Saving Eden: the Next Three Years 1 2
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SAVING EDEN: THE NEXT THREE YEARS 1 2 The first thing to acknowledge is that we We expect these outcomes to become the don’t have all the answers yet. Key to basis for specialist working groups, with progressing this plan is the establishment each having a detailed strategy and action of a catchment coalition to agree a series of plan. We foresee that different organisations actions and responsibilities. We foresee that will bring different kinds of knowledge, this group of people and organisations will experience and skills to this process. These sit down around a table and agree a series specialist working groups would need to of very specific actions for making this move identify where they can add value through from a manifesto and series of aspirations collaboration, this should not be about to a technical plan over the next three years. doing by partnership for partnership’s sake… it’s all about adding value and making This document has two sections, the first THE HARD WORK STARTS HERE. bigger changes. sets out what the key outcomes are that we We have to find a way to change things in are aiming at achieving, these are followed the catchment. We have to find people and by some clear targets. The second sets out organisations that can make these changes the structural changes we think we need to real. And we have to do all of this in a achieve if we have any chance of delivering difficult economic climate in which time anything above and beyond what would and money are in short supply… So how have happened anyway. are we going to change anything? SECTION 1: SECTION 2: THE BIG OUTCOMES A ROBUST STRUCTURE FOR CHANGE A WATER-FRIENDLY PLANNING SYSTEM D1 ESK-BASED STUDIES CAPTURE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE (2012) A RESILIENT NETWORK OF HABITATS E2 STABLISH STRATEGIC WFD CATCHMENT COALITION (2013) A DYNAMIC AND MORE NATURAL RIVER SYSTEM W3 ALKOVERS TO GROUND-TRUTH DESK-BASED STUDIES (2013) A RIVER FOR PEOPLE: ACCESSIBLE, FUN AND CULTURALLY VIBRANT O4 RGANISATIONAL PEER REVIEW (2013-14) A WATER-FRIENDLY FARMING CATCHMENT C5 ONSULT WITH 20/30 COMMUNITIES (2013-14) A KNOWLEDGEABLE AND WATER-FRIENDLY END-USER COMMUNITY F6 URTHER DEVELOP EVIDENCE (2013-14) JOINED-UP THINKING AND INVESTMENT AT A CATCHMENT SCALE F7 ULLY COSTED, TARGETED AND DELIVERABLE PLAN (2015) L8 AST RESORT REGULATION 3 4 It is envisaged that there will be an additional 20,000 people living in the TARGETS ENSURE THat THE LOCAL catchment in the future so a key action DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR is to shape the Local Development CARLISLE AND EDEN IS FOR Water- Framework and planning system for the FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES E.G. CARLISLE growth of Carlisle and Eden District. Key issues are about the capacity of existing GREEN CITY, PENRITH GREEN TOWN. water infrastructure, how surface water is PROMOTE AWARENESS, SHOWCASE dealt with in a way that does not lead to unnecessary flooding, harmful effects on AND EVIDENCE THE MUltIPLE BENEFITS the river environment and capacity problems Water-FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT CAN with wastewater and drinking water supply. BRING TO ADD CREDIBILITY TO THIS. 2013 and 2014 will see the Local Plan PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND TRAINING for Carlisle developed and completed TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN Water- – effectively setting the ground rules and aspirations for city growth. Carlisle FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT CONTROL. City Council has developed a ‘Green ENSURE FUTURE HYDROPOWER AND Infrastructure Strategy’ to address these issues, but we wish to encourage them INDUSTRIAL SCHEMES DO NOT HAVE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE SURE and other stakeholders to make the growth A NegatIVE IMPACT ON THE ECOLOGY THAT THINGS Don’t get worse is to of Carlisle an example of best practice in OR MORPHOLOGY OF OUR RIVERS. MAKE SURE THAT AS NEW COMMUNITIES, sustainable development. Local authorities NEW BUSINESSES, NEW FARMS, OR already have responsibilities for flood risk IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE NEW HOUSES ARE BUILT THEY ARE assessments, consenting in-river works and TOURISM SECTOR, PARTICULARLY IN THE ENCOURAGED TO BE WATER-FRIENDLY works affecting watercourses on smaller ULLSWater AREA, ABOUT SUstaINABLE water bodies – responsibilities that are not Water-FRIENDLY GROWTH. THROUGH THE PLANNING (DEVELOPMENT easy for local authorities. We think the next CONTROL) SYSTEM. step is to support local authorities to make WHY SHOULD I CARE? IF DEVELOPMENT good decisions through guidance, training IS ILL-JUDGED YOU AND YOUR and specialist support. faMILY MAY HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE The bottom line is that growth and CONSEQUENCES, EITHER DIRECTLY redevelopment will happen everywhere in (BECAUSE YOU MAY LIVE IN A HOUSE the catchment but there is work to be done to influence development and work with THat FLOODS ETC.) OR INDIRECTLY planners to shape the rules, but perhaps (AS YOU MAY BE ASKED AS A LOCAL more importantly to empower them to make taXPAYER TO PAY FOR THESE ISSUES good decisions. There is a need to river-proof TO BE SORTED OUT IN THE FUTURE). development – not least for the tourism sector – and to respond appropriately to the emergence of hydropower schemes to prevent damage to the ecology and morphology of rivers. There is also work to be done on developing models for paying for the sustainable development of the wider urban and semi-urban areas through a range of mechanisms including developer contributions. WHICH AUDIENCES? INVESTORS, PLANNERS AND POLITICIANS, COMMUNITIES 5 6 The rivers, streams, ditches, ponds, lakes, bogs, mires and wetland network TARGETS DELIVER OPPORTUNITY of the catchment are critical for a range MAPPING TO BRING TOGETHER of important species, including white- KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION clawed crayfish, salmon, eels, otters, and AND QUALITY OF OUR HABItat lampreys. But other ‘non-wet’ habitats such as woodlands and hedgerows are also NETWORKS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES crucial to the working of the ecosystem. The FOR IMPROVED RESILIENCE. THE PILOT Government’s Natural Environment White YEAR HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE VItal Paper championed ecological networks that CONTRIBUTION THat WOODLAND CAN are better connected – this is critical to their MAKE HERE. resilience to pressures like climate change, recovering from pollution, withstanding PRODUCE A targeted AND COSTED floods and droughts, and recovery from PLAN FOR IMPROVING, CreatING AND disease. The diversity of habitats is also RIVER AND WETLAND HABITATS NEED TO important as many species need a range of RECONNECTING FRESHWater-related BE BETTER CONNECTED. THIS IS CRITICAL habitats throughout their lifecycle. However, HABItats AND BUILDING RESILIENCE TO THEIR RESILIENCE TO PRESSURES many habitat networks in Eden are not in THROUGHOUT THE LANDSCAPE. SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE. optimal condition and affected by pressures such as overgrazing, invasive species and ENSURE THat FUTURE BIODIVERSITY unsympathetic maintenance. POLICIES AND AGRI-ENVIRONMENT We believe there is a pressing need to look SCHEMES INCLUDE A STRONGER at the network of habitats in the catchment FOCUS ON FRESHWater HABItats. to identify interventions that can strengthen it. The research and analysis should map the BETTER CO-ORDINatION OF EXISTING current habitat network, its scale, diversity AND FUTURE INVESTMENT THROUGH and quality, the gaps or weaknesses in PARTNERSHIP WORKING. connectivity, and the areas where additional habitats can be created. It may be that DELIVER THE EXISTING PROGRAMME specific habitat assessments are required OF HABItat IMPROVEMENT IN EDEN. for areas with specific issues. A massive amount of work is already undertaken by DEVELOP PROJECTS AND SECURE key partners such as Natural England and FUNDING TO DELIVER THE LONG-TERM Forestry Commission – the key for this plan HABItat MASTERPLAN FOR A NETWORK is how we can co-ordinate the collective OF RESILIENT HABItats IN EDEN. investment and effort to add value. The people of the catchment told us that IMPROVED RESILIENCE AND rivers allow them to see wildlife, and many CONNECTIVITY OF FISH HABItats wanted this to be protected and improved THROUGHOUT THE CatCHMENT. where possible. The strategy should shape the investment of all the key partner IMPROVED RESILIENCE OF STILLWater organisations so that there is a joining-up HABItats, WITH ULLSWater AS THE of effort and focus. Given that many tens PRIORITY WaterBODY. of millions of pounds are invested in the catchment each year, we think that such WHY SHOULD I CARE? YOU TOLD a strategy can add real value and make US YOU LOVE WILDLIFE BY RIVERS, the catchment more robust and resilient AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THat IT IS to climate change and other challenges, as well as having a beneficial effect on the THERE IN THE FUTURE, AND THat IT ecological status of the rivers. HAS THE RIGHT HABItats TO COPE WITH CLIMate CHANGE AND OTHER RISKS. WHICH AUDIENCES? INVESTORS, farMERS AND LAND MANAGERS 7 8 This is more about the nature of the river and wetland environments of the catchment TARGETS INCREASE EDUCatION AND and how they work. One of the biggest and AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPOrtaNCE ambitious challenges to securing good OF DYNAMIC NatURAL RIVER SYSTEMS, ecological status is the historic modification IN PARTICULAR ADDRESSING THE ISSUE of waterways and rivers. These modifications have included straightening and dredging OF MAINTENANCE AND DREDGING. for land drainage or flood protection, weirs DEVELOP A SERIES OF for mills and dams for water abstraction. The net effect of these changes can be RE-NatURALIsatION DEMONstratION significant for wildlife, habitat and on the SITES TO EVALUate AND SHOWCASE speed at which floods reach population WHat IS POSSIBLE, COST EFFECTIVE, centres. There are some historic features ACCEPtaBLE TO LANDOWNERS, AND THE that no-one would seek to remove or reverse INVESTMENT THat MAY BE AVAILABLE (e.g. Haweswater reservoir), but there are IF THE EDEN AND ITS TRIBUTARIES ARE others that can be addressed to improve FOR LEVERAGING THESE CHANGES. TO REAch ‘gooD’ ecologicAL STATUS BY the ecological status of our water bodies.