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Involving the public in preserving habitats was the first step took with its biodiversity action plan. UK farmland biodiversity

ARC went there to find Council ough case study, summer 2012 Why it matters out more about it. www.arc2020.eu For just five kilometres of the i s t h e f o u n d a t i o n o f t h e Biodiversity is like a living Sussex coastline at Hastings, borough’s biodiversity plan. The glue that keeps life on the sandstone cliffs spill out over sides of some valleys in the planet together. Bor Hastings e:

the Weald clay to form a series borough are too steep for It is the combined effect of Pictur of unique habitats. Some of building, so ancient woodland i n t e r a c t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e m h a v e e x i s t e d habitats can be found alongside lifeforms and habitats: it is continuously in their present a dense patchwork of nineteenth an indivisible entity which state for thousands of years. and twentieth century housing. encompasses the planet. It is Many of these habitats are as With a human population of most readily understood at a fragile as they are rare. more than 80,000, Hastings neighbourhood level. This is Fortunately, Hastings Borough residents can only be part of the the level at which people Council takes biodiversity very solution, not forgetting the can be involved in their seriously and has implemented million year-round visitors to living space, the level at all but one item in its local the popular south coast resort. which they can make a biodiversity plan, which is a The borough is completing a difference. customised version of national 10-year regeneration programme, and county strategies. More than w h i c h h a s s e e n m a j o r This is the aim of the one third of the borough’s 3,000 investments in further education Hastings Local Biodiversity hectares are protected habitats: campuses. Action Plan: since the 10% of the borough is woodland, As well as regenerating the borough is a geologically much of it ancient. local economy, the past decades rare location, there is a high L o c a l i n v o l v e m e n t w i t h have seen extensive investments density of rare habitats. wildlife and preserving habitats in preserving the fabric of the Biodiversity matters to every living organism on the planet, because it helps us to understand where the next breath of air, the next drink of water, the next meal will ough Council ough come from. And, with either luck or good judgement, the one after that. Or not, as the case may be.

e: Hastings Bor Hastings e: For instance, half the o x y g e n w e b r e a t h e i s Pictur produced by green plankton in the world’s oceans. We do not need to know that for it to keep us alive, but it certainly changes how we need to think about the ocean, let alone the living spaces which are readily Understanding biodiversity cannot begin too young. accessible to terrestrial life.

Page 1 of 6: UK farmland biodiversity case study published by the Agricultural and Rural Convention (www.arc2020.eu) local landscape for the borough’s smaller populations. The result is that Hastings Borough Council has designated seven Local Nature Reserves (LNR), four of which are directly managed by the Council, two by Sussex Wildlife Trust and one is privately owned and managed. The borough is also host to three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a European Special Area of Conservation (SAC) at Hastings Cliffs. T h i s 1 8 3 - h e c t a r e S A C i s designated as one of the finest examples of soft sandstone cliffs in northern Europe. Its const– antly crumbling clay outcrops are home to a very diverse flora and fauna, some of which are rare. The combination of a south-facing aspect and soft, Murray Davidson: diversity and wildlife returning to meadows. raked back faces make the site years ago, this lowland acid rye grass field would be really high an ideal home for creatures that grassland was saturated with by now, but it would only feed need burrows or the brackish high levels of plant nutrients. livestock, with its high volume water pools that form in the G r a s s m o n o c u l t u r e s h a d yield. Our regime of low density long foreshore. This zone also displaced naturally-occuring stocking levels for cattle and sheep protects the foot of the cliffs plants, such as heath bedstraw, a and rotating fields so that in some from direct erosion by the sea, variety of vetches, clovers and years none are grazed is resulting in which is slowed but not halted. sheep’s sorrel, as well as the a return to more traditional Within the Hastings LNR is 150 delicate grasses that support lowland pastures, rich in wildlife. acres of farmland at Place Farm, small farmland bird species. We have seen farmland bird Fairlight, which sits on high During a sunny break in a wet numbers such as linnet, yellow– ground overlooking the sea. The summer, Environment and hammer and tree sparrow numbers fragile sandy topsoil is recov– Natural Resources Manager increase. The fields now also have a ering from over-intensive dairy Murray Davidson took ARC web rich small mammal population farming practices. correspondent Peter Crosskey to which has attracted barn owls back Today, the borough manages it see the profusion of wildflowers to breed on site.” for agriculture (cereals plus and wildlife that are returning Here, the pasture is a mosaic of livestock) and biodiversity. Ten to these pastures. “A commercial different plants, thriving in thin soil that would not support commercial fodder crops. Once the wild flowers have set seed in this field, it will be lightly grazed by a small herd of Sussex cattle, which are being finished for beef. The national target is to re- establish 500 hectares of this grassland. Geology means that there are a limited number of places where it can occur: Hastings is home to a significant part of the national biodiversity target. Public access to farmland is protected with extensive rights of way. The gates carry noticeboards explaining what is going on in the fields beyond. The aim is to accommodate all stakeholders: Hastings residents, wildlife and the

Local residents and visitors to Hastings constantly use this space. Continued on back page

Page 2 of 6: UK farmland biodiversity case study published by the Agricultural and Rural Convention (www.arc2020.eu) Single Farm Payments help Hastings The Agricultural and Rural to win battle for biodiversity Convention

The way Single Farm Payments will be allocated in coming

years is crucial to the future ough Council ough of projects like the Nature Reserve. Here, 150 hectares of farmland is still recovering from the effects of intensive dairy Bor Hastings Map: farming that stopped 10 years ago. Overlooking the sea, Fairlight Place Farm is owned by Hastings Borough Council a n d h a s b e e n m a n a g e d directly for the past decade.

It is a special place because, along whom arrived from London in is essential to our economic just five kilometres of coastline, the the 1960s. It is densely prosperity, health and well-being. Weald sandstones outcrop at the sea, populated area for such an Managing a high quality nature generating habitats in places that environmentally sensitive reserve next to such a large urban have survived unchanged for as long a re a . H a s t i n g s B o ro u g h population has its challenges, but as 5,000 years. More than one third Council has risen to the we are firmly committed to of the 3,000 hectares that make up challenge of meeting the ensuring access to nature is one of the Hastings borough are protected needs of local residents, local t h e c o r n e r s t o n e s o f o u r habitats of one sort or another: 10% wildlife and the thousands of management.' visitors that come to this of the borough is woodland, of which In-house expertise a lot is ancient woodland. biodiverse haven. Councillor Birch, Leader of Hastings As the only borough in East Sussex Living alongside this natural treasure Borough Council explained, with its own in-house ecology chest is an urban population of 'The Council recognises a expertise, Hastings has worked around 80,000 or more, many of healthy natural environment very hard to ensure that this natural wealth is both protected and yet still remains accessible for both residents and the half million visitors every year who stay in or around the borough during the tourist season. “There is probably another half million visitors a year coming from the (Old Town of Hastings) opposite end of the reserve,” observes Environment and Natural Resources Manager Murray Davidson, who looks after the borough’s green spaces. 'Indeed, Hastings Country Park and Farm probably attracts more visitors than any other green space in the Borough'. The Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve is criss-crossed with rights of way and covers 267 hectares, which includes the 150-hectare Fairlight Glen: thousands of years as a wet woodland habitat. Fairlight Place Farm. This in turn

Page 3 of 6: UK farmland biodiversity case study published by the Agricultural and Rural Convention (www.arc2020.eu) is directly over the borough’s most precious Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Fairlight Glen. This

ancient glen habitat has a very ough Council ough stable microclimate and attracts scientists from all over the UK and further afield to study its uniquely diverse flora and fauna.

High plant nutrient levels Bor Hastings e:

The runoff from the farm came Pictur close to destroying the ecology of the glen during the closing years of the twentieth century, as slurry from scores of cattle found its way in to the watercourse. Even now, years later, the field below the old slurry tank is still thick with patches of nettles, their roots seeking out remaining nutrients. At the turn of the century, Highland cattle form part of the bracken control team. Hastings Council acted to save SFPs, the whole project could very one where, habitats and species Fairlight Glen from ecological rapidly be in jeopardy. were in decline to a site that disaster, buying out the tenant Councillor Birch explains, “Taking boasts flora rich grazed meadows, farmer in Fairlight Place Farm, t h e f a r m b a c k i n t o d i re c t and arable fields that are managed before implementing a recovery management allowed us to to provide as much food and plan for the site. As things stand, develop a sustainable manag- shelter for wild birds and Single Farm Payments of around ement plan for the whole area to i n v e r t e b r a t e s w i t h o u t t h e GBP 20,000 a year is applied to conserve the biodiversity of the dedication of our volunteers, our defray the fixed costs of the farm, designated areas, provide access Friends of Hastings Country Park w h i l e a s i m i l a r s u m i n for residents and visitors and group and the hard work of all Countryside Stewardship funding manage the farmland to promote our staff. We now receive an helps with the running costs. If biodiversity. annual Green Flag Award as a changes to the CAP were to bar recognition the site is one of the local authorities from claiming Challenges “This meant the residents of Hastings and St Leonards had one of the largest and highest quality nature reserves in the South East of England right on their doorstep. Council ough Integrating a former intensively managed farm with a nationally designated and internationally

designated Special Area of Cons- Bor Hastings e: ervation has not been without its

challenges. This management Pictur would simply not have been possible without the subsidies we currently attract.” “The farm is run for agriculture and biodiversity,” explains Murray Davidson. “It is very popular locally: people came specially to see the Exmoor ponies when we had them up here and local residents are involved in practical conservation projects around the nature reserve, as they are at other conservation sites around the borough. Effective bracken control with “It is true to say we could not Exmoor ponies are popular with light grazing. have turned this site around from Hastings residents.

Page 4 of 6: UK farmland biodiversity case study published by the Agricultural and Rural Convention (www.arc2020.eu) best green spaces in the Country.” The farmland on this site is very fragile. The topsoil is very thin,

lying on top of clay: in winter, Council ough anyone venturing out with a vehicle in the fields would sink through the light, water-soaked topsoil and get stuck in the underlying clay. Bor Hastings e: It cannot be expected to compete with capital-intensive operations Pictur on more robust land. But that is n o t t o s a y t h a t i t l a c k s commercial organisation. Light grazing Today, livestock is brought in to keep bracken under control with a mix of Sussex and Highland l o n g h o r n c a t t l e , w i t h Reinstating fencing to manage grazing was an early priority overwintering sheep when the margins,” Davidson added. once again start scanning the nights draw in. The livestock With broad bands of open ground skies over Brussels for signs the grazes in meadows where plant around crop plantings, birds such as new CAP will help Fairlight Place and wildlife diversity is steadily s k y l a r k s h a v e s t a r t e d n e s t i n g Farm to stay on the road to returning and the finished animals successfully once again. And to have recovery. Over one million are slaughtered later in the year. peregrine falcons nesting in the visitors a year and residents vote With the livestock areas fully borough would not happen without a for Hastings Natural History fenced and secured, the arable fully functional food chain. Reserve with their feet: the belt across the top of the farm is notion of biodiversity both undergoing a similar rolling Bird populations recovering e n g a g e s a n d i n v o l v e s a management programme. As well 'We have found through annual bird significant proportion of the as working with a local grazier for monitoring our numbers of farmland borough’s urban population. It is the livestock, the borough sets out birds such as linnet, tree sparrow and this bedrock support that earns a cropping plan for the arable yellow hammer are all increasing in Hastings so many Green Flag areas, which is implemented by numbers due to our management.' Awards and recognition for contractors. “We agreed to denser Once the holiday season draws to a making the transition from plantings in return for wider field close, Hastings Borough Council will access to involvement.

Flying the flag: Hastings Rangers are proud of their achievements.

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Wildlife is ough Council ough

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buzz word Pictur From page 4 agricultural contractors growing crops or managing livestock grazing. The margins of the cereal fields have up to 10-metre wide Wildlife Strips, comprising of sunflowers, quinoa and various seed rich plants that provide food and cover for birds in the lean winter months. Sussex cattle are helping to restore dry grassland habitats The low input cereal fields are technically tricky area of the community that shares the now home skylarks, harvests photography are a mark of many nature reserve. Get the link from m i c e a n o t h e r t h r e a t e n e d hours spent in the field over the wildhastings.org.uk website. farmland species. The arable years, by a dedicated core of Going further back, there has rotation also includes setting local naturalists. The WordPress been an active natural history one complete field over to red blog has over 300 followers, society in Hastings since 1893: clover. This has three main ben– which is very respectable for a for over a century the Hastings efits; the clover provides a rich local specialist publication. and East Sussex Natural History nectar source throughout the The park rangers’ flickr Society has an unbroken record summer for rare and endangered account paints a lively picture of of publishing an annual journal. s o l i t a r y b e e s a n d o t h e r invertebrates, provides a nutr– itious finishing fodder for sheep in the winter and its roots fix 94% of residents back nitrogen in the soil. There is a healthy number of volunteers, who help around the nature reserves and conservation biodiversity strategy sites. The current volunteer The biodiversity strategy in Development Framework (LDF) calendar lists weekly meetings Hastings has a lot of support in reflects this when it states that to work on a walled garden in the borough and beyond. No there is a need to redevelop the town, while the main site at is full of news of wildlife fewer than 94% of respondents existing sites, rather then build sightings and surveys from in a 2008 consultation backed on virgin land to accommodate around the borough. t h e b o r o u g h c o u n c i l ’ s the needs of 86,000 local There is also a lot of stunning biodiversity objectives. residents and the protected wildlife close-up photography to be found on the Wild Hastings Government, at any level, is landscape, which is so closely website. The high standards in a not structured like a business. woven into the borough. Nor is there any reason why, The borough’s natural and for the purposes of good historic environment is a “key Picture: Hastings Borough Council governance, it should be. asset,” making Hastings an Stakeholders have wider attractive place to live and Catch the bug interests than the narrowly work in, as well as being vital To find out more about f i n a n c i a l d e m a n d s a n d to tourism in the town, Hastings wildlife, point your expectations of shareholders in p l a n n e r s a g r e e d . I f t h e web browser at: a business. borough’s wildlife had a say, at http://wildhastings.org.uk/ T h e H a s t i n g s L o c a l least 94% would say “Yes,” too.

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