State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 AONB 1

STATE OF THE AONB REPORT 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB

WELCOME This State of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Report provides background information to the Mendip Hills AONB Management Plan and factual information on the AONB.

The information contained here will be reviewed with the Management Plan every five years. Changes in data will indicate if Management Plan objectives and actions are proving effective. This will assist future reviews of the Management Plan and be useful in directing future management work.

The data contained here is information that is available from sources that are updated on a regular basis and cover the whole AONB. The information has been divided into the nine Management Plan themes.

Whilst we will review the information for trends every five years we will also seek to add new information annually where relevant to one of the themes and is a potential indicator of change.

naturally beautiful and MENDIP HILLS AONB nationally protected landscape mendiphills@.gov.uk www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 2 State of the AONB Information with indicators for monitoring effectiveness of objectives & actions

INTRODUCTION The Mendip Hills AONB is breathing space for many visitors but also home to 6000 people. Over 800,000 people live within a 10 mile radius of the Mendip Hills including the population of , Weston Super Mare and Bath. within view of the Mendip Hills carries 6.5 million passengers. The M5, the main route to the South West, cuts through the AONB carrying millions of visitors each year.

The majority of the AONB area totaling 19,800ha is in private ownership and farmed; a high level of private ownership however, does not mean low levels of access. There is a good network of 428kms of Public Rights of Way. The National Trust owns 704ha providing access for everyone and to protect areas of national beauty. The and Avon Wildlife Trust own 354ha land and allow 800,000 people live within a 10 mile radius of the Mendip Hills State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 3

A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE AONB IS UNDER SOME FORM OF CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AND HAS PUBLIC ACCESS

public access to all their sites. Somerset As the vast majority of the AONB is in County Council own 6 sites in the AONB private ownership, the quality of the built as totalling 70ha, 2 of which have extensive well as the natural environment therefore public access as amenity sites. depends on a combination of; encouragement to owners to conserve and Thirteen per cent of the AONB has enhance; strong land use policies in local additional national or international nature development frameworks and enforcement conservation protected area designation. of these policies. European Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) including the Mendip grassland, and Mendip Bats, and Mendip Woodlands cover 867ha. The Special Protection Area (SPA) of Lake covers 574ha. There are also 27 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and 2 National Nature Reserves covering 2690 ha. These sites include the SACs and SPA. There are also locally designated Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) for their wildlife interest. Therefore a significant part of the AONB is under some form of conservation management and has public access. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 4

Drivers for change – external influences

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE Any plan for the future must consider what is happening in the wider world. The AONB cannot be immune to their effects. Moreover these issues will affect the special qualities of the AONB. The main ones are: Social Technological Environmental Economic Political State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 5

SOCIAL DRIVERS opportunities for young people is a key area communities, visitor enjoyment and quality to do more to stay healthy or become of work for many of the AONB stakeholders. of the environment. Traffic creates healthy higher levels of obesity are The South West Protected Landscape dangerous roads, accidents, visual intrusion, predicted. The social and economic costs of The Government wants public involvement Forum ‘Use of Countryside Assets by under loss of tranquility, clutter of road signs, air this are high with greater pressure on health in decision-making and has increased represented groups in the South pollution and carbon dioxide emissions and and and increases opportunities for this to happen by requiring West’ (March 2007) report identified that the their links to climate change. Government absenteeism amongst the working age public involvement in community strategies. catchment area of the Mendip Hills AONB sees access to services as a priority for the population. The AONB is a fantastic Many other projects enable people to shape includes areas that are in ’s worst public and private sector. Highway resource for people of all ages and abilities the areas in which they live including Parish 10% for inner city, disability and mental authorities through Local Transport Plans and can be used to combat these social Plans, Village Design Statements, and work health. These categories account for 18% of have a duty to increase accessibility within problems. on local nature reserves. Parish councils the catchment population. Older people their areas. In line with Government play a vital role in helping local people Volunteer activity can help people become over the age of 60 account for 22% with 4% guidance they place access to services such articulate their wishes. healthier and increase their understanding of from black and ethnic minority groups. The as health and education as a priority over the AONB whilst benefiting the AONB. Many Governments Diversity Review proposes accessibility to the countryside for leisure. The CRoW Act 2000 provided better organisations including the AONB Service new ways of working with the organisations However the Highway Authorities also need management arrangements for AONBs and already work with volunteers and are providing outdoor recreation opportunities to have regard to the purposes of AONBs. gave new access rights, although the actively increasing opportunities through and the under-represented groups so that Highway Authorities have different priorities change in the Mendips was not significant it initiatives such as the People and Places the objective of increasing participation can from AONBs, signage and infrastructure has raised awareness of access. Enjoyment Project. be achieved. frequently clashes rather than blends with of the AONB is relatively cheap and easy by the environment. The Countryside Agency car which is one of the reasons why so The government’s ‘Every Child Matters’ produced guidance on sensitive design in many people come from surrounding areas agenda focuses on the outcomes most rural road schemes showing how for short day visits. The challenge is to retain important to children and young people: engineering can allow a scheme to be more the ease of access but encourage being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and successfully integrated into the landscape. sustainable forms of transport. achieving, economic well being, making a positive contribution. Providing access and The Walking the Way to Health agenda and The impact of motorised traffic remains one Primary Care Trusts are encouraging people of the biggest threats to habitats, State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 6

CLIMATE CHANGE IS A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO , LANDSCAPE AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FABRIC

TECHNOLOGICAL DRIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS regard for the conservation of biodiversity in is now a material consideration in land use carrying out their functions. development. The Government has Mobile phone operators and consumer Natural England, the Governments produced a UK climate change strategy and One of the Governments main targets, demand may increase pressure for further independent advisor on the natural action plan outlining what it expects people driven by Europe is the improvement in the masts in the AONB. Compliance with local environment which provides core AONB to do reduce the rate of climate change and quality of SSSIs to achieve 95% of SSSIs in authority planning policies has seen the funding, have set out its strategic direction in published Planning and Climate Change – ‘Favourable’ or ‘Unfavourable Recovering’ impact minimised with companies to achieve four strategic outcomes; a a Supplement to Planning Policy Statement condition by the end of 2010. The figure for encouraged to share masts. As technology healthy natural environment; people are (PPS)1. Planning authorities must shape the Mendip Hills is 96% compared to a develops and masts become redundant the inspired to value and conserve the natural their policies to accord with PPS1 and have national figure of 83% but for some of the importance of specifying removal of masts is environment; sustainable use of the natural or are producing their own climate change sites that are Unfavourable Recovering they prudent. environment and, secure the natural strategies are some way from achieving Favourable. environment for the future – responding to The Severn Barrage proposal is currently Better quality, lower cost, information climate change. Climate change is a significant threat to technology means that people can work in being considered by the Government as a biodiversity, landscape and social and remote locations and home working is The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) is means of generating 5% of Britain’s power economic fabric of the UK. Climate change increasing as broadband becomes more the main document guiding action for needs. The two stage study begun in widely available. biodiversity in the UK. The Local Biodiversity Action Plans help turn these There are more options for using sustainable national targets into action. Recognising the building materials and techniques. Natural importance of biodiversity, the Natural and England’s new vernacular initiative Environment and Rural Communities Act encourages innovative sensitively designed 2006 places a duty on public bodies to have and well constructed buildings in rural areas. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 7

September 2007 will last two years. The first protection measures will benefit from the associated with such use (eg fences, gates, require larger buildings that may impact on stage will focus on high level issues and will introduction of new jumps) that can and has had a significant the landscape but this has not been a state if there are any fundamental issues regulations, cross compliance and impact on the landscape. significant issue as yet. that will preclude a tidal scheme in the Environmental Stewardship. . The second stage will be ECONOMIC DRIVERS Changing nature of sources of funding - available for full public consultation in 2010. Landownership and tenure may change as a European money is now being targeted on result of changes to farm payment schemes. The Single Payment scheme for farm Regional Economic Strategies (RES) The AONB has a legacy of old mineral The changes may create fewer larger farms payments is the biggest shift in emphasis for priorities and in partnership with other permissions granted in the late 1940s early and more small holdings. The changes may farm subsidies in decades. Payments are protected landscapes joint bids for 1950s before the area was designated. create opportunities for conservation and now based on a fixed payment per hectare European funding are being made. Lottery Whilst reviews of old minerals permissions enhancement of the environment and not linked to production. funding is still a resource for the AONB will impose modern conditions, it is along with the Aggregate Levy Sustainability important that guidance on how to maximise Horse ownership in the Mendip Hills has The Environmental Stewardship scheme Fund. biodiversity and geodiversity benefits is increased as land or property with continues a trend started years ago with used to plan ahead at an early stage whilst agricultural land has been sold to non Countryside Stewardship whereby farmers With increased demands on local authority the quarry has years to run. farmers and those who want paddock areas are rewarded for good conservation resources funding has become less certain for horses. This has led to increase in horse management. There are 190 holdings in or as saving targets set by government are As a major water source maintaining the related development in the area. The partly within the Mendip Hills AONB that imposed upon them. Somerset is required to water quality of the Mendips is a key issue. Guidelines for Horse- related development have land under an agri-environment meet a £12 million saving by 2013. Agricultural run-off and industrial products for the Mendip Hills AONB supplementary scheme totalling 14820 hectares. Government is requiring local authorities to and high concentrations of slurry and planning guidance (2004) seeks to promote engage fully with communities in the chemicals still threaten/can damage water good design but current planning policy is New animal welfare and government health development of Local Area Agreements. quality. Natural resource management unable to restrict permitted development and safety legislation may to farmers AONBs are in good position to assist State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 8

delivery of many of their emerging brands with a nationally designated people and visitors. Sandford and Rodney the areas environmental assets, both for performance indicators that include landscape and sustainable production eg Stoke Parish Councils are examples. their intrinsic value and for their contribution biodiversity, volunteering, health, and young Mendip Made and Mendip Moments Ice to social and economic well being by people. cream The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act protecting and enhancing designated sites, 2004 requires planning authorities to landscapes, habitats and protected species. Developing a sustainable economy - POLITICAL DRIVERS produce Local Development Frameworks The use of planning obligations enables the majority of current visits to the AONB are (LDF) which will replace structure and local planning authorities to seek benefits over day visits but it is in the interests of the The local Government White Paper ‘Strong plans. The LDFs are a suite of documents and above those derived from the physical economy to increase length of stay to and Prosperous Communities’ (2006) that should be aligned with national and development itself. This could bring encourage higher levels of spend, higher enabled a wider range of governance regional plans including the Regional Spatial biodiversity and landscape benefits. wages for those who work in the industry, an arrangements for local authorities with Strategy. The Core Strategy is the key extended tourist season and higher quality support for developing unitary authorities, document within the LDF. Section 85 of the Planning Policy Statements (PPS) provide of services including accommodation. community and parish level of government. CRoW Act also places a duty on local guidance for local planning authorities and Average spend per staying visitor in 2003 Parish Councils are becoming Quality Parish authorities to the purpose of conserving and others on planning policy and the operation was £159 and £9 average per day visitor. Councils with fully trained and qualified enhancing the natural beauty of the AONB. of the planning system. Local planning The Mendip Hills have been identified by the Parish clerks. Many are now actively This will include having appropriate policies authorities should also take the contents of Forestry Commission as an area in the south producing Parish Plans which provide to protect the AONB in the LDF. There are PPSs into account in preparing their LDF. west where off-road cycling could be valuable input into community strategies. policies in current Plans that protect the PPS’s relevant to the AONB include; PPS1 – encouraged and have recently appointed a Parish Councils can contribute directly to AONB until the LDFs are approved. Delivering Sustainable Development and its regional cycling development officer. the purposes of AONBs as some own and supplement Planning and Climate Change, The Government expects spatial planning to manage accessible green space within or on PPS7 – Sustainable Development in Rural A growing number of businesses are enable sustainable development. Spatial edge of villages for the benefit of local Areas, and PPS9- Biodiversity and recognising the benefits of associating their planning provides a means of safeguarding Geological Conservation. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 9

INCREASE THE RESILIENCE OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

The Natural Environment and Rural The factual information that follows has Communities (NERC) Act 2006 contains a been divided into the nine Management Plan wide range of measures for the future of the themes. This highlights how issues can be countryside and the communities. It monitored by collecting and analysing data included the creation of Natural England and from a number of different sources. Overall Commission for Rural Communities. this will contribute to our understanding and builds a picture of the State of the AONB. The Government’s 2006 Stern Review highlighted the likely economic as well as environmental impacts of climate change. Natural England’s draft climate change policy sets out the need to increase the resilience of the natural environment to climate change (adaptation) and the need to reduce the long term risk to the natural environment from climate change (mitigation). The Government has also proposed a Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill. Climate change has moved up the political agenda. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 10

Climate Change

RAINFALL TRENDS Data covering five years from 2004 supplied by the Environment Agency. Recorded at , , and St Georges. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 11

Landscape Quality

DARK SKIES The change in Dark Skies from 1993 to 2000. The increase in light pollution has led to a far reduced area of ‘darkness’. Source; CPRE 11

a wide variety of conditions as Derelict. This could range from Project Diary walls having some Sound sections but with the majority collapsed to the line of the wall and a few stones visible. 24.06.06 Official Launch of the Lifelines project at Charterhouse Centre. A great place to see Remnant walls are at Deer Leap. Clearly Young Rangers, local historians and members of the Dry Stone visible under the grass are straight lines that connect to other Walling Association gather to mark the start of the biggest wall junctions. The most tell tale signs are the anthill mounds, community landscape project on the Mendip Hills. presumably the ants have chosen these locations as they are on top of stones which absorb the heat better than the 12.07.06 surrounding soil. First survey forms are sent out. To track the progress of the survey and to stop any duplication of surveys we broke the area down into 500mState of x the 500m AONB Report tiles. 2009-2014 890 tiles will need to be surveyed. A lot of Mendip Hills AONB The number of Sound walls is interesting at 13%. Based on 12 volunteers will be needed. the last survey undertaken by the Countryside Commission The walls recorded as ‘Stockproof but Slumping (now Natural England) the national figure for Sound walls is Stockproof is used as an important measureo r B o w i n g ’of a n the d ‘ N walls o t value Stockproof with Large 13%. Most worrying is the number of Derelict walls and those to the landscape because when a wallHoles’. is not Considered stockproof the a fence p r i o r i t y f o r f u t u r e just about to become derelict. DRY STONE WALLS protection as they are on The Lifelines project run by the Mendip is generally put up to keep the the stock brink of in. collapse. The wall then Hills AONB unit between 2005 and 2007, funded by the Heritage Lottery deteriorates further creating a double visual impact on the Fund, surveyed as many dry stone walls as possible on Mendip. countryside; the loss of the wall and the erection of a fence.

700 642 Table 1 shows how the walls surveyed were classified under W a l l s c o n s i d e r e d each condition by the volunteers. vulnerableApart from because Condition of no 3, 600 556 coping stones to prevent KEY: SERIES 1 water getting in, hedges Stockproof but Slumping or Bowing,growing there next is to a itsteady and trend 500 rising towards the Derelict condition.overgrown. Condition 3 bucks the 400 358 trend because this is the most blurred of all the categories. A Sound wall and a Derelict wall are obvious when in the field 300 256 stood looking at a wall. It is assumed that volunteers felt the 200 154 least comfortable categorising a wall into Condition 3. With Walls considered to be the 100 hindsight Condition 3 could have beenmost vulnerableabandoned as they from the are also next to roads and survey to provide clearer categories subjectfor the to splashingvolunteers. and 0 vibration. SOUND STOCKPROOF STOCKPROOF NOT DERELICT WITH MINOR BUT SLUMPING STOCKPROOF DEFECTS OR BOWING WITH LARGE The survey could have also had a condition past Derelict, The survey could have had a Remnant condition category that would HOLES

The number of walls surveyed in each Remnant. It became apparent, from entering the forms into record walls like these at Deer Leap that have clearly gone past the Tablecondition 1. category The number of surveyed walls in each Condition. the computer system, that volunteers were having to describe Derelict stage. The mounds are anthills.

through a dog-walk fiel ot Inn dining room. “I write songs because I’m create work be- d and into S he Sun in the Pensc (expletive dele to say. Do artists hipham. “Amy Winehouse self-harms”, says t ted) in the head and have to get it out,” she is said State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 13

Biodiversity & Geodiversity

NATURE CONSERVATION AREAS Conservation designations of local, national and/or international significance.

SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST AND SPECIAL AREA OF CONSERVATION

NATIONAL NATURE SITES OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST RESERVE IN FAVOURABLE CONDITION

SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 14

Historic Environment & Cultural Heritage

SCHEDULED MONUMENTS The AONB contains hundreds of monuments dating from the prehistoric period all the way through to World War Two. Many of these are so significant they have been designated Scheduled Ancient Monuments by English Heritage, meaning they are of national importance. Some of the most well known examples include Priddy Nine Barrows ( burial mounds), Charterhouse Roman fort and town and the Black Down World War Two anti- aircraft decoy site. As well as these monuments, there are also numerous examples of important built heritage within the AONB, including medieval churches and historic farmhouses set within or near long-established villages such as , or Litton. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 15

Title: Listed Buildings in South West AONBs 2006 Title: Number and area of Parks and Gardens in South West AONBs 2006

Copyright: Original data © Copyright English Heritage AONB Parks & Number of Parks Area (m) Area (Ha) AONB Area % Cover Gardens and Gardens (land) Ha Listed Buildings Mendip Y 2 320038 32.00 19847.95 0.16 I II* II NG TOTAL DL

Mendip 11 16 169 0 196 0 Title: Scheduled Monuments in South West AONBs 2005 Grade Definition AONB Region Number of As % of Area of AONB area % Cover of I Grading system in descending order of importance: Grade I, Grade II* and Monuments total in SW Monuments (land) (Ha) Monuments Grade II II RDA (Ha) in AONBs

II* Mendip Hills 169 2.42 332.65 19847.95 1.68

NG Awaiting the assigning of a grade

DL De-listed

This analysis should be considered a 'snapshot'. Numbers are number of Listed Buildings with unique names. Buildings with more than one location but the same name are counted as a single building. Numbers are number of Parks and Gardens with unique names. Parks or gardens with more than one location but the same name are counted once. Numbers are number of Monuments with unique names. Monuments with more than one polygon are still counted as a single monument. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 16

Farming & Land Use

CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT Land being managed by Avon Wildlife Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust, the National Trust and . State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 17

AGRI-ENVIRONMENT SCHEMES

HIGHER LEVEL STEWARDSHIP

ENTRY LEVEL STEWARDSHIP

ORGANIC ENTRY LEVEL PLUS HIGHER LEVEL STEWARDSHIP

ORGANIC ENTRY LEVEL STEWARDSHIP

Administered by Natural England. For further details see www.naturalengland.org.uk State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 18

Access Recreation & Tourism

OPEN ACCESS

AREA DESIGNATED OPEN ACCESS

For further details see www.naturalengland.org.uk State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 19

VISITOR COUNTERS In 2006 the Mendip Hills AONB installed Visitor Counters; Walkers 2007 Visitor Counters at 22 access points on Visitor Counters; Mountain Bikes 2007 popular Public Rights of Way across the Visitor Counters; Mountain Bikes 2007 502 AONB. These record the number of users 2232 - pedestrian, bicycle, horse and vehicle. 659 3730 476 659 11161 476 29093 Code BDEEP Location BDEEB BDFGB BDEEB14805 BDFGP DSB BDEEB Black Down Ellick 5192 BDFGB BLPP SWB Entrance Bikes 3743 5192 DSB BRGP BDEEH Black Down Ellick 3743 SWB Entrance Horses DSP BDEEP Black Down Ellick 18285 LKLP Entrance People RLSP BDFGB Black Down Forest Gate SFAAT Bikes 5128 BDFGH Black Down Forest Gate SLP Horses Visitor Counters; Horse Riders 2007 54679 BDFGP Black Down Forest Gate Visitor Counters; Horse Riders 2007 Visitor Counters; Vehicles Using Car Parks 2007 People BLPP Burrington Link Path 795 22 People 795 17007 22 BMRV Blackmoor Reserve BDEEH Vehicles BDFGH BDEEH BMRV BRGP Black Rock Gate People DSH BDFGH DLCP 3454 49520 2000 SWH DSH SFCP DLCP Deer Leap Car Park 3454 DSB Bikes 2000 SWH 30271 DSH Draycott Sleights Horses DSP Draycott Sleights People LKLP Limekiln Lane People RLSP Ridge Lane Stile People SFAAT Stockhill Forest All Ability SFCP Stockhill Forest Car Park SLP Lane People SWB Sandford Wood Bikes SWH Sandford Wood Horses State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 20

Development & Transport

PLANNING APPLICATIONS This map shows all the planning applications for significant development recorded for monitoring in the AONB since 2003. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 21

Mendip Hills AONB; All Households and Population 2001

12000

10000

8000 Source: Office of National Statistics. All Households 6000 Note: Information recorded here is Population not cut to the AONB boundary but 4000 shows data for whole parishes.

2000

0

Litton Wells Priddy Hutton Loxton Cheddar BanwellBlagdonBleadon Shipham Westbury Churchill BurringtonButcombe East Harptree Hinton BlewettStowey-SuttonWest Harptree Chewton MendipSt Cuthbert Out & Sandford

Mendip Hills AONB; Households with More than One Car 2001

4000

3500

3000

2500

2000 Households with more than one car

1500

1000

500

0

Litton Wells Ubley Priddy Hutton Loxton Cheddar Axbridge Shipham Westbury Churchill BurringtonButcombe Chew Stoke Rodney Stoke East Harptree -Sutton Compton Bishop Chewton Mendip Compton Martin Nempnett Thrubwell

Winscombe and Sandford State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 22

Participation

PEOPLE AND PLACES YOUNG RANGERS The People and Places Project is a two The Mendip Hills AONB Young Ranger year pilot project to expand the scheme was started in 2005. Fifteen volunteering provision across the young people aged 11- 15 are selected Mendip Hills that will benefit and enrich every two years to participate in the both people and the local landscape. two year programme to increase The partners are AONB Unit, Natural awareness and understanding of the England, Somerset Wildlife Trust and AONB. Thirty young people have taken the National Trust. part from 5 local schools.

The Mendip Hills AONB will be hosting the 2010 International Junior Ranger 44 TASKS CARRIED Camp. OUT FROM AUGUST 08 TO SEPTEMBER 09

Training; Guided walks training, 30/1/09 15 participants

Countryside Law training, 28/2/09 25 participants

Brush cutter training, 11/5/09 6 participants State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 23

Making it Happen

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FUND The Mendip Hills AONB Sustainable Development Fund has been available since 2005 to assist projects that help deliver the AONB Management Plan objectives. Funding totaling £297,552 has been allocated over the 4 years. Natural England provide the funding. State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 24

FUNDING TOTALING £297,552 HAS BEEN ALLOCATED OVER THE 4 YEARS

SUSTAINABLE 2008/09; Archive Films International Dormouse Conference (held in 1 Barton Camp Nature Trail Light Pollution Reduction Shipham) DEVELOPMENT FUND 2 East Harptree Village Shop Mendip TV Chew Valley Charcoal Location Based Projects 3 Black Down Assessment Cheddar to Wells Multi-User Path Mendip Hills Community Owls Project 2005/06; 4 Burn Biofuel Pilot Assessment Cheddar Valley Horsewatch 1 Strawberry Line; Millennium Green and 5 Removal of hut in Velvet Bottom 2007/08; Somerset Wildlife Trust Conservation tunnel solar lighting 6 Stock proof Rickford Orchard Mendip Cross Trust Volunteers Group 2 Chancellors Farm education building Cheddar to Wells Multi-User Path Ecological Mendip TV 3 Beacon Batch restoration Funded projects that are not based in one Assessment Mendip Hills Volunteer Organisation 4 AONB boundary markers location South West Woodfuel initiative Coordination Project 2006/07; 2005/06; Owl Survey, Hawk & Owl Trust Woodfuel Open Morning & Case Studies 1 Rickford underground cables B&NES Field Boundary Survey Wild Walks Leaflet Mendip Long Eared Owls Schools Project 2 Bracken cutter Farmlink 2008/09; 3 Black Rock bat and dormouse project Mendip Cross Trails Trust Avon Wildlife Trust Living Landscapes 4 South West Woodfuel initiative National Trust Community Heritage Project Project 2007/08; Archive Films and Farm Radio 1 Light pollution reduction 2006/07; 2 Fernhill Farm reedbed system Mendip Cross Trails Trust 3 The Pound restoration, Rodney Stoke Active Mendip Website 4 Quarry Recreation Plans National Trust Community Heritage Project 5 Strawberry Line links Young Mendip Website State of the AONB Report 2009-2014 Mendip Hills AONB 25

PARTNERSHIP SURVEY Every two years Somerset County Council as the host authority for the AONB unit carry out a survey to measure partnership satisfaction with the performance of the unit.

Question Total score* Average Score out % 2008 % 2006 of 5 Contacting the AONB Team - response time 53/55 4.4 96 85

Assessment of quality of reports and decision making process 49/55 4.1 89 81

Joint project working - performance and working relationships 47/55 3.9 85 88

Response to requests for information - 49/55 4.1 89 87 quality and helpfulness of information The overall performance of the service 50/55 4.2 91 88 How the service contributes to your organisations aims and objectives 46/55 3.8 84 81

Designed and Produced by Viper Marketing www.vmcg.co.uk