& Hove’s Wildlife Forum Minutes: 11th June 2013, meeting at the Booth

Key actions and summary points for the CSP Lengthy discussion over choosing best Local Wildlife Sites in Brighton & Hove took place -Item 3 Geodiversity Sites should be included under the LWS review, four are recommended -Item 3 BHWF might need to put forward views on nature conservation to the council once ecologist departs - Item 4 BHWF will contact the new Conservation Manager when appointed - Item 5 BHCC failing to control the serious Japanese Knotweed problem on several sites- needs addressing - Item 9 State of Nature report reveals one in ten of all UK species to be under threat of extinction - Item 9

Present: Martin Robinson (MR)-chairman, & Dave Bell (DB) Benfield Wildlife & Conservation Group/Friends of Hangleton Park; Maureen Holt (MH) –notes, Keep the Ridge Green; John Patmore (JP) Eco 21st ; Christine Fitzgerald (CF), Andrew FitzGerald (AF) Friends of Waterhall; Roger Carter (RC) Friends Craven Wood; Nicola Yuill (NY) Preservation Society; Mike Parrott (MP) Friends of Bevendean Down; Stuart Derwent (SD) Friends of Withdean Park; Huw Morgan (HM) Wildlife Trust; Pru Gridley (PG) – Nature enthusiast; James Newmarch (JN) Landscape Architect; John Cooper (JC) – Geology, and Host.

Apologies: Phil Belden (PB) Brighton Urban Wildlife Group and National Park; Gill Taylor (GT) Hollingbury & Burstead Woods; Dolly Bell (DoB) Benfield; Colin Leeves (CL) KTRG; David Alderton( DA) ; Marcus Oldfield (MO) -TWEAK, Withdean & Westdene Woods; Lynn Bird (LB) Friends of Sheepcote Valley;

1. Chairman’s welcome to all, including two new members and introduction of group representatives.

2. Minutes of last meeting (23- 4-13) were approved. Matters arising: (JP) International Biodiversity Day was held on 22nd May 2013, theme: 'Water and Biodiversity', no action from BHCC on this day noted. Stanmer Festival of Nature has just taken place- a joint venture between SWT, BHCC & SDNP; DB commented that it was good while PG had reservations about it being too commercial.

3. Choosing the best wildlife sites in . MR reported he had just received by email the lengthy information from Matthew Thomas (who is leaving the council at the end of July) regarding relevant judging criteria, and was unclear how site survey data was to be collected by the 3 assessment panels who will be judging 150 sites across the city. Discussions took place where RC considered some sites to be so obscure they would not have received any comments but there was a leaning towards including as many as possible, and MR suggested a simple A,B,C, scoring procedure, with ‘A’ for the best sites. Assuming each assessment meeting is for 3 hours, this will, even then, only allow an average of approx. 3½ minutes to discuss each site.

JP and JC proposed that Earth science and Geomorphology aspects need to be included. Local Geological Sites should be added to the LWS list, including: TQ30/135 Stanmer Village TQ30/236 Black Rock, TQ20/121 The Goldstone, Hove Park TQ40/174b Coastal section: Friar's Bay to Brighton Marina (The Booth Museum of Natural History can provide full details)

Despite strong recommendations in the Formal LBAP consultation to include geodiversity this was ignored but the Local Authority (as a major public land owner) has a Duty to include geodiversity; for example refer to: The National Planning Policy Framework (for ) – NPPF, the guidance which went with PPS 9 is retained (Government Circular 06/2005: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation - Statutory obligations and their impact within the planning system). NPPF includes: • paragraph 109: The planning system should contribute and enhance the natural and local environment by protecting and enhancing valued landscapes, geological conservation interests and soils. • paragraph 113: Local planning authorities should set criteria-based policies against which proposals for any development on or affecting protected wildlife or geodiversity sites or landscape areas will be judged. • paragraph 117: To minimise impacts on biodiversity and geodiversity, planning policies should aim to prevent harm to geological conservation interests.

BHCC are explicitly required, when assessing planning applications, to formally include a section on the biodiversity element and there is a new ‘Biodiversity and Planning Decisions References’ checklist on this (refer to: Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Note #429 www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/briefing- papers/POST-PN-429). 1 England Biodiversity Strategy (2011): [note: 'Nature /Natural ' includes both biodiversity and geodiversity]Priority action: Establish more coherent and resilient ecological networks on land that safeguards ecosystem services 2.6. We will encourage adoption of integrated, landscape-scale approaches. This approach will also help achieve multiple outcomes, including conserving geodiversity and enhancing landscapes in our towns and countryside. 2.17 Planning and development. Priority action: Through reforms of the planning system, take a strategic approach to planning for nature within and across local areas. 3.4: Planning and development. Priority action: Through reforms of the planning system, take a strategic approach to planning for nature within and across local areas. This approach will guide development to the best locations, encourage greener design and enable development to enhance natural networks. We will retain the protection and improvement of the natural environment as core objectives of the planning system.

4. Loss/reduction of council environmental posts- BHWF providing nature conservation advice to the council? – (JP) the council will soon be without a qualified ecologist so BHWF may now need to have a greater role to play in providing formal biodiversity and geodiversity advice to BHCC senior officers. Precise details of any formal relationship and 'service standards' will need to be discussed. It was doubtful whether the new post for “Conservation Manager” had yet been advertised as it could not be found on the website.

5. Council presence – representatives at Forum meetings - HM considered this new council position would provide an ideal opportunity to build a new relationship, and that the newly appointed Conservation Manager (or a representative) should receive an open invitation to attend Forum meetings. RC had discussed the matter briefly with Pete West after the last CSP meeting and it was agreed a letter from the Forum outlining the suggestion should be sent.

6. Local Groups updates - concerns & successes.

Benfield Wildlife & Conservation Group (DoB) - had a very well attended Guided Flower Walk, not all the flowers were in bloom but at least 44 different ones were and Sally discovered our one and only Fragrant Orchid. Another bench, donated by a group member has been put up at the top of the hill and the Magnify Post put in. The attractive - LNR leaflet designed by Jane Hawkins, was distributed. This group are hosting the BHWF ‘annual get together’ event with refreshments, along with a celebration of over 20 years as a Nature Reserve- on Friday 19th July, Meet @ 7.15 at St Helens Hall Hangleton Way Hove, all welcome but please let us know numbers for catering. For more information about the reserve and events, see our web site on http://benfieldlnr.tumblr.com/

Friends of Hangleton Park (DB) A very well attended litter pick on our work-day, also ‘Community Payback’ helped to clear some thick undergrowth; we found 2 Frogs and several damselflies' and a couple of Hawkers whilst we were working. We are now working towards our Festival on 31st August.

Friends of Bevendean Down (MP) On our last workday we were removing hawthorn re-growth from 'Cardboard Hill'. The site has got very overgrown as the Council has spent the money that in previous years has been spent on mowing the hill, on other projects. This has wasted many years of our work and ensured a drop in Adonis Blue numbers. On 21 July we are having our annual butterfly walk, meet at the corner of Norwich Drive at 10.30, all are welcome.

Friends of Craven Wood (RC) have continued to plant up with hazel and wildflowers and RC was thrilled to witness an Adonis Blue butterfly laying eggs on Birds Foot Trefoil

Friends of Hollingbury and Burstead Woods (GT) Friends of Hollingbury & Burstead Woods Recent work sessions have included glade and hedge maintenance and clearing a large area at the bottom of the southern slopes of dumped garden waste and planting some hollies there - to try and deter locals from using the woods as a site for green waste. Later this month we will be working with Hertford Junior school (year 3) doing a classroom visit which will be followed up by a field trip to the woods. We hope that by working with schools the children will grow up appreciating the woods as opposed to vandalising them. Our A.G.M was very successful and in the end a limit needed to be put on the number of questions to Alister Peters otherwise he would still be there now answering them, such was the interest in his talk on trees!

Friends of Sheepcote Valley (JH) -The sheep have left us until Autumn grazing starts. There were mixed results using Spring grazing to control the scrub and bramble invasion and their continuing presence would have been detrimental to our summer flowering plants, which look set to give a bumper display. We are hoping there will be lots of invertebrate life, too. We are still very concerned at the onward march of brambles and hawthorn. We are hoping for a good showing of bee and pyramid orchids. Some bee orchids have been spotted already. Workdays – benches have been installed and litter has been picked, but our last workday was cancelled due to lack of a ranger. We had a successful and enjoyable day at the Sussex Festival of Nature, helping children to make bird feeders on our stall. It was a stunning summer day and the new location at Stanmer worked well. 2

Friends of Withdean Park (SD) - the annual Lilac Lark took place in the park on Sunday 12th May amongst the lilacs, which were not generally in bloom due to the poor weather this year. There was at least some sun but with a chilly wind for most of the afternoon, then rain started in the last hour. However, the event was successful and people attending appeared to enjoy themselves.

The work by the volunteers in the next few weeks is focussing on the attractive pond garden and for an urban site the woods are better than one might think.

Friends of Waterhall (CF) At last a very late spring has arrived. The grass is still poor and flowers late so not much for the butterflies to feed on. Recent sightings are blues, tortoiseshell, peacock, orange tip and speckled wood. Young deer have been spotted within a short distance of the pond -surprising, considering the numbers of people and dogs that pass through on a daily basis. Green Gym have helped twice in recent weeks by cutting steps into a steep slope, and laying aggregate and drainage to the path the countryside department finally agreed to de-designate from its disabled status. They also tackled large clumps of young dogwood that could not be grazed. The council originally cut it early 2012 for the browsing sheep but then moved the animals off- site due to animal welfare issues caused by bramble and hawthorn. The frog and toad spawn hatched and the pond is now alive with tadpoles also hundreds of fish fry. Unfortunately some curly leaf pondweed got into the water early this year, and it has now covered over 50% of the surface and is spreading rapidly as it is constantly being broken off by the dogs that go in the water, then re-growing. The quote has now been received for the installation of a new pond to be sited within a fenced area for long term sheep grazing. The group hope this will be undisturbed and be peacefully allowed to naturalize. Funding must now be sought for the project. Students with ranger Peter will be replacing the snake refugias around Waterhall, but sadly the numbers of adders sited have dropped over the last couple of years.

Keep the Ridge Green (MH) - are now working towards completion of the lottery grant with Hailey finishing off information boards for Coney Woods. Recent workdays have concentrated on clearing vegetation around newly planted whips in an attempt to prevent thug plants from taking over in the boundary hedge. Councillor Ken Norman has again been contacted (amongst others) over the continuing saga of BHCC and their tolerant attitude towards the Lunar landscape created by bikers jumps in the Coney Wood corner of Patcham sports fields. This should be taken seriously by the council as they will be in trouble should an accident occur. The celebration community ‘bring a picnic’ & events day is planned for Sunday, 7th July, invitation posters have been widely distributed and include members of the forum; after the annual butterfly walk, other events and site tours of the wood are planned .

Preston Park (J P, local resident) - following the total draining of the Rock Garden pond and amphibian deaths in March the repaired pond now has active tadpoles and smooth newts. There may be palmate newts present too. Over 120 fish were added including goldfish and rudd, Koi carp, ghost carp, golden orfe and a small perch. Broad-bodied chasers noted, plus water skaters and water boatman. Note: fish will eat the odonata larvae and other invertebrates. A new bird hide has also been built at the top of the Rock Garden.

Stanmer Preservation Society (NY)- are concerned about the bats that inhabited the roof of the stable block behind , now being removed for construction of new housing. There is a talk in Stanmer Church at 2pm on Sunday 30th June by John Funnell, Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society, on the archaeology of Rocky Clump. They continue to work hard to recruit new volunteers and maintain interest in the wildlife of the park and have further visits from local primary schools on the nature trail and will be working on disabled access.

TWEACK - Withdean and Westdene LNR. (MW) - has been awarded a £1500 Environmental Sustainability grant by BHCC for 2013-14. Most of this will spent on developing a new nature trail in the Woods. It’s hoped to have this completed by 28 September when we have special celebrations in the Stadium Woods for our 20th Anniversary. In early May Legal and General Insurance sent groups of 17 employees over 3 days to work on the reserve as part of a community programme. Supervised by our BHCC ranger, Neil Doyle, they completed a number of tasks including replacing over 50 rotting steps in the Stadium Woods. We have started regular bird surveys in the LNR and in May were pleased to record 19 species including sparrowhawk and treecreeper. The last work day was on 22nd June.

7. CSP – (RC) reported he had attended on 16th May, on behalf of the Forum, and the theme had been on saving energy. Disappointment was expressed in the LBAP response from the Forum, although the previous minutes did accurately reflect BHWF concern about the lack of attention paid to the representations on the LBAP. This was initially raised with the CSP in August 2012.

8. Planning. There were no items under this heading.

3 9. Any other business – PG informed the Forum that BHCC was failing to address the problem of Japanese Knotweed showing up as huge patches in many places, such as Three Cornered Copse and Waterhall. Was there anything that could be done as they were failing in their duty regarding this reportable invasive species? CF stated that back in 2002 rangers treated it, but it had returned, and was now ignored. HM reminded us that only certain trained rangers would be able to deal with this as it required spraying, or stem injection, three times a year for three years. However, if it was present on your land, you were liable if it spread to adjacent land. Cost of training was thought to be an issue, but JP considered a solicitor’s letter to the council was required.

Concern was expressed over how the HLS money was being handled, with CF worried over promised fencing for Waterhall, apparently unavailable. The government HLS scheme was obtained through Natural England and BHCC only qualified because of the high incidence of chalk grassland in the region which needed protecting. JP suggested going directly to Natural England.

(JP) Review of the BHWF 'Conservation Agenda', some areas (eg: LBAP) need updating.

'State of Nature' report published on International Biodiversity Day shows 60% of UK species in decline. They say:

“UK nature is in trouble – Scientists working side-by-side from 25 wildlife organisations have compiled a stock take of our native species – the first of its kind in the UK. The State of Nature report reveals that 60% of the species studied have declined over recent decades. More than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of extinction in the UK.”

10. Dates of next 2013 meetings: - 3rd September 29th October.

Thanks go to John Cooper for kindly opening the Booth Museum as a venue for the BHWF meeting and being our hospitable host.

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