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Item 10: Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust Item 10: Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust - Report on First Year’s Membership Item 10 : KIELDER WATER & FOREST PARK DEVELOPMENT TRUST – REPORT ON FIRST YEAR’S MEMBERSHIP Purpose of Report a. To update members on the Authority’s membership of the Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust (KWFPDT) and related achievements. 2. Recommendations a. Members are asked to note the achievements through the Authority’s involvement in the KWFPDT and endorse the Authority’s ongoing membership of the partnership. 3. Implications a. Financial There are no additional financial implications. The Authority previously agreed an annual partnership contribution of £10,000, which is allowed for in the medium term financial plan. b. Equalities None 4. Background a. In September 2016 the Authority agreed to accept the invitation to become a member of the KWFPDT. This followed a period of close partnership working through the International Dark Sky Park and opportunities emerging through The Sill and the Border Uplands Demonstrator Initiative (BUDI). 5. Progress In August 2017, Tony Gates and John Riddle took up roles as Directors of KWFPDT on behalf of NNPA. This report covers activity over the past year. KWFPDT has had a successful and productive year, welcoming approximately 410,000 visitors to the Park as a whole and generating in the region of £24million for the wider local economy, including the North Tyne and Redesdale. Wildlife Tourism a) Living Wild at Kielder In October the Trust secured a £336,300 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards a £½million two year partnership project to animate Kielder Water & Forest Park’s amazing wildlife for visitors and residents, helping them enjoy, learn, share and immerse themselves in nature. ‘Living Wild at Kielder’ is being delivered with the support of a number of partners, including the National Park Authority. Enhancements are being made to trails and interpretation (both digital and physical). Wildlife trails from Stonehaugh, Greenhaugh and Falstone are being created or enhanced with local community involvement and support from NNPA. Northumberland National Park Authority Meeting 20 September 2017 Item 10: Page 1 of 4 Item 10: Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust - Report on First Year’s Membership An events and activity programme is being delivered in conjunction with local businesses. This has included the first Wild at Kielder Festival, on 13th/14th May, attended by over 1500 people. Over 30 wildlife related activities took place across eight sites in the Kielder area. Osprey Watch has been extended and enhanced and visitor numbers have doubled this year. The activity programme is being closely co-ordinated with The Sill activity programme. In partnership with Newcastle University School of Architecture, a new hide has been created at Bakethin Nature Reserve. The hide has been designed and constructed by MArch students, providing them with practical experience along with valuable communication, negotiation and presentation skills. The project will have a lasting legacy thanks to the recruitment of volunteers and Wildlife Ambassadors to help reconnect people with nature, building on a key objective of The Sill. Businesses, front-line staff and members of local communities in and around Kielder Water & Forest Park will be offered training/briefing appropriate to their needs to enable them to promote KWFP’s wildlife offer and signpost visitors to new experiences. Staff at KWFPDT are working with NNPA staff to link this to The Sill activity programme and to share learning and best practice. b) Restoring Ratty 570 water voles have been released in Kielder Forest in an initiative led by Trust partners, aiming to reintroduce water voles to Kielder after a 30 year absence. This 5 year HLF funded project is the largest water vole reintroduction to one place ever undertaken in the UK. The initial releases have generated a significant amount of regional and national media coverage, raising the profile of the area. c) Kielderhead Wildwood Trust partners have completed the development phase of a project to bring back Scots pine and native woodland along the Scaup Burn at Kielderhead, stretching up to Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Whitelee reserve and on towards the Scottish border. As well as restoring a truly representative and more complete upland ecosystem, if it receives funding, the project will give members of the public and volunteers many opportunities to learn about the natural, social and cultural heritage of the area. Art & Architecture Rochester Roundhouse, one of the projects that the Trust has undertaken jointly with Newcastle University and the local community, was launched at Redefest in 2016. It was designed and constructed by MArch students with the full involvement of the local community and is now being used for stargazing, musical performances and a range of community workshops. It has been awarded Highly Commended by the RIBA Journal in its MacEwen Award celebration of “Architecture for the Common Good”. The Trust secured £49,300 from Arts Council England to deliver a programme of activities which is: Exploring new ways for audiences, partners and stakeholders to think about, experience and engage with high quality art and architecture in Kielder’s unique environment, Building on Kielder Water & Forest Park’s success as an award-winning cultural destination by enhancing existing assets and creating new artworks to inspire and delight audiences, and Providing practical opportunities for creative learning, skills development and engagement with children and young people. Northumberland National Park Authority Meeting 20 September 2017 Item 10: Page 2 of 4 Item 10: Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust - Report on First Year’s Membership This programme is now well underway with a number of commissions due for completion from September through to March. Revitalising Redesdale The Trust has been involved in working with the Authority and its partners in the Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership bid, which has just been submitted to HLF, as well as a proposal to create a shelter/vantage point at Blakehope Nick, halfway between Kielder Castle and Byrness, on the Forest Drive. The bid contains many projects which will directly benefit the National Park. Marketing The Trust has achieved excellent results in its marketing activities, with the advertising value of PR coverage reaching £8million in 2016/17, an increase of 16% on the previous year. Our digital profile continues to grow with the number of visits to the Visit Kielder website growing by 15% to 406,000 in 2016/17. Over the same period the number of unique users rose by 17% to 306,000. In early April Facebook ‘likes’ hit 30,000 for the first time and Twitter followers continue to increase. The Trust has participated in Northumberland Tourism’s marketing campaigns and had promotional stands, alongside the Northumberland National Park, at the Blyth Tall Ships Regatta and the Northumberland County Show. A visitor survey is currently underway to learn more about our visitors, including their characteristics, spending, reasons for visiting, activities undertaken and levels of satisfaction. The results are shared with partners, including NNPA, to inform future marketing and development activities for the area. Dark Skies This has been the area of greatest collaboration between KWFPDT and the Authority in the past, and was the driver for the Authority’s membership of KWFPDT. Work has started on the expansion of facilities at Kielder Observatory with funding from HLF, Leader and other sources. This includes the construction of a new fully accessible observatory with an automated telescope with retractable roof, as well as a presentation room, kitchen and toilet facilities. In addition there will be an accessible decked external observation area. The Trust Director chairs the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park Steering Group, of which the NNPA is a proactive member. Research is being commissioned to measure the economic impact of Dark Skies tourism within the Dark Sky Park and wider Northumberland, to help justify the case for further investment within the Dark Sky Park and beyond. Investment and development A new events car park has been constructed opposite Kielder Waterside. This will enable Kielder Water & Forest Park to attract a greater number of high profile, large scale events in the future. It was used as part of the Tour Of Britain celebrations from 2nd - 4th September and assists in the delivery of existing signature events such as the Kielder Marathon and Winter wonderland, which help to raise the area’s profile and reduce seasonality. The Trust is an active partner in key NNPA partnerships such as the Border Uplands Demonstrator Initiative and the National Park Management Plan Partnership. Northumberland National Park Authority Meeting 20 September 2017 Item 10: Page 3 of 4 Item 10: Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust - Report on First Year’s Membership Business development The Trust helps to support business development, both through projects such as Living Wild and by hosting a twice yearly Business Forum for businesses in North Tyne and Redesdale area. The most recent meeting was held at Woodhill Hall near Otterburn. 6. Conclusion KWFPDT continues to be an important partner of NNPA. Much has been achieved in the first year and many opportunities for closer working still remain to be exploited. For this reason the Authority should remain an active and involved member of KWFPDT. Contact Officer: For further information contact Tony Gates, Chief Executive, 01434 611514 or e-mail: [email protected] Background papers None Northumberland National Park Authority Meeting 20 September 2017 Item 10: Page 4 of 4 .
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