Agenda and minutes

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Venue: The Environment Room, Bowland Visitor Centre, Beacon Fell Country Park PR3 2EW

Contact: Samantha Gorton  Tel: 01772 532471, email:  sam.gorton@lancashire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome, Introductions and Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

All were welcomed to the meeting, introductions made and apologies presented on behalf of the Committee members and officers as detailed previously.

 

Update from United Utilities on Haweswater Aqueduct

Jemma Parkinson, John Taylor, Chris Tighe and Anna Smith from United Utilities gave an update on progress since the last meeting they attended of the Joint Advisory Committee in April 2019 on the project to replace six tunnel sections of the Haweswater Aqueduct.

 

Work that had been carried out so far were ecology surveys of which 19km had been surveyed and 5km remained.  Results were awaited on the surveys.

 

United Utilities had spoken at length to local communities at a very early stage with whom it affected, as well as local agencies, land owners and issued press releases, so all were well informed before any further ground investigation or survey works commenced.

 

An Environment Impact Assessment scoping request had recently been submitted to the relevant local authorities.  The first phase of public consultations would commence in Spring 2020.  It is anticipated that a planning application will be submitted in January 2021, with construction hopefully beginning in 2023.  Further detailed information would be made available over the next 12 months.

 

The next stage was the main environment impact stage and consultation on traffic surveys were being discussed with Lancashire County Council and Highways England.

 

The Committee were informed that if they had any further questions, please email Elliott Lorimer elliott.lorimer@lancashire.gov.uk whom would forward to United Utilities colleagues.

 

2.

Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair

Minutes:

Resolved:  County Councillor Albert Atkinson and County Councillor Mrs Susie Charles were appointed Chair and Vice-Chair respectively for the 2019/2020 Municipal Year

3.

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interests

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.

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests.

 

4.

Constitution, Membership and Terms of Reference pdf icon PDF 32 KB

The Joint Advisory Committee is asked to approve the attached constitution, membership and terms of reference for 2019/2020.

Minutes:

Elliott Lorimer, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Manager presented the item and informed the Committee that there were no substantive changes, just some minor changes to the Committee membership of individuals.

 

Resolved:  The Committee approved the Constitution, Membership and Terms of Reference for 2019/2020.

 

5.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 April 2019 pdf icon PDF 126 KB

The Committee is asked to consider approving minutes of the meetings held on 18 April 2019.

Minutes:

Resolved:  That the Minutes of the meeting held on 18 April 2019 were agreed as a correct record.

 

6.

Partner Updates

Minutes:

Alison Boden, Wyre Borough Council reported that the Rangers Service were getting involved in raising suicide awareness with families and young people across Wyre Borough.  There was a guided walk taking place "Hope Walk" on 17 November 2019, which was not a fund raising walk, but was to share positive messages for those involved and beyond.

 

Festival Bowland events in Wyre had once again received excellent attendance.

 

A team of volunteers had worked with local farmers, carrying out practical works on the upper section of the River Wyre, including construction of leaky dams to reduce erosion, increase biodiversity and 'slow the flow'.  There was still a lot more work to be done over the next 2/3 years on these sections of the River Wyre.

 

Dates for the 2020 walking festival coincides with the new May Bank Holiday, which falls on Friday 8 May 2020.

 

Hugh Clear Hill from North Yorkshire County Council, informed the Committee of the North Yorkshire Rural Commission which operates completely independently and sets its own agenda and topics.  Over the next eight months commissioners would consider a broad range of subjects and evidence before forming recommendations for the county to consider.  The first meeting takes place on 18 December 2019 and anybody can contribute.  For further information, please see link to website https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/north-yorkshire-rural-commission.

 

Robin Horner, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) gave an update on the reorganisation currently underway and also that in this review the Forest of Bowland remains as one of the RSPBs priority landscapes.  This has helped secure additional staff resources to help deliver the AONB Management Plan.  Robin was due to meet with Elliott Lorimer to discuss further.  Additionally, Robin reported that in 2019, there had been five successful pairs of hen harriers in Bowland, fledging 22 chicks.  Monitoring work was continuing to take place with RSPB staff and volunteers.

 

7.

Revised Estimates 2019/20 and Revenue Budget 2020/2021 pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Elliott Lorimer, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Manager, presented the report on the revised estimates 2019/20 and revenue budget 2020/21.

 

a)  Revised Estimates 2019/20

 

The Revised Estimates took account of the changes in comparison (see Appendix A, column 3 tabled at the meeting) with the Original Estimates in column 2.  The principal revision related to an estimated reduction in salary costs due to maternity leave for the Sustainable Tourism Officer from July 2019.

 

The net effect of any changes allowed an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 'Projects' programme totalling £73,210 to be delivered in 2019/20.

 

Since the last reporting in April 2019, the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit had been successful in obtaining £805,386 in additional funding to support delivery of projects within the area.

 

b)  Revenue Budget 2020/21

 

The attention of the Committee was drawn to the gross expenditure, income, net expenditure and additional resources of the Revenue Budget 2020/21 as detailed in the report.

 

Details of the funding settlement from Defra were still awaited.

 

Resolved:  That the Committee:

 

i)  Noted the 2019/20 Revised Estimates

ii)  Approved the 2020/21 Revenue Budget as set out in the report.

iii)  Subject to approval of (ii) above, requested the funding authorities to make appropriate provision in their Revenue Budgets for 2020/21.

 

8.

Landscapes Review (Glover) Report pdf icon PDF 265 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Elliott Lorimer, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Manager updated the Committee on the Landscapes Review Report which included the panel's final report which was published by Defra on 21 September 2019.  The implications of the 27 proposals contained in the report were discussed as detailed at Appendix 2 in the agenda pack, on what the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was already delivering.  Headlines from the report were also highlighted to the Committee.

 

At the time of writing the report for the Committee, the Government had not officially responded to the report or commented on the proposals it contained.

 

9.

Management Plan Review

Minutes:

Elliott Lorimer, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Manager reported that Management Plan Review had been approved and adopted by all Councils.  A copy of the plan would be published on the website and printed copies would be available for the Joint Advisory Committee.  The review was now complete.

 

10.

AONB Unit Activity Report

Minutes:

Elliott Lorimer, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Manager explained about the 'Pendle Peat Pie', which featured on the front slide of the presentation.  The idea was developed by Kerri Morrison, the artist in residence employed as part of the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership 'Gatherings'.  The pie has been used to explain about the importance of peatland and its associated habitats.  The pie was served at the Clitheroe Food Festival in August 2019.

 

The Traditional Boundaries programme has seen four training days held on drystone walling during the summer with around 60 participants taking part and 18 metres of wall restored.

 

The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team has been working alongside the Pennine Peat LIFE project, which has commenced peatland restoration work on two sites on United Utilities land above Langden Brook.

 

The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit has also been managing peatland restoration works supported by Defra Peatland Fund on two sites on the Tarnbrook Fells in Abbeystead Estate.  Planning and preparation is now complete and contractors have visited the site in the last couple of weeks.

 

Sarah Robinson from the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit reported the plight of curlews within the UK and the recent development of a project to help this species recover and eventually increase in number.  The project is currently at a point deciding on three discrete areas within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to act as curlew conservation hotspots in a project bid to go forward to the Esmée Foundation and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

 

Lancashire Environmental Fund continued to support the Bowland Haytime project which achieve 15 hectares of field-scale hay meadow restoration during the summer.

 

Robin Gray from the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty had been developing a Tree, Woodland and Forestry Strategy for the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  He has been working with the Forestry Commission, estates and other Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partners on the development of this strategy.  Lancaster City Council were keen to get involved with this and Robin was planning to represent the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at a seminar being held by the Council to outline the strategy for interested individuals and volunteers.

 

As part of the Undergrounding for Visual Amenity Programme, two overhead lines (near Dunsop Bridge and Brennand) had now been buried and nearing completion with only the remaining poles and lines to be removed.

 

Sarah Dornan, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Countryside Access Officer gave an update on volunteer management of 'Promote Routes'.  The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Unit had recruited 12 new volunteers and helped maintain more than 40 routes.  The Promoted Routes had also recently been added to the View Ranger app.  This is a user friendly app for users to access route descriptions and maps and was easily updateable.

 

Elliott Lorimer updated on the Forest of Bowland Defra Environmental Land Management System test, which was investigating methodologies for the implementation of Government proposals to base future agricultural support payments on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Elliott Lorimer, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Manager tabled the attached Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership quarterly progress report from April-June 2019.  It was noted that there was fantastic work being done which could be seen from the report.  Any further questions, please contact Elliott Lorimer, email Elliott.lorimer@lancashire.gov.uk.

12.

Urgent Business

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 Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Members' intention to raise a matter under this heading.

Minutes:

There were no matters of urgent business received.

 

13.

Date of Next Meeting

The proposed dates and locations of the meetings to be held in 2020 are:

 

Thursday, 23 April 2020 in Craven, venue tbc

Thursday, 22 October 2020 in Ribble Valley, venue tbc

Minutes:

The Committee noted that the next meetings would be held on:

 

Thursday, 23 April 2020 in Craven – venue to be confirmed (now cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions).

Thursday, 22 October 2020 in Ribble Valley – venue to be confirmed.