Annual Review 2014/15 by East Devon AONB

50 Years

East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership

annual review 2014/15

50 Years

Seaton Wetlands

Countryside annual review 2014/15

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inside Page 2 Contact us 3 Foreword 4 Landscape and heritage 6 Biodiversity 8 Farming and land management 10 Access, recreation and tourism 12 Planning and development 14 Rural Economy and services 16 Awareness and engagement 18 Management and finances 20 Partners

Contact the Aonb

Keep up - to - date

Phone 01404 46663

Email info@eastdevonaonb.org.uk Write/ East Devon AONB Partnership visit Kennaway House, Coburg Road Sidmouth, EX10 8NG

Visit www.eastdevonaonb.org.uk for more information Follow East Devon AONB on Twitter @eastdevonAONB

Foreword

Foreword John Wilding MBE Chairman, East Devon AONB Partnership

n my fourth and final year as Partnership Chairman I am pleased to present to you this Annual Review. Perhaps the biggest and most high profile event in the AONB this year has been one close to Clinton Devon Estates heart and one in which we and the AONB team will play a future role; the River Otter Beaver Project. The granting of a licence to Devon Wildlife Trust for a five year trial to monitor wild beavers in the River Otter has put this part of Devon on the national if not international map. Located in the heart of our East Devon estate, we are keen to make sure the trial runs successfully and to play our part in this exciting development. Our heritage related activity this year has included the completion of our English Heritage funded (now Historic England) Historic Environment Action Plan (HEAP) project which has developed additional policy context to supplement our landscape character guidance. This work also enabled us to develop a toolkit with local heritage groups in Branscombe and Woodbury to

encourage others into action for their local heritage. Other work has included revising and updating our guidelines for equestrian development and a simple Neighbourhood Plan guide for Parish Councils. Our biodiversity related activity has been focused on a major project with a wide range of partners across Devon in close partnership with Devon Wildlife Trust. Our objective this year has been to complete the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) (Development Phase) of the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project and submit the full funding proposals. With our Stage Two bid now submitted, we are extremely hopeful that it will secure the full funding from HLF for the five year delivery plan. To complement this work, we have started developing a ‘bat consultation zone’ policy guidance document for planning in East Devon. This important piece of work will help address the needs of these flagship species in any development proposals affecting their flight paths and foraging areas. We continue to develop our awareness raising activities

aonb annual review 2014/15

and engagement programmes through our Sustainable Development Fund, promotion of the East Devon Way and our Ambassador Scheme. At the 2014 AONB Annual Forum in Colyton we presented the second AONB Acland award to one of our top Ambassadors, The Deer Park Hotel and held our first Countryside and Rural Business Fair at the newly opened Beehive Centre in Honiton – a great success for all who attended. Finally I must say farewell as Chairman. I look forward to welcoming a new Chair to continue the good work of the Partnership and thank Chris Woodruff and his team for their commitment and support over the last four years. I know the last year has been a particularly challenging one for them with the sad loss of Kimmo Evans to leukaemia. Kimmo’s affable style and notorious laugh will remain a strong and happy memory for us all and I hope the relocation of the team to a new HQ at Kennaway House in Sidmouth will start a new chapter for all; celebrating the past and looking forward to new challenges.

Landscape and heritage

Landscape and heritage Annual AONB Heritage Conference

Historic Environment Action Plan (HEAP)

For the eighth year running, the AONB has managed to find ways of coordinating an annual conference on the Historic Environment. A key feature in the AONB calendar, the event continues to attract great support and has provided a wealth of eminent speakers to stimulate and engage local communities. The conference serves to raise awareness of the heritage work the AONB team and other partners have been undertaking, as well as promote action for the historic environment. Thanks to support from Devon County Council, an 80+ audience enjoyed noteworthy presentations from Jeremy Lake (English Heritage) and Sam Turner (University of Newcastle), two leading experts in the field of historic farmsteads and landscape assessment.

Through direct funding from English Heritage, (now Historic England) the AONB team has project managed the production of a HEAP for the AONB. Working with Wyvern Heritage and a community engagement specialist, the project worked at a strategic and community level to produce guidance and plans that will serve to influence future development and encourage local action for the historic environment. Parish level HEAPs were developed by local groups in Branscombe and Woodbury through a series of mapping workshops and village walks. These worked well and brought in enquiring interests and engagement from surrounding parishes. The toolkit and guidance documents are now available on the AONB web site and the AONB team will be working with partners to inform parish groups of this work. The more strategic HEAP document was developed to complement the existing landscape character assessment covering the AONB and will be used for example in response to planning applications and development proposals. We expect it will also assist in guiding future programmes and work areas for the AONB and in supporting the local development plan evidence base for the historic environment in East Devon.

Serve to influence future development and encourage local action

aonb annual review 2014/15

Nature reserves

â&#x2013;˛ Fire Beacon Hill Local Nature Reserve

Stepping Out Further investigations in East Devon Landscape History

East Devon AONB Historic Landscape Conference

nce:

Free

Saturday 18 April 2015

Norman Lockyer Observatory Sidmouth Programme and booking form

â&#x2013;˛ Mapping workshop, Branscombe aonb annual review 2014/15

Nature reserves

Biodiversity Devon greater horseshoe bat project Last year we used Defra project funding to support our leading role in developing a Devon wide project for greater horseshoe bats. After many years of work with our small furry friends, we teamed up with lead partners the Devon Wildlife Trust and fellow AONBs and conservation bodies across Devon to develop a proposal for a five year initiative that will seek to develop policy, provide advice, deliver education programmes, and create habitat improvements across Devon. The Devon bid received Stage 1 approval and over ÂŁ136,000 of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and this year the project team has been

delivering the foundation work that will enable this ambitious five year proposal to secure further funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. During this year volunteers recorded over 53,000 bat passes around Beer, however only 0.2% of these were greater horseshoes. Work was carried out with Beer and Branscombe primary schools, 10 local landowners were advised about potential management to benefit bats and walks and talks were also delivered to help raise the profile of this important local species. The county wide partnership has submitted the application now and we expect to hear later this summer about the outcome for this pan-Devon initiative. Keep your ears open for news later this year.

aonb annual review 2014/15

â&#x2013;˛ Greater Horseshoe bats, Beer Quarry Caves

Significant moment in the history of modern conservation

Biodiversity River Otter Beaver Trial England’s only breeding population of wild beavers are being allowed to remain in the wild on the River Otter after the announcement on 28 January by Natural England granting Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) a five year monitoring licence. This significant moment in the history of modern conservation has come after months of hard work trying to secure a long term future for the animals. The Eurasian beaver disappeared from the English landscape over 400 years ago and until recently was absent from much of western Europe. Controlled trials and reintroductions in parts of Europe, including Scotland, has seen a steady rise in the population and greater contact with land managers and local communities. During the intervening 400 years however our landscape practices, development and population levels have changed

significantly and one of the purposes of the trial will be to assess the impact the Beaver will have and how it adapts in this environment. The beavers, which live on the River Otter in East Devon, were discovered to be breeding in February 2014. Defra announced its intention to capture and remove the animals in July citing the risk to human health from a tapeworm that European beavers are known to carry, but which is not currently present in the UK. Defra’s decision sparked an overwhelming response from local people, with the vast majority showing their support for the beavers to remain. Devon Wildlife Trust has spent the last six months working with Defra, Natural England, local farmers and the wider community to secure a solution that would see the disease risk addressed and the beavers remain. Defra’s tests revealed the beavers were clear from disease and the DNA tests proved the animals are the once native

aonb annual review 2014/15

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). As a result, the five beavers trapped were rereleased back on to the River Otter in March, just in time for the pregnant females to progress to term. The re-release signalled the beginning of the five year monitoring trial led by DWT and involving partners Clinton Devon Estates, Derek Gow Consultancy and University of Exeter. East Devon AONB Partnership is represented on Steering Group for the trial through AONB Manager Chris Woodruff. “This is an exciting yet challenging project that could have implications beyond the river Otter for this once native creature. The trial is just that, a test, but within a living and working landscape. The licence contains various conditions and we look forward to working with the DWT and its key partners to ensure it is delivered successfully over the next five years”. Further details on beavers can be found on the DWT website www.devonwildlifetrust.org

Nature reserves

▲ King John’s Oak (Jill Butler)

Farming and land management The Umborne Valley project – Legacy to Landscape The Umborne Valley has been identified by recent AONB grassland botanical surveys to be a surprisingly rich area of interest and is also likely to support a wide range of other wildlife which are currently unrecorded. Adding to this interest is Woodend Deer Park, a remnant of a wider medieval deer park that made up part of the Shute Estate. The park is one of the hotspots for veteran trees identified by an earlier Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) funded project Ancient Tree Hunt and is home to the King John’s Oak (above), reputed to be one of the oldest trees in the country dating back to before 1215.

Focussing on an area defined by a 1783 Shute estate map, the most ancient we have currently discovered, the AONB team will be applying to HLF to explore the natural heritage of this area with the local community. The use of estate archives will help us discover more about how it was managed in the past and to chart how the modern landscape has evolved over time. Inspired by the learning and survey, we will seek to engage volunteers in practical activity to enhance the character of the area. The collection of tree seeds and grafts to be grown on and replanted to develop as open crown trees, the planting of local varieties of orchard trees, hedge management and scrub control will all help enhance the area.

aonb annual review 2014/15

Farming and land management

Farm clusters, facilitation and the new Countryside Stewardship Scheme The conservation and enhancement of the landscape is a fundamental aim of the AONB Management Strategy and for many years now European funded catchment and environmental stewardship schemes for farming and forestry have been the backbone of enabling landowners and farmers to secure this aim. The AONB team has not been alone in spending much of the last year trying to get its head around the new environmental land management scheme for farmers, now familiarly called Countryside Stewardship. Our work in this sphere of activity has many overlapping areas: • In the Umborne Valley around farm groups/clusters put forward as a possible model to Natural England under the new environmental land management scheme

• In the development of our joint AONB/ Devon County Council bid to Defra for Making it Local RDPE funding, where farming and forestry are two new areas of possible funding • In the Devon wide greater horseshoe bat project, where we hope it might be possible to secure some facilitation funding for the new stewardship programme. To help spread the message about all the grant changes this year we have supported informal meetings with groups of local farmers around their kitchen table with Kate Tobin and Pete Youngman giving detailed advice about what will be available. Key partners in this work area are the Forestry Commission, Natural England, Devon Wildlife Trust and FWAGSW and we will be working with these and other partners, local landowners and farmers to try to secure the most positive outcome for all over the next five years of the programme.

Explore the natural heritage of the area with the local community

Umborne Valley ▶

aonb annual review 2014/15

Access, recreation and tourism

Access, recreation and tourism East Devon Way This year we have been developing our plans to strengthen our business network connections based around this long distance route. We will be seeking funding support to enable us to deliver a sustainable rural tourism project proposal based on the route over the coming years. As well as our own plans, discussions have been held with other protected landscapes in the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership area about a wider sustainable tourism initiative across this economic area. Both of these plans are at an early stage and we hope to have more to report on in next years review. In the meantime, as part of on-going route development we can support in house, a series of circular walks a have been developed in partnership with Ted Swann, Bob Hewett and James Baldwin of the Ramblers Association and East Devon District Council Countryside Services. The walks are available on the Ramblers web site at www.ramblers.co.uk and a summary of the routes and how to access them is also on the AONB and East Devon District Council web pages.

â&#x2013;ź Circular walk summary

aonb annual review 2014/15

â&#x2013;˛ Roncombe Valley, Sidbury

Nature reserves

â&#x2013;˛ View towards Bicton from Harpford Hill, nr Joneys Cross

Explore the natural heritage of the area with the local community

aonb annual review 2014/15

Nature reserves

Planning and development Bat consultation zones This year we have initiated work on the development of a planning policy tool for bats, linking closely with our wider work on the Devon greater horseshoe bat project. Modelled on work in South Devon, the purpose behind this work is to create a method for planning officers to filter applications for development that may impact on the flight zones of protected bat species in East Devon. This is particularly important for our more rare bats such as the Greater Horseshoe, which

could find flight paths to their maternity roosts interrupted by inappropriate development. The guidelines would identify and map important routeways and potential impact zones which would be flagged up as a restraint at the application stage. This would enable planners and particularly developers to be fully aware of considerations up front. The information provided would help promote and enable good design, the need to carry out the appropriate assessments and to take into consideration any special design or mitigation measures required.

aonb annual review 2014/15

â&#x2013;˛ Building up the picture of bat activity

Planning and development

Equestrian development guidelines In 2007 the then South West Protected Landscapes Forum developed an information booklet on keeping horses in National Parks and AONBs. The publication was endorsed by the British Horse Society and was widely promoted and circulated throughout the region. At the time it was hoped this would help inform good equestrian development but there has been limited evidence to substantiate this. The AONB team recognised that in order to do so effectively, there was a need to embed the guidance more closely in the planning process. The AONB team has been amending and adapting this earlier publication into a format that can be used to guide and comment on equestrian development in the AONB. The guidelines have undergone consultation with key officers within the local planning authority and will be formally adopted by the AONB Partnership in 2015. The document will be used by the AONB team and available to prospective landowners to assist in guiding appropriate equestrian development in the AONB. Longer term, it is hoped the guidelines will have value beyond the AONB to the wider district.

Help promote and enable good design

East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Equestrian Development Guidelines

aonb annual review 2014/15

Rural economy and services

Rural economy and services L

ast year saw the popular Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) ‘Making it Local’ grant programme come to an end. Over £1.4m funding enabled £2.9m worth of projects to be delivered across the East Devon and Blackdown Hills AONBs between 2009 and 2014. We have been working hard to secure a further tranche of this European funding support for the AONBs. The programme board successfully secured transition funding from Defra to develop a bid for the new programme that has enabled us to secure a further £1.627m five year funding programme to support the rural economy across the two AONBs. Although largely similar to its predecessor, the new RDPE programme will have a far greater emphasis on growth and the economy and now includes new sectors covering farming and forestry productivity. We expect the new programme to get underway in Autumn 2015. Because the new programme restrictions do not allow for a project development role, other partners, including AONB and local authorities, will be expected to provide some supplementary support to enable/encourage applicants and interest. For further details visit www.makingitlocal.org.uk

Over £1.4m funding enabled £2.9m worth of projects

Otterton village shop ▶

aonb annual review 2014/15

Nature reserves

▲ Services to small woods, Blackdown Hills and East Devon Woodland Association

AONB Sustainable Development Fund Despite increasing pressure on AONB funding, we have sought to keep our Sustainable Development Fund from Defra intact, if a little reduced. This accessible local funding source is often given in small sums and has supported a great many projects both large and small over the years. In 2014/15 we had our usual diverse spread of interests, from schemes to support for community run shops and community woodland schemes; from local food festivals, to tracking bats, and helping to promote local countryside events. In total in just over £17,000 was awarded to projects valuing in excess of £172,000 – demonstrating small investments can bring big rewards.

▼ Local Heritage Assets consultation event, Otter Valley Association

aonb annual review 2014/15

Awareness and engagement

Awareness and engagement The Acland Award Our buzzard ‘Acland’ Award is so named after Brigadier Acland, who was instrumental in promoting and securing the designation of East Devon AONB in the early 1960’s. In 2014 the Partnership proposed making the award to one of our Ambassadors as a means of helping to promote the scheme and recognise the commitment of our Ambassadors to conservation, community and local markets. Partnership member Alistair Handyside (CLA) presented the Award to winner Mark Godfrey of The Deer Park Hotel, Honiton with the Britannia Inn at Knowle receiving a Highly Commended.

◀ AONB ambassador Mark Godfrey, Deer Park Hotel

Rural business and countryside fair The development of our AONB Ambassador scheme acted as a catalyst to our Rural Business and Countryside Fair at the Beehive in Honiton. This event, sponsored by River Cottage and coordinated by AONB team member Karen Whittaker, provided a great opportunity for likeminded businesses, organisations and individuals to mingle in the large hall provided for the information stalls and the masterclass sessions went down a storm in the café area. Lots of positive leads followed the event and we are already planning future events an opportunities for 2015/16.

▲ River Cottage food stall

aonb annual review 2014/15

Awareness and engagement Annual Forum Our 13th Annual Forum held at Colyford Village Hall was opened by keynote speaker Jim Smyllie from Natural England and AONB Partnership member Alistair Handyside, a man with many hats, one of which is representative of the South West Tourism Alliance. A packed hall heard much of the future challenges facing protected landscapes and enjoyed the local produce from some of our supportive Ambassadors.

▲ 13th AONB Annual Forum

Explore the natural heritage of the area with the local community

communications In the final months of 2014 we lost a dear and close work colleague Kimmo Evans, to leukaemia. Understandably it has had a big effect on the team and the move to a new HQ at Kennaway House in Sidmouth has, in some ways, helped us prepare for a new chapter; to look forward whilst still recognising and celebrating our colleague’s significant achievements. The move brought with it a new team member for Communication and Admin, Karen Whittaker, and a more pleasant working environment in this seaside resort.

▲ Kennaway House

aonb annual review 2014/15

Management and finances

Management and finances core funding Income Where the money came from

Devon County Council: £16,113 East Devon District Council: £19,900 Defra: £117,394

ESTIMATED

2014/15 total: £156,526

ACTUAL

2014/15 total: £156,529 Defra: £117,394 East Devon District Council: £19,900

Additional income: £3,119

Additional income: £3,122

Devon County Council: £16,113

Transport: £7,720

Expenditure Where the money was spent

Support services: £13,856 Staff: £125,830

ESTIMATED

2014/15 total: £156,526

ACTUAL

2014/15 total: £156,529

Operations: £7,280

Staff: £127,368 Support services: £14,678 Operations: £8,621

aonb annual review 2014/15

Transport: £5,862

Management and finances

defra project funding Totals

Sustainable Development Fund

Project Development Fund

£172,000

£137,113

£309,113

£27,345

aonb annual review 2014/15

al Es to tim ta a l v te alu d e

Ac tu

ed at tim Es

Ac tu

at tim

al Es to tim ta a l v te alu d e

£10,014

£10,000

Ac tu

at tim Es

al Es to tim ta a l v te alu d e

£17,344

£17,345

£27,358

The National Association for AONBs is the National voice for 46 AONBs across the UK • AONBs are about managing positive landscape change • AONBs are strategic national assets covering 8000 square miles and involving 700 elected members • AONBs are locally managed nationally important landscape areas The East Devon AONB Partnership is a joint initiative: • Hosted by East Devon District Council • Core funded by Defra (75%), East Devon District and Devon County Councils (25%) • Guiding the implementation of the AONB Management Strategy and the work of the AONB team.

Funded by:

supported by:

East Devon Business Forum & Chamber of Commerce