Agenda and minutes

Jack Spees, Trust Director for Ribble Rivers Trust opened the Committee meeting by giving a presentation on the work of the Ribble Valley Trust and that the main purpose of the Trust is to "see rivers in the best condition they can be". 

Jack explained that various projects are being undertaken including:

·  Addressing the problems associated with diffuse pollution of watercourses.

·  Restoring aspects of the Ribble rivers, including various habitat scheme projects (in areas including Barrow Brook, Hodder Bank and Easington Brook).

·  Invasive Species Control.

·  Sustaining development (including teaching children in classrooms about Trout, undertaking Otter and Water Vole surveys and an angling passport scheme).

·  Ribble Life – the purpose of Ribble Life is to create a healthy water environment that will bring economic and social benefits for all.

Resolved: Committee members welcomed the presentation and commended the work being done by the Ribble Rivers Trust to improve the environment of the Ribble rivers.

The Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee are asked to appoint a Chair and Vice Chair for the municipal year 2012/13.  Nominations have been received for County Councillor Albert Atkinson (as Chair) and County Councillor Mrs Susie Charles (as Vice Chair).

Nominations were received prior to the meeting for County Councillor Albert Atkinson to be appointed as Chair and for County Councillor Susie Charles to be appointed as Vice-Chair for the 2012/13 municipal year.  No further nominations were received at the meeting and upon being put to the Committee, the Committee resolved to appoint County Councillor Albert Atkinson as Chair and County Councillor Susie Charles as Vice Chair for the 2012/13 municipal year.

County Councillor Albert Atkinson assumed the role of Chair from this point forward.

County Councillor Albert Atkinson welcomed all to the Committee meeting, round table introductions were made.

Apologies for absence were noted as above.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None disclosed.

Report attached.

The Constitution, Membership and Terms of Reference were presented to the Committee for the 2012/13 municipal year as circulated prior to the meeting.

Resolved: The Committee agreed the Constitution, Membership and Terms of Reference for the 2012/13 municipal year.

The Committee are asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 18 April 2012.

Resolved: The minutes of the Committee meeting held on 18 April 2012 were agreed as an accurate record.

To note any matters arising from the previous meeting.

None

a.  2013/14 Annual Budget Update(Nick Osborne)

b.  AONB Memorandum of Agreement (Nick Osborne)

Nick Osborne, Forest of Bowland AONB Unit, presented the Budget report (circulated) and explained that the budget provision for the Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee is funded by eight constituent local authority partners and grant from Defra and is enhanced by additional contributions from partner organisations, e.g. United Utilities. 

A core team of 4.3 full time equivalent posts is established from this budget provision, to assist in the delivery of the statutory AONB Management Plan on behalf of the Joint Advisory Committee and the local authorities.  The AONB Unit is now working to a 3-year business plan (2011- 2014), on which local authorities are consulted to ensure it reflects local authority priorities for the AONB).

The Committee noted the contributions allocated from each contributing authority and were urged to seek agreement from their own authorities to the contributions.

Resolved:

The Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee agreed to:

i)  note the 2012/13 Revised Estimates,

ii)  approve the 2013/14 Revenue Budget as set out in the report, and;

iii)  following approval of recommendation (ii) above, requested that the funding authorities make appropriate provision in their revenue budgets.

(Verbal update)

Sarah Robinson, Yorshire Dales Millennium Trust, gave a presentation of her work as the Bowland Haytime Project Officer.

Sarah explained that progress has been good in Bowland, despite the rain.  On 28^th July 2012 a Scything Taster day at Stephen Park in Gisburn Forest was organised where Ian Hunter and Tom Branton taught 20 people scything skills including cutting hay and sharpening scythes.  Feedback from the day was really positive.  It is planned to follow this event with a winter scything clinic, where Tom will be on hand to get scythes back into working order, and the project also hopes to collect their "Hay Time" stories.

On 11^th August 2012 a seed collecting event was organised, where 16 volunteers collected seed from Bell Sykes SSSI and its surrounding road verges.  Peter Foley was on hand to instruct and demonstrate how to dry, clean, sow and propagate the different species collected.  It is intended to meet again to collect seed from the later flowering species, at the request of the volunteers.  Volunteers from Comply-Direct travelled over to Bowland to help collect seed for the project, and spent a morning collecting yellow rattle, knapweed and meadowsweet for use on the meadows we are enhancing.

After all the planning of the previous weeks, the transportation of green hay from the donors to the restoration sites began on 12^th August 2012.  The weather held until Wednesday night, and during that time hay was spread onto six restoration meadows totalling 12.7 ha and hand collected seed was spread onto a further three meadows (4 ha) to enhance the species diversity.  There were two more sites waiting for another break in the weather, which unfortunately didn't come, and so they will be added to next year's 'to-do' list.

Resolved: The Committee noted the presentation.

(All Partners – Verbal Update)

Vaughan Jones, Pendle Borough Council, gave an update on events within Pendle including the Pendle Sculpture Trail and Pendle Witches.

a.  AONB team business plan 2012/13 update (Verbal update by Elliott Lorimer)

b.  AONB team report (Presentation by Mike Pugh on headline Q1&2 achievements)

Elliott Lorimer, Forest of Bowland AONB Unit, explained that a few changes had been made to the AONB Management Plan from the last meeting and that the latest Management Plan can be access on the Forest of Bowland website from this link:

http://www.forestofbowland.com/cons_managementplan

Resolved: The Committee noted the update on the AONB Management Plan and noted that the latest version can be accessed on the Forest of Bowland website.

An item of Urgent Business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the minutes, the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Clerk to the meeting should be given advance warning of any Members' intention to raise a matter under this heading.

None

·  TBC Tuesday 9^th April 2013 (Pendle)

·  TBC Tuesday 8^th October 2013 (Preston)

It was suggested and agreed that the future meetings of the Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee be held on a Wednesday to avoid clashes with other meetings.  Therefore the Committee agreed to note that the next two meetings of the Committee are to be held on:

·  Wednesday 10^th April 2013 (Pendle - Venue TBC)

·  Wednesday 9^th October 2013 (Preston - Venue TBC)