Annual Report 2 018 -19 2 2 INTRODUCTION Looking back and looking of the recent projects within the Broads Get involved forward – welcome to a year in – but it’s also very much about what If you’d like to get involved, read about the Broads happens next, looking forward to the Broads Engage in these pages or go to next part of each project’s story. www.broads-authority.gov.uk/about- With the 70th anniversary of the us/how-we-work/broads-engage 1949 National Parks and Access to The national parks anniversary Mr Bill Dickson the Countryside Act, which led to the and plans for a new national parks Keep in touch Chairman For regular updates on our work you establishment of the first national communications team signal a further can read Broads Briefing, our monthly parks and areas of outstanding natural commitment to working together, online newsletter. To subscribe, go to beauty, and the 30th anniversary of the learning from each other and supporting Broads Authority, 2019 is definitely a each other. That’s also very much the www.broads-authority.gov.uk/news/ year for looking back, but in so doing case with our own projects, which monthly-newsletter If you’d like regular news about places we are reminded of the constant need involve colleagues from all sections of to visit and things to do, you can also Dr John Packman and desire to look forward, too. The the Authority covering many areas of Chief Executive sign up for our Visit the Broads National annual report functions in a very similar expertise, as you can see from the staff Park newsletter, go to way. There’s much to look back on, far list at the end of this report. www.visitthebroads.co.uk/newsletter more than we can tell you about in this New challenges always lie ahead, for brief report, which highlights just some the Broads, for the family of national parks and for all the local, national We look forward to hearing from you. and international organisations we work with, whether it’s farmers in the Broadland Catchment Partnership, colleagues at the Department for This report has been designed to Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or be read as a pdf on screen. If you our partners in the European CANAPE require one of the limited number project. Yare House, 62-64 Thorpe Road, of printed copies please contact us. For details about our projects please go Norwich, Norfolk NR1 1RY It can be viewed or downloaded at: Former Broads Authority chairs and colleagues to www.broads-authority.gov.uk or see 01603 610734 www.broads-authority.gov.uk/about-us/ at the 30th anniversary celebrations, left to [email protected] how-we-work right: Stephen Johnson, Haydn Thirtle, John our contact details right. www.broads-authority.gov.uk Packman, Sheelin Knollys, Jacquie Burgess Front cover: and Martin Shaw Parsley Pump by Joanna Davidson, see page 10 3 CONTENTS Mr Bill Dickson Chairman Dr John Packman Chief Executive Saint Benet’s Abbey Photo: Wayne Huzzey Wayne Photo: Working with the community ...............................................4 � Promoting the Broads ........................................................10 � Broads Authority membership .................. 16 � Supporting Broads-related projects Showcasing the Broads National Park � Broads Authority staff .............................. 17 � Valuable volunteers ..............................................................7 � Practical works ...................................................................12 � Revenue accounts .................................... 19 � For the love of the Broads � Improving the infrastructure on land and water Broads information centres...........back cover � Conserving the Broads .........................................................8 � Planning for the future ......................................................14 � Protecting our waterways and wildlife Maintaining the special character of the Broads � Front cover: Parsley Pump by Joanna Davidson, see page 10 4 Working with the community 4 Water, Mills & Marshes Woven Waters Over the past year Water, Mills & Marshes projects have really got underway. For this project six professional artists Together they form the Broads landscape partnership scheme, which is led by the have been selected to work within the Broads Authority and continues through till 2023, aiming to enable everyone, Broads over 18 months, recording their of any age, whether local or visiting, to understand, benefit from and enjoy the experiences and producing work to special landscape of the Broads National Park. Here’s a taste of some of the be exhibited from December 2019 at projects. For more details go to www.watermillsandmarshes.org.uk a two-month public exhibition at the Hostry at Norwich Cathedral. For some of the artists the landscape is wild and Looking after the Broads mills full of the sounds and sights of birds and other animals, while others are Bricks and mortar exploring the ways in which human In autumn 2018 we launched our influence is ever-present and has been project working with City College for millennia. Works will include textiles, Norwich, adding heritage skills training print, painting, photography and modules for over 400 students engaged animation. in modern construction courses and then getting them out on site working Wild Watch camera scheme on 12 of the Broads drainage mills, Borrow a trail camera for free to capture mostly in the Halvergate Marshes area. images and video wildlife in your Each project is unique but similar skills Taking inspiration from the history, landscape and wildlife of the Broads garden or other wild areas. Individuals, apply to other heritage projects so families, nature groups and schools the skills learned will be completely Art collaboration exhibition can all join in. You never know what’s transferable. The project is continuing As part of their coursework, Norwich Marshes. The project culminated in a visiting! The scheme featured in the over five years and more recently, in University of the Arts students fascinating exhibition for the public in BBC’s Countryfile programme about the May 2019, the Broads Authority and produced work in a range of media May 2018, with the students on hand Broads National Park in February 2019 City College Norwich won first prize including drawing, animation, painting, to talk about their work. The project is and continues to be extremely popular. overall in the Norfolk Constructing printmaking, costume and collage in continuing with new groups of students. Excellence Club Awards, in addition response to the people, places and way to first prize in the preservation and of life encapsulated by Water, Mills & rejuvenation category. 5 5 The Tide Jetty � Broads hidden heritage Rob Liddiard on Second World War archaeology in the Broads and Professor A specially commissioned play telling Norfolk County Council and the Tom Williamson on the landscape an intriguing tale of life on the edge University of East Anglia (UEA) are history of the Broads marshes. There of Breydon Water was brought to life leading local history and archaeology are opportunities to get involved with by Eastern Angles Theatre Company, training and research projects. The mill trails, stories of life on the marshes, who toured it all over East Anglia from scheme was launched at UEA in June aerial archaeology and test pit digging. 20 March to 1 June 2019, including 2018, with speakers including Professor performances at Burgh Castle and other Broads locations. The set brought A Grand for a Grand Idea the Broads landscape to life very imaginatively and the play showed This small grants scheme enables further groups to get involved. Here are just two how the landscape influenced the lives of the grand ideas that have received funding and there’s still money available for of those who lived here in the 19th new projects if you have grand ideas of your own that you’d like to pursue. century. A play looking National parks exchange visit Broadsound at the future is planned for 2020. In September 2018 Somerleyton Primary This is the first episode in a series of School in Norfolk, representing the podcasts called Ear of the Edgeland Broads National Park and Bury Church that takes an explorative and alternative of England Primary School in Sussex, The cast of The Tide look at Norfolk. Broadsound features Jetty on stage, telling representing the South Downs National the writer and naturalist Mark Cocker a story encompassing Park, visited each other to learn all and the poet, author and UEA lecturer Victorian engineering, about the two parks. Exploration of Jean McNeil, as their conversation changing roles for the Broads included a boat trip from focuses on the Broads while on the women, wherry Oulton Broad, dyke dipping at Suffolk 12:36 train from Norwich to Great building and water safety Wildlife Trust’s Carlton Marshes, a visit Yarmouth, crossing the marshes. to Herringfleet Mill and a tractor tour Also featured is new music recorded of the Somerleyton Estate. Broads in Surlingham Church, and beautiful students walked along the South Downs field recordings from Wheatfen and Way, visited Midhurst, and explored Ranworth. Broadsound was produced through history at the Weald and for the Norfolk and Norwich Sonic Arts Downland Living Museum. Collective in December 2018. 6 6 Broads Engage national, such as the Ramblers, to the So many ways to local, such as the Nancy Oldfield Trust, Broads Engage workshops, parish Love the Broads which offers accessible boating on the forums and working groups offer you Broads. The amazing range of projects opportunities to hear about and have a Playing with reality, understanding how supported with grants from the local landscapes evolve say on key issues for the Broads. Parish forums take place twice a year giving scheme, Love the Broads, and are a chance for the Authority to The regular workshops continues to demonstrate that there are - All-terrain wheelchair for Hall Farm update parish councils on our latest are a way for interest many ways to love the Broads.