Minutes:
From 1 April 2014 the AONB had started its new five year Management Plan. The Plan and its companion document The State of the AONB report were now available on the website. The 'State' report monitored changes in the condition of the AONB and thus had a number of uses, for example, providing an early warning of problems.
Paul Esrich explained that a number of different national and local data sets had been used to compile the report. The usual health warning should be applied to the use of data. For example, there had been changes in the way in which some data sets had been compiled. This made like-for-like comparisons difficult.
The indicators used in the report were developed in 2006 with the help of the University of Worcester. Fixed point photos were taken in different areas showing the 10 sorts of landscape characters which made up the AONB. These landscape characters were then sub-divided into 30 landscape description units. Photos taken in 2009 were retaken in 2014 and any changes, whether positive or negative were recorded. Other data was also assessed:
· Data suggested a loss of permanent pasture and an increase in cropped land since 2007. The amount of farmed woodland and rough grazing had also reduced. 45% of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) were currently assessed as being in good condition; 55% were judged as in unfavourable recovering condition. There had been a decline in the condition of local geological sites compared with 2009 but it was unclear why this had happened,
· There were 8 Scheduled Monuments in the AONB. 5 years ago only 5 had been judged to be in satisfactory condition. Now all 8 were in a satisfactory condition. The overall condition of listed buildings was similar to that of 5 years ago. This could be considered a good result in the light of very difficult economic times since 2008. It showed that generally people had been looking after their listed buildings. Of the registered parks in the AONB, Eastnor was deemed to be in good condition, Loudon was assessed as vulnerable due to fragmented ownership and incoherent management. There was no up-to-date information available for Bromsberrow. 77% of a sample of rights of way were found to be easy to use, compared to 73% 5 years ago.
In discussion the following points were made:
· In some areas it would be difficult for the AONB Partnership to influence landowners to make improvements which would benefit the area. It was suggested that the 'State' document should be produced before the management plan as it would help inform the future work of the AONB Partnership. It was explained that attempts were made to produce the two documents in tandem, so that the new management plan could be informed by data collected for the 'State report. Also, objectives and policies in the management plan were often broad enough to provide a ‘hook’ for more specific activities if information in the State of the AONB report suggested it was needed,
· Traditional farming methods were in danger of being lost but it was agreed that it was difficult to see how a strategy could be put in place to protect traditional farming methods within the AONB,
· The increase in cropped area was a concern, as was the decrease in grazing land. It was noted that there were likely to be limits on the amount of permanent pasture which could be ploughed up and converted to arable, as part of EU rules,
· The presented figures on woodland only apply to farm woodlands, not to all woodlands in the AONB,
· Whilst the SSSI network was deemed to be in reasonably good condition it wass important to help to conserve biodiversity across the AONB, not just in the designated sites,
· PE thanked those who had participated in the collection and compilation of data which had informed the 'State' report.
RESOLVED that this report be noted and the State of the AONB report be recognised as a useful tool for monitoring AONB condition and providing information to the AONB Partnership.