CONSERVATION BOARD 2009/2010 A N N U A L R E V I E W O F T H E Chilterns Conservation Board Caring for the Chilterns An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD fter nine years as Chairman, first of the Shadow use and appreciate this priceless asset. Many people want to Board and from 2004 of the Chilterns Conservation walk our network of footpaths, to ride or cycle on our ABoard, I have told Defra that I will leave at the end bridleways and the new Chilterns Cycleway designed in of 2010. I will miss it and the able team of officers under partnership with The Chiltern Society and the Cyclists' Steve Rodrick at Chinnor. It has been a pleasure to chair Touring Club. In the fine summer weather many families just the hard working Board Members now reduced from 29 to enjoy picnics beside the chalk streams. 27 after the creation of Central Bedfordshire Council. They have forged a strong team approach to the job of looking But we face real challenges. Clearly there will be spending after the Chilterns and working with our many partners. curbs which will curtail the ability of our hard-pressed local authorities to maintain so many of our amenities. Natural Recently I attended the conference of the National England has given us advance warning of budget cuts and we Association of AONBs in England, Wales and Northern have made economies in staff and operations. The starkest Ireland. I was struck by how much has changed in the field threat comes from the proposal to build a new high speed of protected landscapes. The emphasis now is on climate rail link (High Speed 2) through the Chilterns, initially to change, biodiversity and ecosystems services because of Birmingham. The Board is totally opposed to this project and concerns about our environmental security. I apologise for so are many people in the Chilterns. We believe that the the long words which run counter to the sheer thrill of economics of the business plan are flawed and the being in the Chilterns countryside. The Misbourne Valley, as environmental impact has not been properly assessed. That I write, is golden with barley stubble broken up by hangers is why it is fortunate that we have in the Board a strong of beech, ash and larch. I took heart from the forestry independent body to champion the Chilterns. expert who assured us that beech woods would not disappear from our slopes. There is not I shall miss the people, many of them volunteers, who work enough stress on the vital contribution to our to enhance the Chilterns countryside. But I shall still see landscape from farmers and woodland them installing new gates and watching over red kites. owners. And I will have more time to explore and enjoy one of England's finest landscapes. I frankly doubt whether this plethora of scientific terms interests the public much. The Chilterns AONB is their countryside and they want to Sir John Johnson, Chairman BARTON-LE-CLAY M1 THE CHILTERNS - Hexton AN AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY Lilley HITCHIN DUNSTABLE LUTON he Chilterns was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1965, in recognition of its beautiful Whipsnade landscape which is amongst the finest in the country. Ver T Grand Union Canal Markyate HARPENDEN The Chilterns AONB covers 833 sq kms and stretches from Aldbury TRING Gade Gaddesden Goring in south Oxfordshire through AYLESBURY HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire to Hitchin in WENDOVER BERKHAMSTED M1 Bulbourne Hertfordshire. It has a population of 80,000. PRINCES RISBOROUGH CHESHAM M25 CHINNOR Gt. Missenden M40 PRESTWOOD The primary duties of the Chilterns Colne Hughenden Chess Conservation Board are to STOKENCHURCH Stream AMERSHAM WATLINGTON Misbourne River Thames HIGH CHORLEYWOOD conserve and enhance the BENSON WYCOMBE BEACONSFIELD natural beauty of the AONB and, Hambleden WALLINGFORD Brook Wye in so doing, to increase the MARLOW M40 understanding and enjoyment River Thames HENLEY-ON-THAMES M25 by the public of its special GORING qualities and to foster the M4 economic and social well-being of local communities. M4 READING N 0 5 10 Kilometeres 0 6 Miles ISSUES AND TRENDS ast year we published a State of the Environment Only 2 out of 140 Grade I and II* listed buildings are at Report which was based on 20 indicators covering risk. Leverything from quality of water in rivers and Only 1 out of 19 registered parks and gardens are at condition of hedgerows to the area of land with open risk. access rights and the number of Scheduled Ancient 14 out of 113 Scheduled Ancient Monuments are at risk. Monuments at risk. We are one of the first protected Open access rights apply to 2,883 hectares and a further landscapes, either AONB or National Park, to have 5,342 ha of open access is provided by a range of published such a report. These are the main findings: landowners. 295 agri-environment agreements were in place on The indicators show the importance of ensuring that the holdings covering 76% of the farmland in the AONB. biodiversity of the Chilterns is in good condition, which it 10,314 ha or 59% of woodland in the AONB is subject to generally is. However, some aspects require considerable the Forestry Commission's English Woodland Grant work to improve the situation, not least on the rivers. As Scheme or predecessor schemes. ever, actively farmed land provides most of the landscape The total area of Sites of Special Scientific Interest interest and rural character. There is a high level of uptake (SSSI) in good condition is 3,031 ha or 94.4%. of environmental schemes intended to help landowners 29% of Local Wildlife sites are in positive management. manage their farmland and woodland to provide 620 ha of registered common land is in a SSSI of which environmental benefits. 97% is in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition and 998ha is designated as a local wildlife During the financial recession the pressure for new housing site of which 73% is in positive management. development has fallen but the Government announced in Cattle numbers declined by 20% and sheep numbers by March 2010 that it planned to go ahead with a new High 19% between 2000 and 2007. Speed Railway (HS2). Three possible routes, all of which Water voles were only found along the River Chess and pass through the Chilterns AONB, were published, with the the Ewelme Brook. preferred route running for 12 miles through the AONB along None of the nine Chilterns' rivers are in good ecological the Misbourne Valley. This would be a major scar on the condition. landscape. The Board does not believe this project has yet 38% of hedgerows are in good condition and a further been justified in the national interest and is opposing the 42% are in reasonable condition. plans in alliance with many other local organisations and 6% of the Chilterns is managed for equestrian purposes communities. representing 20% of all grassland. 86% of SSSIs, in which chalk grassland is the main habitat, are in favourable condition. Steve Rodrick, Chief Officer Fingest Valley 1 Conservation and Land Use ith continued national concern about declines in species and biodiversity, particularly in the South East region, there remains a pressing need to look beyond the boundaries of protected sites and to conserve and restore Whabitat across the wider countryside. The Board worked with a wide range of partners and local communities to support and promote such approaches, for example, through training /networking events, advice to landowners and practical support. Commonland – its future management and past and present value for local communities – continued to generate considerable interest and activity. The awarding of a Heritage Lottery Fund development grant meant that ambitious plans for a four year £0.5m Chiltern-wide commons project could start to be worked up into a full bid. The Board is committed to gaining a better understanding of the condition of the Chilterns environment, and in 2009 it published the first State of the Chilterns Environment report. Other highlights of the year included: 70 people attended the Chalk Grassland Managers' day in Advice was provided for the management of nine the Bradenham Valley, looking at landscape-scale action commons. on and adjacent to the National Trust's land to increase The 2009 Chilterns Environment Award (an amalgamation connectivity of the chalk grassland resource. of the Conservation and Woodland Awards) went to 35 people attended the annual Chilterns scrub bash, held Offley Hoo Farm near Hitchin, managed by Pilkington this year at Wycombe District Council's Sands Bank Farms, for the extensive conservation work being carried reserve in High Wycombe. out there, including the restoration of chalk grassland. Support was given to the Local Wildlife Trusts for The Chilterns Land Use Survey was carried out for the practical works on two reserves (Galley and Warden Hills fifth year running. Preliminary results indicated: in Luton and Frogmore Meadows near Sarratt) and for the no significant loss in long-term set-aside (e.g. along purchase of a vehicle to support and improve woodland edges). management of chalk grassland on 12 reserves in Bucks and Oxon. a resting of some of the grassland previously used for horse grazing and a decrease in visible evidence of Support was given for the training of over 20 volunteers, horse grazing. access enhancements and practical conservation on four commons. some rough grassland and uncropped arable land coming back into more productive management. Four editions of the Commons Network e-bulletin were produced and distributed. Seven Chiltern farms opened to the public on Open Farm Sunday on June 7th with one farm alone having over 1200 50 people attended Commons Day which was held on the attendees.