PURBECK COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP - COMMUNITY PLAN FOR PURBECK PURBECK 1. Introduction COMMUNITY 4. Key issues for the District PARTNERSHIP "Purbeck is one of the most attractive areas in Britain to live, with beautiful landscapes and many sites of great wildlife interest. The conservation of the environment of the District should also be a priority". Consultation comment 2005 The Environment, Economy and Community were also identified as high on residents list of priorities. These issues are central to the principle of Sustainable Development and must be addressed at all levels within the Community Plan. The environment will be addressed in partnership with the Purbeck Heritage Committee and while major economic issues are best tackled more strategically at sub-regional level the Purbeck Community Partnership will work to highlight issues that need to be addressed. Voluntary, community and church/faith groups will play a key role in delivering many of the actions identified within the Community Plan. The ways in which these three key issues will be addressed and the key actions that are being delivered are set out below: ENVIRONMENT Purbeck Heritage Committee, working with the Purbeck Heritage Forum is already delivering some of the issues raised through community consultation with its own actions plans. In order to "Make Purbeck More Special" a strategy for the Purbeck Heritage Area 2002 - 2007, the involvement of everyone with an interest in Purbeck is essential; including businesses, landowners and managers, voluntary organisations, local communities and individuals living in and visiting the area. By working together to find innovative ways of tackling issues, Purbeck may be even more special for future generations. This strategy has undergone widespread consultation with local residents and local and national agencies. The themes that the Purbeck Heritage Committee works on are: • Conservation - the key challenge is to conserve • Enjoying Purbeck - the key challenge is to enable and enhance the environmental quality of Purbeck, people to enjoy Purbeck through encouraging the including the landscape, cultural heritage, development of a viable tourism industry biodiversity and geological interest appropriate to the special qualities of Purbeck and the provision of sustainable recreation Economic and Community Development - the • opportunities that meet the requirements of key challenge is to provide for support for jobs, residents and visitors leisure and services, and encourage enjoyment of the area, in such a way as to support viable and • Transport - the key challenge is to enable people sustainable communities, maintain a robust local to enjoy moving around Purbeck safely and economy and maintain the high environmental without harming the environment, through an quality of Purbeck. integrated approach encompassing improved management of road traffic and the provision of a wider choice of transport. If you would like a copy of the Purbeck Heritage Strategy, please contact the Purbeck Heritage Team Leader on 01929 557237. Lead organisation: Purbeck Heritage Committee. Contact: Team Leader Purbeck Heritage. Tel: 01929 557237. Email: [email protected] 9 PURBECK COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP - COMMUNITY PLAN FOR PURBECK RBEC ENVIRONMENT U K P The main environmental actions we aim to achieve by working in Partnership with the Purbeck Heritage Committee and their action plan - Making Purbeck More Special. H E E Some of the key actions within the Plan: R I TA G • support the development of an Heritage Lottery • assess and review the actions in the Purbeck Local Fund bid to benefit the Purbeck landscape and Biodiversity Action Plan biodiversity • Swanage and Purbeck Holiday Guide includes • encourage landowners and tenants to take up information on biodiversity and sustainability national and local environmentally friendly farming promote architectural heritage week and forestry schemes including those arising from • the England Rural Development Plan……making • encourage tourism providers to operate in a more full use of information contained in the Purbeck sustainable way through promoting the Green Biodiversity Action Plan and other relevant Tourism Business Scheme documents • encourage the promotion of the landscape and • encourage the production of information on biodiversity in the Purbeck Information and activities which increase public understanding and Heritage Centre awareness, through use of the media, "Purbeck promote industrial heritage View" and "The Land Manager" newsletters and • "Purbeck Aware" • promote the balance between tourism and environmental protection • support the continued promotion of footpaths and other rights of way to encourage walking, riding and • undertake joint management initiatives with cycling as alternatives to the car conservation organisations, help in the preparation of site-based management plans and encourage the • encourage the development of circular walking monitoring of conservation management routes from towns and villages, accessible for all including disabled people • work with local communities to enhance their villages, through assisting with the preparation of • continue to support actions relating to key habitats, funding bids and facilitate the implementation of in partnership with key partners including Natural parish plans work with the Area of Outstanding England, Environment Agency, Royal Society for Natural Beauty (ANOB) co-ordinating group to the Protection of Birds, Dorset Wildlife Trust and ensure that the work of the Purbeck Heritage Dorset Farm and Wildlife Advisory Group Committee is integrated with the Dorset AONB • seek funding to enable communities to carry out management plan biodiversity work Lead organisation: Purbeck Heritage Committee. Contact: Team Leader Purbeck Heritage. Tel: 01929 557237. 10 Email: [email protected] PURBECK COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP - COMMUNITY PLAN FOR PURBECK ECONOMY The key economic problems for Purbeck largely fit into the 5 priority themes identified, or are better tackled at the County level which engage with the key governmental agencies such as South West of England Regional Development Agency and Government Office of the South West • Economic Performance - Purbeck's economy is not performing as well as it should. Wages are generally low. There are skill gaps and staff shortages which are worsened by the area being one of the least affordable housing areas in the country. In terms of the gap between house prices to income may be addressed through diversifying and raising the quality of the local economy. The economic performance issues are being addressed through the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Economic Partnership and the associated local strategic partnerships. • Infrastructural weaknesses - Whilst there is evidence of a strong entrepreneurial culture in Purbeck this is being held back by lack of a suitable range of business premises in the right location. There are transport infrastructural constraints at Winfrith Technology Centre and Holton Heath our two strategic employment sites (Transport Theme, but potentially one which needs to be addressed at County level). Physical constraints (flood risk and topography) are holding back employment land provision in Swanage, which are being addressed by the District Council working in partnership with the South West of England Regional Development Agency. Physical infrastructure is being addressed through the Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole Workspace Strategy. • Availability of a skilled workforce has been identified as a key issue for the sub region and there is evidence of existing and forecast skill shortages in Purbeck. Vocational training for land based industries is one of the themes of the HLF Area Partnership Scheme bid referred to under the Purbeck Heritage Committee. There is also significant scope to address this issue through improving links between education and business with employer led workforce development which is being addressed through the Bournemouth Dorset and Poole Economic Partnership and through the groups of the associated three local strategic partnerships. This is also a cross cutting theme under Young People where access to social and work opportunities was identified as a priority theme. We will be encouraging businesses to use resources more efficiently. By adopting sustainable practices and getting better returns through sound environmental management, an increasing number of firms are finding that it pays to be green. The Green Tourism Business Scheme is an accreditation scheme for tourism businesses operating in a manner that supports the environment and local area. This is especially important in an area like Purbeck where we need to preserve the natural assets on which tourism so depends. Email: [email protected] 11 PURBECK COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP - COMMUNITY PLAN FOR PURBECK RBEC ECONOMY U K P The main economic actions we aim to achieve by working in Partnership with the Purbeck Heritage Committee and their action plan - Making Purbeck More Special H E E Some of the key actions within the Plan: R I TA G • work with the Heritage Lottery Fund and other funding partners to develop a bid for Purbeck which will enable the development of the local Purbeck produce initiative (including food and drink, fish, stone and wood products) • work with Purbeck Products Ltd to develop and promote a locally accredited quality produce scheme • assist landowners in securing Rural Renaissance