Breadcrumbs
Agenda for 36th Meeting of the Countryside Agency
1. Apologies for absence
2. Chairman to sign minutes of meeting held 15 May 2003
3. Board paper - Chief Exec Report 10/07/2003 and matters arising
This paper updates the Board on activity within each programme area, any actions taken as a result of decisions from previous Board meetings and progress made on those issues .
4. Board Paper - Managing Open Access Land (AP03/21) (232kb word)
There is wide concern that new access land may not be effectively managed due to insufficient incentive for access authorities. The National Countryside Access Forum’s (NCAF) advice is to set up a national grant scheme, and Defra have asked the Agency to put forward outline proposals for such a scheme. This paper asks for the Board’s agreement to proposals for a national grant scheme to help access authorities introduce management measures which will support new the right of access to open country; to authorise officers to negotiate the details of the scheme with Defra and National Park Authorities; and to bid for funds to run the scheme outside national parks from April 2004 for five years.
5. Spending Review 2004 (AP03/22)
The Spending Review 2004 (SR04) will set out departmental spending plans for the three years 2005-06 to 2007-08. This paper sets out priorities for the Agency’s input into SR04. The Board is asked to agree these priorities; to agree the roles that the Agency should seek for itself; and to agree a timetable and process for taking forward our input to the next Spending Review.
6. National Park Authority Secretary of State appointments – a new approach to recruitment (AP03/23)
The Agency has a statutory right to be consulted by the Secretary of State on proposed appointments to national park authorities. In March 2003 Board members and the Rt. Hon Alun Michael MP agreed that the Agency and Defra should work jointly to make the appointment process more user friendly. This paper asks for the Board’s agreement to offer the Minister to take on greater ‘ownership’ of the recruitment process to deliver a better choice of candidates for Ministerial decision with clearer responsibilities for the Agency and Defra officers.
7. Evaluating Knowledge Management (AP03/24 - Annex 3)
The Knowledge Management programme commenced in April 2001to help with the flow of information about the Agency’s work on the ground through to policy formulation, targeting of resources and speeding up decision making. The Board is asked to note activity to date; and to support the need to develop knowledge sharing skills and active Knowledge Management by all staff.
8. Proposals for the new 3 year young people’s work (AP03/25)
Young people are a priority group for the Agency. The Board has agreed to make available extra resources within the Corporate Plan for research and demonstration work to address social exclusion and disadvantage experienced by young people in rural areas. This paper asks for the Board’s agreement on proposals for research priorities; to approve criteria for selecting demonstration projects to fund; and to agree the balance to be sought between research and demonstration projects.
9. Vital Villages: an interim report of performance and findings – where next? (AP03/26)
In February 2001 the Board agreed the objectives, outputs and outcomes for the Vital Villages programme. Consultants have monitored and evaluated the programme against its stated goals since its inception. The Board is now asked to endorse the performance review for the first two years of operation and the lessons learnt; and to provide a steer on the future direction for Vital Villages.
10. Date and location of next meeting
The next meeting of the Countryside Agency will be on 30 September 2003, Castle Hotel, Brecon.
