the Fund for administration costs. The Mendip Hills AONB kept administration costs to a minimum by managing the Fund by existing AONB staff (AONB Manager /Development Officer) taking on the admin role rather than appointing an administrator as some other AONBs did.

The Mendip Hills AONB only claimed any unspent funds as admin costs in order to claim the total allocated funds, thus the reason why figures vary so much over the nine years and in some cases no administrative costs were claimed.

2 Up to and including 08/09 Natural England awarded the SDF grant as a separate allocation to each AONB. After 08/09 AONBs received single pot funding that allowed each AONB to determine how much they allocated. Due to reduced funding to AONBs from NE/Defra and local authorities the amount available for the SDF has reduced. The AONB Partnership /AONB Unit has been seeking alternative sources of funding for projects and has successfully secured funding for a number of projects that it is directly involved with but also wants to continue to support projects that the SDF has helped over the years.

As the SDF would have been less than £10,000 in 2014/15 it was decided to end the SDF and channel resources into the new Mendip Hills Fund.

In January 2014 the Mendip Hills Fund was established with Somerset Community Foundation. This Fund has similar criteria to the SDF but covers the whole of the Mendip Hills including the AONB. It will take time to attract income into this new Fund but it is hoped that in its first year it will be able to award a few small grants to ensure projects continue to happen and raises the profile of the Fund. For further information see: www.somersetcf.org.uk

The following tables show a year by year summary of the Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded:

3 Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2005/6

Project Grant Lead body

Field Boundaries final survey and analysis of all data collected for parishes in B&NES part of AONB £3000 (50%) B&NES, BRERC with management recommendations Farmlink – development of the farm conservation/food awareness project bringing children from £8000 (40%) Farmlink urban areas into the countryside Strawberry Line a) Millenium Green access link to Strawberry line £15,000 (50%) Council b) Solar lighting in Shute Shelve tunnel £20,000 (50%) Chancellors Farm – development of sustainable building to host educational visits based on £17,000 (50%) Somerset Wildlife Trust Farmlink principles Beacon Batch – restoration of trig point, part of this Scheduled Monument at highest point on £1500 (50%) AONB Service Mendip Mendip Cross Trails project – to provide a strategic network of countryside recreational routes within £4500 (75%) Mendip Cross Trails Trust the AONB – Phase one identifying routes AONB Boundary Markers – installation of the markers at key entrances to the AONB £14725 (47%) AONB Service North Somerset Community Project – Pilot outreach work in urban areas (particularly Weston S £7000 (61%) National Trust Mare) surrounding AONB to develop networks to improve disadvantaged groups experiences and access to sites in the AONB Development of Farm Radio an internet radio station for farms, farm workers and others interested £9000 (16.3%) Trilith in farming and rural matters in the AONB, and preservation of archive cine film of rural life in the AONB. Total grants awarded 99725 (237,045) AONB Admin costs 275 Total 100,000

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Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2006/7

Project title Applicant Grant % of total Project costs Rickford under grounding cables Rickford 25000 31.64% Under grounding of overhead cables Community Association Mendip Cross Trails Project MCCT 6300 67% Phase 2 strategic network Active Mendip web site Active Mendip 500 50% Web site to promote local outdoor activity businesses

SW Wood fuel initiative Forestry 10000 2.8% Regional initiative to promote wood fuel and use of Commission wood fuel boilers Farm Plastic recycling pilot FWAG 3270 75% Pilot stage to move towards commercial operation North Somerset Community National Trust 6250 12.9% Outreach work following on from feasibility study Involvement Young Mendip web site Somerset Rural 9960 48% Web site developed with young people Youth project Trilith Trilith 5390 69.15% Cine film archive work Bracken Down cutter Bracken Down 1500 50% Purchase of bracken cutter Limited Light pollution reduction TileStyle and one 292 50% 2 payments; one business and one residential resident Black Rock Bat and Dormouse Somerset Wildlife 3260 67.25% Coppicing, fencing, new gates and leaflet project Trust

5 Mendip TV Mendip Times 4200 31% Internet TV for Mendips Cheddar to Wells multi user path Cheddar Valley 2250 100% Topographical assessment for proposed route Walk Society Sub total 78172 (£547,835) AONB Admin costs 1828 Total 80000

Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2007/8

Project title Applicant Grant % of total Outline (Management Plan theme) costs St Lawrence school 250 50% new lighting to reduce light pollution from existing Light pollution grants -Westbury lighting (Community, Settlement & Charterhouse 126.48 Development) Centre Fernhill Farm 1175 40% Two grants –1. Hydro-geological report for reed bed and Fernhill Farm – Reedbed system 16000 2. installation of system (Agriculture)

Mendip Cross 11700 8 % Routes at Hill, Westbury Beacon and Westbury High Down Way Trails Trust Quarry (Recreation, Access and Tourism) Strawberry Line- Cheddar to Wells Cheddar valley 1721.25 75% To provide species and habitat information that will multi user path ecological survey Railway Walk support multi user path planning application (Receation, Access and Tourism) Society

6 Centre for 10,000 2 % Regional initiative to promote wood fuel boilers, SW Woodfuel initiative Sustainable Energy woodland management and training including AONB (Trees, Woodland and Forestry) case studies

Mendip Hills Community Owls Hawk and Owl 2516.25 75% Surveying and monitoring, artificial nest sites, advice to project Trust landowners (Biodiversity) North Somerset 14150 50% Improvement to 2kms of bridleway to access Strawberry Strawberry Line - Mendip Links Council Line near (Recreation, Access and Tourism) Active Mendip - access to outdoor Mendip Hills AONB 3000 9% Sustainable recreation plans, database, mobile cave and recreation project officer (Recreation, Access and Tourism) Adrian Boots 2000 50% Feasibility for series of wild food walks Mendip Hills Wild Food Map

(Biodiversity) PC 1000 42% Landscaping of the Pound and providing improved The Pound Rodney Stoke access (Heritage)

Total grants awarded 63638.98 (£763,606) AONB Admin costs 6361.02 Total 70000

7 Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2008/9

Project title Applicant Grant % of total Outline (Management Plan theme) costs Living Landscapes Avon Wildlife Trust 8483 8% Restoring Avon’s wildflower rich grasslands. (BIODIVERSITY) Barton Camp Nature Trail Bristol Childrens 1000 100% Provision of expert advice to create nature trail with (BIODIVERSITY) Help Society teaching aids International Dormice conference The Mammal 2000 7.7% 7th International Dormouse Conference- Shipham (BIODIVERSITY) society 26th Sept- 30th Sept

East Harptree Village Shop E.H Village Shop 10000 16.6 % To set up sustainable enterprise owned and run (COMM,SETTLEMENT&DEV) Project community shop in redundant building. Charcoal Chew Valley 300 50% Printing of bags for charcoal (TREES,WOODLAND&FORESTRY) Charcoal Black Down erosion monitoring Mendip Hills AONB 1560 23% Identify and monitor soil erosion on Black Down with (RECREATION,ACCESS,TOURISM) Service view to implementing appropriate management. Mendip Hills Community Owls Hawk and owl Trust 2425.50 32% Project to sustain the small population of Long eared (BIODIVERSITY) owls by surveying and monitoring with volunteers Cheddar Valley Horsewatch Avon and Somerset 600 75% Establish scheme in Cheddar valley providing (COMMUNITY,SETTLEMENT,DEV) Constabulary security information and tagging of equestrian property Bracken Burn Ltd Bracken Burn Ltd 12040 50% Pilot project of bracken pellets as biofuel (BIODIVERSITY) Mendip Hills Conservation Somerset Wildlife 3500 23% Setting up of volunteering group drawn from local Volunteers Trust community to carry out work on SWT reserves (BIODIVERSITY)

8 Removal of hut in Velvet Bottom Somerset Wildlife 4860 61% Removal of redundant hut and restoration of the SSSI (COMMUNITY,SETTLEMENT&DEV) Trust and Scheduled Monument site. Mendip TV AONB Video Project Mendip Project to showcase SDF and other community (LANDSCAPE) Times/Mendip TV 2000 40% related projects within the AONB

Mendip Hills Volunteer Development Audit of all volunteering opportunities within the Organisation Coordination Project Personnel Limited 2500 50% Mendip Hills identifying areas of duplication, gaps & (COMMUNITY,SETTLEMENT&DEV) skills shortages

Woodfuel Information & Training Centre for 78% Providing information on wood fuel through open (TREES,WOODLAND&FORESTRY) Sustainable Energy 3060 day and case studies

Rickford Orchard Rickford 32.3% Stock proof replanted orchard (TREES,WOODLAND&FORESTRY) Community Assoc 1405.50

Mendip Long Eared Owl Schools Hawk & Owl Trust 100% Visit to 10 schools in AONB and surrounding areas Project 1017.50 publicising work (BIODIVERSITY)

Total grants awarded 56751.50 (£180,137.50) AONB Admin costs 4914.50 TOTAL 61666

9 Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2009/10

Project title Applicant Grant % of total Outline (CAPITALS:Management Plan Ref) costs PARTICIPATION P3 Bristol Children’s £4138 72.1% To develop and produce teachers and children’s Barton Camp Teachers Packs Help Society packs in connection with the newly developed nature trails PARTICIPATION P3 Su Gearing & Les £3,500 48.1% Walking guide for children aged 6-11 with Children’s Walking Guide Davies additional activities BIODIVERSITY B1 Somerset Wildlife £398.75 42.5% To achieve lowland meadow recreation through SWT Green Hay Trust spreading “green hay” ACCESS/REC/TOURISM Cheddar Parish £890 69% Interpretive sign within Garden of Fragrance Cheddar Interpretive Sign Council highlighting geology/biodiversity of the Gorge LANDSCAPE L2 Loxton Parish £5350 89% To renew fences, provide gates and increase Parish Acre Project Council accessibility and interpretation LANDSCAPE Somerset Wildlife 63% To remove redundant hut in Velvet Bottom SSSI Removal of hut in Velvet Bottom Trust £5260 PARTICIPATION P3 Mendip Hills AONB 49% To prepare for the camp in July 2010 – one day International Junior Ranger Camp Unit £3000 event for Young Rangers to input ideas, set up web site, publicity and other preparation costs ACCESS/REC/TOURISM The Trails Trust 73% Surveying, design and production of laminated Circular route leaflet for horse (Mendip and £808 leaflet for route near Priddy. riders and mountain bikers Wansdyke branch) BIODIVERSITY B1 Hawk and Owl 30% Train local people to survey long eared owls and Mendip Hills Community Owl Trust £2090 coordinate a series of night surveys. Project

10 ACCESS/REC/TOURISM Mendip Hills AONB To install barriers to stop illegal vehicle access on Black Down Access Management Unit £5125 50% Black Down as part of wider project work Phase 1 LANDSCAPE L2 People and Places 52% To provide specialist training to 15 volunteers who Volunteer Ranger training Project £1120 work for NT,SWT,NE and AONB Unit. LANDSCAPE L4 Sophie Courtiour 86.49% Create willow sheep with 5 schools in Cheddar Communal Shepperding Artist £3200 Valley and then place them in favourite sites in the AONB. LANDSCAPE L2 Mendip Society 50% To stock proof the Reserve that is adjacent to the Sladers Leigh stock fencing and £1730 Strawberry Line with fencing and gates suitable for gates all users. LANDSCAPE L2 Bristol Exploration 100% Cost of 3 independent valuations of the site Purchase of St Cuthberts leadworks Club £1175.25 LANDSCAPE L4 Wells and Mendip 85% Exhibition to accompany touring Treasures from New Landscape archaeology Museum £4000 the earth exhibition, family day and other events exhibition and events and Mendip Hills Festival of Arch Coordinator. CLIMATE CHANGE CC3 Priddy Village Hall 75% Project initiated by Priddy School Council. Will Photovoltaic cells on Priddy Village £17158 enable hall to use renewable energy. Children can Hall monitor use. 0910-022 HISTORIC ENV H1 St Hughs 60.5% Lime wash external walls of 100 year old listed Lime wash St Hughs £5225 chapel Total grants awarded (£100,773.61) £64168 AONB admin costs £832 Total £65000

11 Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2010/11

Project title Applicant Grant % of total Total Outline (Management Plan theme) costs Project Value Pond Compton Martin PC 4000 39% 10300 Restoration of village pond LANDSCAPE Mendip Hills Festival of Arch coordinator Wells Museum 1600 71% 2250 Fund coordinator for HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT Festival of Arch 2010. Music on Mendip Local journeys Community 6820 39.5% 17270 Churchill school & ACCESS/PARTICPATION Interest company Watershed creating music inspired by . Forest School Primary School 3000 42% 7128 Set up Forest School PARTICPATION Burrington Commons Signage Mendip Hills AONB Unit 2950 50% 5900 Provide and install gateway ACCESS and way marking signage to inform visitors Mendip Hills Barn Owl Conservation project Hawk and Owl Trust 5000 74% 6720 Gather information on barn BIODIVERSITY owls, visit schools, advise landowners, make barn owl boxes Solar thermal System Fernhill Farm 6000 50% 12026 Install system linked to CLIMATE CHANGE wood fuel boiler providing hot water and reducing use of wood fuel. Improving Interpretation at Dolebury Warren Avon Wildlife Trust 2250 56% 4000 3 Interpretation panels at

12 LANDSCAPE Dolebury Warren Nature Reserve Wheelchairs are Welcome Mendip Society 4160 65% 6410 Access ramp from ACCESS Strawberry Line to the gate at the entrance to Sladers Leigh Rainwater Capture System Small Bros. 2435 50% 4870 Installation of rainwater FARMING Warren Farm capture for new environmentally sensitive camp site Gaining confidence through conservation Osprey 4142 24.27% 17066 Increase opportunities for volunteering volunteering and range of PARTICIPATION people participating Mendip Hills Living Landscape Explorers Somerset Wildlife Trust and 10750 81% 13250 4 linked activities – Heritage Project Wells and Mendip Museum Seminar/Festival of LANDSCAPE Archaeology/Mendip Rocks/Podcasts Wall Renovation The Pound Rodney Stoke Rodney Stoke Parish Council 925 34% 2725 Renovation of Lime Mortar HERITAGE Wall Total grants awarded 54032 109915 AONB Admin 968 Total SDF 55000

13 Sustainable Development Fund 2011/12 Grants Awarded

Project title Applicant Grant % of Total Outline (Management Plan theme) total Project costs Value Festival of Archaeology/Mendip Rocks& Historic Wells& Events to encourage Environment Day Mendip £3250 61% £5309 community participation. (HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT) Museum/ SWT Mendip Hawk and Owl awareness Hawk and £5000 53% £9500 Promote recognition of 14 (BIODIVERSITY) Owl Trust species, through surveys, posters training sessions. Walks and activities with schools and young people groups. Sunday in the Meadow Mendip £600 + 36.6% £1650 Event to promote the Sladers (PARTICIPATION) Society £200 23.5% £854 Leigh reserve/thank volunteers. Additional £200 for Radar key access gate Landscape Explorers Avon Wildlife £3550 40% £8760 One year project with Bishop (LANDSCAPE) Trust Sutton School and local landowners to explore and understand the landscape Churchill Parish Mendip Slopes bird boxes Churchill PC £75 37% £200 Funding for bird boxes and (BIODIVERSITY) nesting baskets to be purchased and installed in

14 local woodland. Priddy Sheepwash project Priddy Parish £660 76% 860 First phase of project to (PARTICIPATION) Council remove dumped material in sheepwash Traditional highways signage - finger posts signage Mendip Hills £23147.49 73% £31147.49 Restoration of 10 cast iron project AONB finger posts in SCC area of (HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT) AONB route between Two Trees and West Horrington Total grants awarded £36482.49 AONB Admin £517.51 Total £37000

Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2012/13

Project title Applicant Grant % of Total Outline (Management Plan theme) total Project costs Value Combe View, Compton Martin Compton Martin £1563 60% £2605 Management work to enhance (Landscape) Parish Council valuable amenity site within the village pre school and Forest Club Bishop Sutton £393.75 75% £525 Purchase of equipment for (Participation) Preschool and outdoor activities Forest Club Cheddar Draycott and Rodney Stoke Path Sustrans £1900 71% £2675 Development of proposal to (Climate change) create multi -user path that will provide alternative and

15 safe means of accessing facilities in the villages. Traditional Highways finger post signage restoration AONB Unit £5100 63% £8000 Phase 2 to follow 2011/12 project work in Somerset to restore (Landscape) cast iron finger posts Wild Week on Mendip Somerset £810 28% £2910 Four day event for families to (Participation) Wildlife Trust experience natural and historical aspects of the Mendip Hills. 6-9th June 2012 Strawberry Line Campaign N.Som Council £4073.02 50% £8146.05 Installation of 3 visitor (Access, recreation and tourism) counters on the Strawberry Line and 12 signs to signpost people to and from towns/villages near the Line. Priddy Forest School Priddy School £400 28% £1400 Forest school shelter, seating, (Participation) large hand cart and new /repair gate Mendip Cave exhibition Wells and £5566.73 65% £8500 Mendip Cave exhibition on (Historic Environment and Cultural Heritage) Mendip cave exploration and Museum celebrating the recent cave discovery at Cheddar Stowey Hedge project Avon Wildlife £1926 57% £3364.31 Planting of new hedgerow by (Farming and Landuses) Trust school children, alongside a public footpath that links Bishop Sutton to Folly Farm Quarry Faces – West Mendip Somerset Earth £5100 52% £9800 Documenting history of (Landscape) Science Centre quarrying in the Mendips-

16 exhibition, work with schools and 2 community events Greentraveller Guide to the Mendip Hills Greentraveller £9282.50 50% £18565 Online guide, video and (Access, Recreation and Tourism) Limited Facebook campaign to promote tourism and awareness of the AONB as a visitor destination. Pincross enclosure Priddy PC £220 30% £720 Continuation of project part (Participation) funded by SDF in 11/12. This phase will clear area, level and reseed. Priddy Pool restoration Priddy PC £665 29% £2265 Restore habitat of Priddy Pool (Biodiversity and Geodiversity) and environs. Total grants awarded £37000 Total £37000 £69475.36

Sustainable Development Fund grants awarded 2013/14

Project title Applicant Grant % of Total Outline (Management Plan theme) total Project costs Value Sladers Leigh Mendip Society £500 42% £1180 Fencing around small-leaved (Landscape) lime trees Rickford Orchard walling Rickford £1185 41% £1600 Repair of lime mortar wall (Landscape) Community Ass around orchard to include training for local people

17 Grebe Mining Preservation – land near Blackmoor Chris Binding £2500 67% £3700 Fencing and gates/stiles to Reserve protect land that is designated (Landscape) SSSI and Scheduled Monument Priddy Forest School Priddy Primary £280 28% £1000 Waterproof clothing for (Participation) School children New Inn Feasibility Study Priddy Parish £350 50% £700 Development of feasibility (Participation) Council study application Air source heat pump St Andrews £2500 54% £4600 Purchase and installation of air (Climate Change) Church, source heat pump to provide heating in rooms for use by community and visitors Black Down Youth Project – Boardwalk Somerset Rural £540 28% £1940 Part of programme of (Access) Youth Project countryside management skills activities on Black Down and Burrington Commons Solar PV Installation Barton Camp – £10000 18% £40580 Installation of solar panels as (Climate) Bristol part of larger scheme to Childrens Help reduce fuel bills Society Equipping of therapeutic training spaces Fernhill Farm £1145 5% £19430 Project Beanstalk and Working (Participation) Wool will be facilitating educative, creative and therapeutic workshops at the farm and require equipped space. Herbert Balch Mendip display Wells and £1000 5% £18000 Working with local (Historic Environment) Mendip archaeologists, geologists and

18 Museum historians to create a permanent display of Balch’s archaeological exploration and discoveries. Total Value of projects £92730 Total grants awarded £20,000 Total £20,000

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