Agenda item

a)  AONB Management Plan Review

Verbal Report

b)  AONB Unit Activity Report

Including presentation on headline achievements over the last six months.

c)  AONB Unit Business Plan 2018/19

Verbal Report

a)  AONB Management Plan Review

Elliott Lorimer informed the Committee that the review was ongoing and that a Management Plan Review Group had been established and an online survey was going live from today and would be available for all to offer their views on the AONB and the work of the Partnership.  This was the link to the survey and it was out for consultation until 25 May 2018. 

The first working draft of the plan would be in June, then a refined and final draft would be available in September/October when formal consultation would take place for approximately 6-8 weeks and the local authorities would be asked to comment.

Resolved:  That Elliott Lorimer would keep the Committee updated on the progress of the Management Plan.

b)  AONB Unit Activity Report

Sandra Silk gave on update on the activities the AONB Unit had carried out in the last six months and highlighted areas from the report that was attached to the agenda.

·  Peat Restoration – Hawthornthwaite was at the top of the catchment between Langden Brook and the Wyre.  An area of deep peat which has had additional gully re-profiling and re-wetting followed by re-seeding with grass seed and heather brash.  A film about the peat work on Abbeystead Estate had been produced and would be available on the AONB website in the very near future.

·  Hedge laying – Nine training sessions were held during the 2017/2018 season involving 38 people.  424 metres of hedge was laid over four sites at Crook O'Lune, Lancaster, Fell View Camp Site, Scorton; Higher Gills Farm Rimington and Lane Side Farm, West Bradford.  Next season, they were looking to focus some sessions on young people – especially the Young Farmers group – as encouragement was needed for the hedge layers and trainers of tomorrow.

·  Bowland Experience – Bowland Experience Limited closed as a company at the end of 2017 but the Bowland Sustainable Tourism Network would remain active in its place. 

·  Cluster Business Leaflets reproduced – this was due to popular demand – Gisburn Forest Bike Trails and Teashops and Villages in Bowland.  The Gisburn Forest and Stocks leaflet had been updated to include wider visitor information for the businesses that had made contributions to be included in the listings.  The Teashops and Villages leaflet now included more village information including history and walking opportunities – encouraging people to stay and explore. 

·  Training for Bowland Experience Members Autumn/Winter 2017-2018 - Opportunities included two social media workshops run by Salar Media at the Shireburn Arms in October 2017 and Wyreside Lake Fisheries in January 2018.  12 business attended in all.  Also a Sense of Place/Know your AONB workshop was held at Holmes Mill in Clitheroe for managers of James' Places business.

·  Annual Sustainable Tourism Forum – this was held at Browsholme Hall's Tithe Barn in November 2017.  The focus was a celebration of achievements of Bowland Experience and Champion Bowland over the past decade.  A link to the film can be found here.

·  Discover Bowland – 50 people celebrated the launch of the Discover Bowland 2018 guide hosted at Gisburn Forest Hub in February.  The guide included everything from walking routes and wildlife information to features on traditional countryside skills, archaeology and local food.  It also highlighted two new Bowland visitor itineraries (Journey to the Centre of the Kingdom and Gisburn Forest and Stocks Adventure) – these were the first in a series of five planned over the next 12 months or so and were to cover the whole AONB.  They would provide inspiration for short breaks – what to do and where to stay and eat.  Each would have offers and discounts provided by local businesses.  Holding the launch at the Hub meant that people had the opportunity to try out the Champion Bowland Tramper, which was now located there and available to hire via the café.  The vehicle could be used on a five mile easy access route which linked the Hub with the Birch Hills Trail, Festival Bowland – of the 70+ events in the calendar for the 2017 programme, figures show from 65 of them, there were 1662 attendances over these events.  This year three themes had been introduced, running for approximately two weeks each, which sit within the main programme:  Springtime Wildlife (late April/early May), Meadow Magic (early July) and Bowland by Night (late September).  The idea of the themes was to focus on particular aspects of Bowland and perhaps persuade people to stay in the area during that time.

·  Promoted Routes – in preparation for the launch of the Journey to the Centre of the Kingdom, maintenance work had been carried out on several footpaths in and around Dunsop Bridge, including the Hodder Bank Fell circular walk, in anticipation of increased use of the paths which were highlighted in the new feature.

·  Bowland Explorer – the minibus service would run again this summer on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays and will commence on 27 May 2018 and finish at the end of September 2018.  Organised by the Bentham Line Community Rail Partnership and the Dales and Bowland CIC, it runs between Bentham and Clitheroe and along its journey it calls at Ingleton, Clapham, Gisburn Forest/Stocks, Slaidburn, Newton and Waddington.  The bus connects with rail services in both Bentham and Clitheroe allowing visitors from West Yorkshire and Manchester to travel to Bowland on public transport.  It also provides a route into Bowland from Lancaster on a Sunday morning when no rail service is available.  It is also a great opportunity for people to access walking routes and visit Bowland's pubs and cafes without having to use a car.

·  Pendle Hill Farmer's Network - The AONB Partnership submitted a funding application to Natural England's Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund in November 2017 to support the development of a farmer facilitation group in the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership (PHLP) area.  The group would identify and address local training/skills gaps to help deliver better outcomes for biodiversity and landscape from existing and new agri-environment schemes.  21 farmers/land managers within the PHLP area signed up to be involved in this group.  Natural England confirmed the bid was successful in December 2017.  The project would support one day/week dedicated time from PHLP Farming and Wildlife Officer and one day/week PHLP Business Support Officer to develop the network, provide group support and training events/workshops.

c)  AONB Unit Business Plan

Elliott Lorimer reported that this needed updating as soon as possible and would include staffing updates including roles and responsibilities. 

Resolved:  i)  Elliott Lorimer would circulate as soon as this was available.

ii)  A staffing update would be given at the next Joint Advisory Committee.