Natural England

MATTERS ARISING REPORT 18 OCTOBER MEETING

With one exception the cost of access mapping and other work originally envisaged has been consistent with the estimates made at the outset. The exception is the acquisition of aerial photography - where we have concluded that the purchase of significantly greater areas of cover than we originally envisaged will be necessary to help with the differentiation of semi-improved grassland (a requirement introduced late in the legislative process) and to improve the accuracy of the identification of some boundaries of open country where they do not coincide with mapped features. This will add between £300k and £400k to project costs over 4 financial years.However, the overall cost of the work has been increased much more significantly by requirements in regulations. These regulations have been drafted by DEFRA since work began, or are still to be drafted. One example of the sort of increased costs that have arisen is a tripling of the number of maps that we are obliged to give free of charge to interested organisations - which will add about £1m to costs over 4 years. But by far the greatest additional burden is the requirement that we organise and attend an unknown number of appeal hearings or enquiries into our mapping decisions, and (eventually) into our decisions on restrictions and closures. Estimates of the cost of administering these processes vary hugely, according the assumptions about the volume of business, but could add perhaps another £1m per annum to the cost of this work for the corporate plan period and beyond.We have been in detailed discussion with DEFRA about these additional costs. As yet, no assurance has been given that they will be met. We have therefore made contingency plans to scale down the amount of activity that we undertake on access work and seek savings elsewhere in the Wider Welcome budget. There could be a significant impact on the rest of the Wider Welcome programme in 2002/3 .(written by Bob Roberts, October 2001)

AP00/54 A NEW COUNTRY CODE 

We have put in place a process to redraft and consult widely on the revised Country Code - including the involvement of schoolchildren, as suggested. The new code will be produced in early or mid 2003 - which coincides with the earliest possible commencement of new rights under the Act. We have also published two general leaflets - 'New Rights, New Responsibilities' and 'Drawing the Boundaries' which provide basic information about what we are doing, and when new rights might come into force. We will be publishing a leaflet encouraging participation in the consultation process in each region, placing articles in the local press, placing paid advertisements about the consultation venues and taking other steps to ensure that the local populace is well aware of the opportunity to participate. We have increased substantially the amount of information on our web site, and the public will be able to view and comment on access maps on the web.Many of these are areas of activity may need to be pared back significantly if resources become tight in later years and we are obliged to focus on the statutory requirements of the Act and regulations.(written by Bob Roberts, October 2001)

AP01/08 IMPLEMENTING WIDER WELCOME 

The Wider Welcome Business Plan published in June describes the programme in great detail - including targeted outputs and outcomes. As part of our information and consultation programme, we have employed specialist consultants to help us reach minority groups. Our web site will have core information on access in 8 minority languages, and we are targeting specialist media with material designed for these audiences. All the consultation venues have been selected with provision for the disabled (including those with visual or hearing impairments) in mind. Information will be sent to every registered agricultural holding, and the land management and user groups are also distributing it with their own literature. This area of activity that may have to be reduced a great deal for later mapping regions if resources are tight. (written by Bob Roberts, October 2001) 

AP01/09 MAPPING OPEN COUNTRY AND REGISTERED COMMON LAND IN ENGLAND 

Arrangements have been made for the Deputy Chair to formally sign off the maps in the lead regions. Because of the very tight timetable in these areas, it has not been possible to directly involve other Board members in the signing off process - but arrangements are being made for briefing them prior to the issue of maps on 12 November.(written by Bob Roberts, October 2001)

AP01/10 MANAGING ACCESS UNDER THE COUNTRYSIDE AND RIGHTS OF WAY ACT 

Following the Board discussion, considerable work has been done with the Executive to establish the basis for the cost assumptions set out in the paper. The matters arising note at AP00/52 (above) provides further detail.(written by Bob Roberts, October 2001) 

AP01/11 FUTURE MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL TRAILS

A paper outlining some options for the objectives and structure of a National Trails Trust will be provided for the December meeting.

(written by Bob Roberts, October 2001)

 

AP01/31 SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK: DRAFT BOUNDARY AND OPTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATION

The consultation documents have gone to the designers and are ready for printing. All the public road shows have now been booked up. Articles about the public consultation are going out in Local Authority newsletters. The consultation will be launched by Victoria Edwards on 27 November in Eastbourne at our first road show.(written by Jane Cecil, October 2001)

AP01/32 RURAL ASSURANCE: ENJOYING THE COUNTRYSIDE

A steering group to take forward the recommendations in 'Linking Town and Country' has been established and will be Chaired by Pam Warhurst. Initial discussions have taken place with DEFRA on the Diversity Review.Board members would have an opportunity to feed ideas into the Agency response to the National Parks review in the seminar immediately following the Board meeting on 18 October. The draft response will then be presented at the November Board meeting for Board approval.(written by Paul Walshe, October 2001)

AP01/33 FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE: COUNTRYSIDE AGENCY INPUT INTO INQUIRIES

The draft Agency response to the consultation on the Future of Farming and Food is on the agenda for the Board meeting. Details of the other inquiries which the Agency agreed to be involved in have yet to be received. The Rural Task Force subgroup report on the Impact of Foot and Mouth Disease on the rural economy has been formally submitted to the Minister by DEFRA. 

AP01/35 SPENDING REVIEW PRIORITIES 2003/04 - 2005/06: COUNTRYSIDE AGENCY BIDS

Following a meeting between the Chief Executive and Sophia Lambert, DEFRA, a formal letter submitting the agreed bids was prepared and expected to be sent by no later than 12 October.(written by Alison Foster, October 2001)

AP01/36 SPENDING REVIEW 2002

As of 10 October, the Agency has written to all bar one of the Ministers leading relevant Departmental and cross-cutting spending reviews. We have also had an assurance from the Treasury that rural proofing will be written into the final version of its Spending Review guidance to Departments. The Agency has been invited to sit on advisory groups for two of the cross-cutting reviews - those on improving public space and on small business support. Tim Allen, who led the Agency's Corporate Planning, Research, Data and Information team, has now been seconded to the Treasury to work on the Spending Review.(written by Brian Wilson, October 2001)

AP01/37 DRAFT CORPORATE PLAN 2002/03 - 2004/05

Amendments were made to the Plan after the September Board meeting, and further refinements have been made by Principal Managers to improve the general text. At the same time, comments are awaited from DEFRA on the previous draft. We are waiting to hear whether we need to meet the Minister before submitting the Plan formally, which looks likely. DEFRA have yet to receive confirmation of its Departmental allocation from Treasury for next year and has asked the Agency to wait until this is known before submitting the Plan formally. However, we continue to push for a timetable that allows us to gain approval by the end of November in order to complete our more detailed internal business planning and budgeting for the next Financial Year.(written by Alison Foster, October 2001)

CONSULTATION WITH RURAL STAKE HOLDERSThe Rural White Paper announced that the Government would establish a 'national rural sounding board' to provide rural people and organisations with an opportunity to put their concerns direct to Ministers. The formation of DEFRA has provided a new focus to this and DEFRA aim to set up simple and straightforward arrangements for engaging all rural stakeholders, at both national and regional level, in the development and implementation of policy that affects rural areas. The Agency has discussed the setting up of a 'rural sounding board' on a number of occasions with the DETR and DEFRA and has now been consulted formally along with other bodies. The proposal is to establish a Rural Affairs Forum for England which would be chaired by a DEFRA Minister. DEFRA have suggested that the Rural Advocate is a member of the Forum and that the Agency should share the Secretariat. It is proposed that the Forum would be supported by subgroups one of which would be the existing England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) which would be renamed the ERDP Consultation Group. The regional structure would be provided by ERDP Regional Rural Development Consultation Groups.The Agency response to the consultation will be provided in the Board member folders at the October meeting.(written by Wendy Thompson, October 2001)