Exmoor National Park Our 2014/2015 priorities: 1. Engage with - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Exmoor National Park Authority Achievements 2014 2014-15 15

Our 2014/2015 priorities: 1. Engage with National Park communities and support partners to further National Park purposes and foster social and economic wellbeing 2. Influence national and regional policy and secure more resources for Exmoor 3. Achieve by providing core services; getting best value from our resources, and improving

• ur performance

Prio riorit ity 1: : We will Engage with National Park communities and support partners to further National Park purposes and help foster social and economic wellbeing.

Engaging with land managers –

• Swaling on ENPA land, help on Molland and loan of bowsing

equipment to 2 landowners

• Maintained close liaison with Exmoor Hill Farm Network; Greater

Exmoor Shoots Association, and Exmoor Rivers and Streams Group

• Set up new Steering Group of woodland and forestry
• wners/managers
• Supported a review of the management of free living Exmoor

ponies

• Exmoor Mires project discussions on payments for “ecosystem

services”

• Provided £49,679 through 34 Landscape Conservation Grants

enabling 5km of hedge bank creation and management as well as meadow conservation and dry stone walling

Engage

Priority 1:

Engage

with national park communities and support partners to further national park purposes and foster social and economic wellbeing

Swaling on ENPA Land

• Weather was patchy again this
• year. A couple of decent days in

Feb and March but no extended dry spell

• 18.2ha were burnt over 2 days
• n ENPA land.
• No burning was done on

Haddon Hill due to weather/time restrictions

• Happy that we are burning

enough as can be seen from the average rotation figures

• Mill Hill will be the priority next

season

Dunster Show 2014

Prio riorit ity 1: : We will Engage with National Park communities and support partners to further National Park purposes and help foster social and economic wellbeing.

Engaging with the local community and business –

• Supported meetings of Exmoor Consultative & Parish Forum and ‘Young

People’s Forum’, and published two editions of Park Life

• Provided 100 free planning surgeries in Porlock and Lynton enabling 391 free

planning advice sessions

• Continued to play a key role in Exmoor Tourism including promotion of Exmoor

as a brand and destination – 98% visitors rate Exmoor Holiday as good or very good

• Provided 5 young people aged 16-25 with opportunities to improve their

employment prospects through 3 paid internships and an apprenticeship placement – one intern has secured a core post with the Authority’s Field Services Team

• Supported the West Somerset Flood Action Group and District Flood Board to

encourage land management practices that help mitigate flooding

• Convened new Rural Housing Network to help find local solutions to meeting

the need for rural affordable housing

Engage

Priority 1:

Engage

with national park communities and support partners to further national park purposes and foster social and economic wellbeing

Prio riorit ity 1: : We will Engage with National Park communities and support partners to further National Park purposes and help foster social and economic wellbeing.

Engaging with the local community and business –

• Undertook community Archaeology Projects in Porlock, Parracombe and

Challacombe

• Established a local group to lead in the development of a programme of

enhancement projects in Simonsbath

• Worked with the Parish Council, landowners and the local community to

develop a set of proposals for the future management of Porlock Marsh and completed work on the new boardwalk

• Completed landscape enhancements at Valley of Rocks and consolidated

the Hoaroak Cottage heritage site

Engage

Priority 1:

Engage

with national park communities and support partners to further national park purposes and foster social and economic wellbeing

Community archaeology - Hawkcombe

• Undertook community Archaeology Projects in

Porlock, Parracombe and Challacombe

Simonsbath

Porlock Marsh

New boardwalk - improving access from the village to the shingle ridge Public consultation on the vision for Porlock marsh

Valley of Rocks

Hoaroak cottage

Prio riorit ity 1: : We will Engage with National Park communities and support partners to further National Park purposes and help foster social and economic wellbeing. Working with and for users of the National Park –

• Launched the ‘Get Involved’ programme to provide a range of opportunities for

participation and engagement including a pilot Green Guides scheme – since its launch 51 new opportunities to Get Involved have been created and 2 new partnerships formed

• Continued Heritage Lottery Funded project at Lynmouth Pavilion involving more

than 10,000 people in activities, events and volunteering

• Renewed Exmoor National Park website and increased presence on social media
• Reviewed the CareMoor scheme and prepared for its re-launch in 2015/16 to

encourage more donations for landscape conservation and access improvements

• Exmoor Moorland Landscape Partnership Scheme continued and achievements

included providing 450 people with opportunities to receive training to enable support for surveys of Exmoor’s wildlife through the New Ecologists Project (totalling 2000 people for the project)

Engage

Priority 1:

Engage

with national park communities and support partners to further national park purposes and foster social and economic wellbeing

Refreshed website due to launch soon

Exmoor Crayfish Project 53 volunteers, working with the Environment Agency, Natural England, CEFAS, as well as Nicky Green (Phd student) to map the presence of signal crayfish in the River Barle SSSI, and to undertake a UK first to test a control method for this damaging invasive species.

Moorland Landscape Partnership

New Ecologist:

• Exmoor Wild Watch launched – with over 500 new

species records from the public

• 40 Identification and survey training workshops

with over 600 participants

• 33 Wildlife events with over 2000 participants,

including Bogtastic which additionally raised over £1000 for local could causes

• 30 plus wildlife and ecology groups actively

engaged with the project

• 6 Bioblitz held – over 600 species records collected

with the Exmoor Natural History Society

• 38 wildlife education sessions engaging with over

1000 pupils

• 14 wildlife surveys initiated and/or supported, for

example major crayfish, moorland birds and river fly surveys

• New education resources being developed for the

River Lyn catchment Moorland Classroom:

• A conservative 7000 + pupils have now been

engaged through this project

Prio riorit ity 1: : We will Engage with National Park communities and support partners to further National Park purposes and help foster social and economic wellbeing.

Supporting partners in taking forward the Exmoor National Park Partnership Plan

• Strategic overview Groups

continue to be supported and key overview reports have been provided on:

• performance of the Groups and
• achievements in taking forward

the objectives in the Partnership Plan

Engage

Priority 1:

Engage

with national park communities and support partners to further national park purposes and foster social and economic wellbeing

• Set up ‘National Parks Partnership Ltd’ with all 15 UK National Parks to secure

sponsorships

• Received £6,000 from a national sponsorship deal with AirWick – the campaign

reached 60 million unique contacts through TV advertising and events

• Secured, with Dartmoor National Park Authority, £700k in Rural Community

Broadband Funding to provide broadband to an additional 482 Exmoor premises

• Worked with Devon and Somerset county councils to take forward the Superfast

Extension Programme which it is hoped will reach at least an additional 1256 Exmoor premises meaning overall 88% of premises will be covered

• Engaged with the Government Mobile Infrastructure Project – granting planning

permission for a mast at Roadwater, the first in a National Park and only the fourth in the country through this project

• Secured £472,000 from South West Water towards the 5 year Headwaters of the

Exe catchment management programme

• Lobbied on planned changes to Section 106 agreements; influenced changes to

permitted development rights for barns; supported the NFU Uplands Group to achieve more equitable funding for upland farmers from Defra

Priority 2:

Influence

national and regional policy and secure more resources for Exmoor

New Mobile Infrastructure Project mast at Roadwater Haddon Hill mast mock-up

Influence

• Began development of an Economy Prospectus with

Dartmoor National Park Authority to submit to the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership

• Allocated £103,871 through the Partnership Fund,

supporting a total project value of £490,757 for communities and projects on Exmoor including the Porlock Shellfish feasibility project

• Achieved DCLG approval to proceed as a Right to Build

Vanguard to support local people who wish to self-build

• Received funding from the Devon and Somerset Health and

Wellbeing boards to deliver the Moor to Enjoy project – initiatives to improve health and wellbeing. First project event has connected 33 older people with Nettlecombe court and activities have continued independently of the project

Influence

Priority 2:

Influence

national and regional policy and secure more resources for Exmoor

Conservation & Access service

• Woodland management; trees and tree planting, trees

covered by Tree Preservation Orders and trees in Conservation Areas

• Exmoor Historic Environment Record
• Maintain and improve the Public Rights of Way network
• Access Land
• Exmoor Wildlife Research and Monitoring Framework
• Research into Exmoor’s historic environment including the

Exmoor Archaeology Forum; Historic Environment Research Framework Group, and Historic Environment Moorland Panel

• Treated 84% of 1057 known knotweed sites

Priority 3:

Achieve

by providing core services, getting best value from our resources and improving our performance

Woodland management

High pruning at Moor Wood

Thinning and coppicing at Tarr Steps and Hawkcombe NNR and essential maintenance at Larcombe Wood

Recording veteran and notable trees in ENPA Woodland

Access

• 90% of 986km of public rights of way were

rated as easy to use compared to 86% at the start of the year = 40km of rights of way rated easier to use than 2013/14

• Coleridge Way extension delivered and

promoted with benefits to local businesses anticipated

• Improved 7930m2 of paths
• 162 km of paths cleared of vegetation
• 594 new signs and 277 new signposts

installed

• 10 Major works locations
• 7 offline issues resolved

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

BVPI Score 2007 - 2015

Offline Issue Resolved - Dulverton

Before After

Opening the Coleridge Way extension

Prio riorit ity 3: 3: We will Ach chieve by providing core services; getting best value from our resources, and improving our performance.

Planning & Sustainable Development service

• Approved 95% of Planning

Applications

• 82% minor applications

determined within 8 weeks; 95% of other applications determined within 8 weeks

• Finalised the publication

version of the Local Plan for public consultation in 2015

• Resolved 159 enforcement

cases

• All 16 Conservation Area

Appraisals completed (areas

• f special architectural or

historic interest)

Achieve

Priority 3:

Achieve

by providing core services, getting best value from our resources and improving our performance

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Minor - within 8 weeks Other - within 8 weeks Major - within 13 weeks % determined within target Type of Application

Timeliness of Determination of Planning Applications target target target

95% Planning Applications Approved

Prio riorit ity 3: 3: We will Ach chieve by providing core services; getting best value from our resources, and improving our performance.

Information & Communication service

• Welcomed 165,919 visitors

to our National Park Centres

• Organised or supported

3132 volunteer days with a value of approximately £469,500

• Supported 6255 people to

enjoy Exmoor through public events

• Distributed 120,000 copies
• f Exmoor 2015 with a

readership of over 200,000

Priority 3:

Achieve

by providing core services, getting best value from our resources and improving our performance

2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Visitors to National Park Centres 142,616 147,497 165,919 140,000 145,000 150,000 155,000 160,000 165,000 2000 4000 6000 Volunteer Numbers Activities Facilitated for Children People taking part in public events

Facilitated Activities Within the National Park

2012/13 2013/14

2014/15

Facilitated activities for 5634 children

Puriton Primary School from Bridgwater are one of four schools from the area to visit Dunster to study rivers supported by a Moorland Classroom travel grant

“The Exmoor Mosaic Youth Project residential weekend in November 2014 was a great success. 12 Young National Park Champions attended. Over 30 young people have now signed up, championing Exmoor National Park amongst their peers, across Devon, Somerset and beyond.”

Prio riorit ity 3: 3: We will Ach chieve by providing core services; getting best value from our resources, and improving our performance.

Personnel & Corporate Support service

• Respond to people who contact the National Park Authority
• Freedom of Information Act
• Complaints
• Validate planning applications within working 3 days
• Administrative support service
• Retained the Investors in People standard, with an excellent

report highlighting a dedicated staff team, a positive and values based culture, effective internal communication, effective leadership team and a developing learning and evaluation culture

• Support to Authority members
• Oversee legal services

Priority 3:

Achieve

by providing core services, getting best value from our resources and improving our performance

99.7% of validated applications registered within 3 working days

Prio riorit ity 3: 3: We will Ach chieve by providing core services; getting best value from our resources, and improving our performance.

Finance & Performance service

• Received an unqualified audit report of Authority

2013/14 accounts

• Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
• Monitor Authority performance
• Authority environmental performance

Land & Property service

• Property management
• Facilities management
• Public facilities, including toilets and car parks

Priority 3:

Achieve

by providing core services, getting best value from our resources and improving our performance