News & Events

Finding  santuary in the sea

More protection for marine wildlife

Providing better protection for marine wildlife and the special sea and estuary habitats around our coast is firmly on the agenda and will be one of the features of the government's promised Marine Bill currently being drafted for consultation in 2008. Work is already underway in preparation for this, with the "Finding Sanctuary" project set up to identify a network of marine protected areas around the coast of South West England, ready for when the legislation comes forward. A clear scientific basis for identifying candidate MPAs is being developed, but extensive consultation is also to take place and Finding Sanctuary is especially keen to obtain information from fishermen and anglers to create a "Fishermap" of fishing activity around our coasts .
 
For further information see http://www.finding-sanctuary.org/newsletter/december/

Right to roam the coast

Access at risk?

The government has just announced its intention to press ahead with legislation to create a new public right of access to the coast. Outline proposals were subject to a consultation process this autumn.  The AONB office response highlighted particularly the need to protect people's access to beaches as there are signs that the public is being denied access to some beaches and foreshore which traditionally people were allowed to use - and there is no right of access as the law currently stands. However, the AONB office also commented that much more work is needed to clarify the definition of coastal access: what kinds of land would qualify and how far inland would it stretch? How will the estuaries with their wildlife-sensitive mudflats and saltmarshes be dealt with? Sorting out these details and other matters about liability, costs, compensation, and whether rights should include cyclists and horseriders, will mean that any new legislation is not expected to come forward in the current Parliamentary session.
 
Information about the proposals and the consultation process can be found on
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/coast-access/index.htm

Test run for Slapton storm response

Better community involvement needed

A "dry run" of the Slapton Sands contingency plan was held on December 4th to test the state of readiness for responding to a coastal storm event. The AONB office, through its involvement in the Slapton Line Partnership, took part in the exercise, which was to  test whether everyone knows what to do, and that communications will work effectively.  The exercise  revealed that the basic elements are there but  that more attention is needed to involving the local community, and developing better ‘cascade’ systems to keep information flowing.  The exercise was facilitated by Devon County Council emergency planner Andy Borman who was also involved in the Napoli response.
Meanwhile, investigations are underway into a possible advance warning system to anticipate erosion events, using beach level information combined with flood and weather warnings from the Environment Agency .

For more details contact Alan Denbigh on 01803 861246 alan.denbigh@slaptonlinepartnership.org.uk

The clearer solution for farmers

Signs look good for more CSFI funding

Cash shortages within Defra and its associated agencies have been in the news recently, but one piece of brighter news is that the valuable Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative could be set for a further phase of funding. This trial scheme set up just over a year ago works with farmers around five rivers in South Devon AONB - the Yealm, Erme, Avon, Salcombe and Slapton catchments. Simple practical actions like fencing cattle away from streams, separating clean from dirty water in farmyards, and reducing soil compaction, all aim to reduce the amount of silt and bacteria getting into our watercourses. Salmon, otters, swimmers and shellfish farmers all stand to benefit, and so do farmers: not only have grants been provided to help with the cost of improvements, but the scheme has shown that by targeting the use of farmyard manures more accurately and reducing bought-in fertiliser, farmers can make significant cash savings.  The AONB office has been lobbying for an extension to funding for the scheme, and Defra minister Phil Woolas has replied acknowledging the importance of the initiative and agreeing that there is a strong case for extending it.
 
For further information, contact the local Catchment Sensitive Farming officer Lizbe.Pilbeam@naturalengland.org.uk

Turbines in the news

Kingsbridge appeal

Large wind turbines continue to hit the headlines following the recent planning inspector's approval for 22 large turbines immediately outside the border of the North Devon AONB at Fullabrook Down. Closer to home, the application for three turbines just north of Kingsbridge, some 600 metres outside the AONB boundary, is due to go to planning appeal early in 2008. This application was the subject of an objection by the AONB office in February this year because of its impacts on the open landscape of the AONB. Planning policies take account of the impacts of development on a protected landscape even if located outside the boundary, but the political imperative to generate more electricity from renewables seems to be tipping the balance increasingly in favour of large turbine schemes when they go to appeal.
 
You can track the progress of this appeal via the planning inspectorate's website http://www.pcs.planningportal.gov.uk/pcsportal/ViewCase.asp?casename=APP/K1128/A/07/20