Access Fingringhoe Biodiversity and Access Improvement Plan
Acknowledgements This project was instigated and managed by CoastNet, a charity working in coastal areas. www.coastnet.org.uk Funding was provided by Natural England, through the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, with additional funding from CoastNet. In‐kind contributions were provided by Thames and Colne River Aggregates Ltd and the people of Fingringhoe.
The process Access Fingringhoe is a project instigated by CoastNet (www.coastnet.org.uk) and funded through Natural England by the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund. The fund is established by Defra, a government department, to mitigate the various impacts of quarrying activity and to enable communities and wildlife to benefit from related opportunities that arise. This Plan is one of the project’s principle outputs. It sets out a prioritised selection of actions which have been formulated to improve biodiversity and access to footpaths in the vicinity of the Fingringhoe gravel pits, operated by Thames and Colne River Aggregates Ltd. Who’s been involved? The plan has been developed through an inclusive process, involving three mechanisms: • • •
Presentations and discussion with the Parish Council and with landowners Public events, including open evenings at the village hall and nature walks to identify issues and opportunities Expert working group, involving villagers with expert knowledge of wildlife and access issues.
CoastNet, an independent charity, has facilitated the whole process and provided professional support. Statutory agencies have been informed of the project and its objectives. Thames and Colne River Aggregates have provided in‐kind contributions. Implementation The implementation of the plan will fall to a number of organisations. Some actions are the remit of the Public Authorities. Some will be in the hands of specific landowners. Some will be reliant on the determination and energy of village residents. Each action is designed as a stand‐alone task that can be completed independently of other tasks. However, as a whole the action plan identifies a coherent set of biodiversity and access improvements. It is proposed that the Parish Council act as the central information point as to which actions remain outstanding and of highest priority.
Background research Research to identify issues and opportunities for biodiversity and access enhancement involved the following: Public meetings
Villagers discuss priorities at an open meeting and set a challenging brief for public information
Public meetings during the course of the project were advertised to every household in the village and were open to anyone to attend. At each a structured process designed by CoastNet allowed everyone to have a say and to ensure that their opinion and knowledge was recorded. Individual meetings As well as the public meetings, meetings were held individually with the Parish Council, Thames and Colne River Aggregates Ltd, and landowners. Walks/surveys Two ‘Nature walks’ provided the means to engage the community in the survey process to identify both opportunities for biodiversity enhancement, and to identify access issues and opportunities for improvement. They also helped to inform local people about wildlife present in the vicinity of the gravel pits.
Villagers hear about wildlife opportunities in quarries from Essex Wildlife Trust experts
Whilst numbers were relatively small overall (33 first walk, 15 second walk), they drew a good cross section of the community including children, and represented a core of interested people willing to take part in community activity. Walkers carried clipboards and made notes and annotations to the map as a means of collecting information.
Comments regarding the adequacy and quality of signage, and the provision of dog poo bins prompted an audit of existing provision. The results of this survey are recorded in the map below. Waymarking and dog poo bin audit
Communications A project blog has been established and maintained to keep people up‐to‐date as the project has progressed. http://www.coastnet.org.uk/access‐fingringhoe Demonstration actions An important aspect of this project was to show the community what could be achieved through collective action. Demonstration actions concerned the installation of information panels, and two benches (an additional action that was recommended by the community during the process). A challenge was to meet community concerns regarding ‘cluttering’ the countryside. That is, information panels should not be intrusive in the landscape, and benches should be ‘in‐keeping’ with the rural surroundings. CoastNet commissioned designers to work to this brief. CoastNet staff undertook background research into wildlife, archaeology and local history to provide interesting content for the panels.
The panel designs and locations were made available for the community to comment upon during a drop‐in event, before plans were finalised. This yielded additional information for the designers and identified some errors, showing the value of local knowledge and the process designed by CoastNet. Thames and Colne River Aggregates staff undertook to design, fabricate and install the benches, and assemble and install the panel plinths. Annex 1 shows all the panels and benches in place. Expert working group A small working group was established, of village residents and CoastNet staff, to consider in detail the content of the Biodiversity and Access Improvement Plan. The content was developed from the proposals and issues identified in the public meetings and walks, each of which was tested for viability and need. The content of the plan was agreed by the group and written up by CoastNet. It will be presented to the Parish Council for their approval.
The plan
Biodiversity enhancement Ballast Quay Road
The Common land and surrounding scrub (site 3 on proposals map) in the former quarry workings should be surveyed to assess its biodiversity value. Subject to agreement with land owners and managers a management plan should be drawn up to form the basis for an ongoing programme of habitat management. The village school will be invited to take part in planning and implementation, and volunteers will undertake much of the work (Wildlife Trust, BTCV or a village group). Footpath 11 corridor FP11 crosses the former quarry workings and has been planted with native trees to form a vegetated strip between farmed land. Also running alongside is a large dyke, which hosts aquatic vegetation and wildlife. Nearby a topsoil heap from the quarry site has been colonised by badgers. Proposals: Enhance the diversity of the planted corridor (site 5 on proposals map) through appropriate management, as identified in a management plan. The community will be encouraged to take part in this process. The school will be invited to take part in planning and implementation, and volunteers will undertake much of the work (Wildlife Trust, BTCV or a village group). Improve the wetland habitat by excavating part of the dyke into a pond (site 5 on proposals map), according to a planned scheme to maximise aquatic habitat diversity. It is proposed to do this in the vicinity of the topsoil heap (which would remain in place), and be complemented by planting of trees and scrub in this area. Interim planting and land management A number of areas of the site are awaiting further restoration work, which may not be scheduled for some years. It is proposed to prepare and implement a management plan for these sites to maximise their benefit for wildlife. Management will include some selected planting of scrub habitat. A survey will be undertaken to identify appropriate locations, but the south facing slope running east‐west across FP11 would appear to be an excellent candidate (site 4 on proposals map).
Access to biodiversity Some of the wildlife is inaccessible being amongst the quarry workings. The Sand Martins which nest in large numbers is a good example. It may be possible to use modern technology to increase the visibility of these and other species over the internet. The technological hurdles should be investigated and a proposal made. Environmental stewardship Some of the landowners adjacent to the quarry and in the restored areas have entered into Stewardship agreements. These are EU‐funded schemes to encourage landowners to adopt better environmental practices in farming. However, in Fingringhoe the application of this scheme is ad hoc and it is thought that there may be additional benefits to be gained for wildlife and farmers through better coordination. It is proposed to establish an informal group of landowners to share information on their land management and to receive advice in common regarding potential wildlife gains. Future restoration It is recommended that consideration should be given generally by planning authorities and landowners to restoring quarried land to nature areas as an alternative to agricultural land.
Safety enhancement Fingringhoe is a linear settlement, mainly stretched out along a single route. The footpath network around the village converges at a number of points on this route and the road is therefore unavoidably used by pedestrians. There are few sections with pavement. Some years ago a landowner donated land to enable a footpath to be created on the field side of the hedge along one particularly dangerous section of road. It has proven a vital link in the village, and with the increasing volume of traffic in recent years the village have identified other sections of village road that would benefit from a similar approach to improving pedestrian safety between the off road sections of the footpath network. These are shown in the proposals map, the two sections marked 1 being top priority and 2 being of lesser priority. The options for securing footpaths on this agricultural land are: • • •
By donation of a strip of land By purchase of the freehold or a lease on a strip of land. In each case the Parish Council would be an appropriate body to hold title, subject to agreement. By negotiation of a permissive path agreement between the landowner and a public body.
The options for funding such arrangements include grants, compensation payments from a public body, or financial incentives such as the High Level Environmental Stewardship scheme.
This plan acknowledges that it is right that a landowner should make the final decision as to what they do with their land, and it is reasonable to expect compensation for loss of income or capital assets as a result of decisions made for the public benefit.
Footpath and amenity enhancements Improving the footpath network The footpath network is generally good around the village. However, to the south the footpaths skirting the military firing ranges are fragmented and poorly signed. A programme of works should be drawn up in consultation with the landowners to remedy this situation. Site 8 on the proposals map. At the southern end of FP11 it is proposed to replace the existing style with a kissing gate to improve access. Site 6 on the proposals map. To identify opportunities for other users of the rights of way network a survey is proposed regarding the suitability of rights of way for other users (cyclists, the disabled, horse riders). Possible improvements should be considered and consulted upon. ‘Coastal Access’ implementation The Marine and Coastal Access Bill will create new powers and duties regarding access to the coast. The implementation of this policy in estuaries is as yet unclear. Liaison should take place with Natural England to understand whether coastal access will be pursued in Fingringhoe, which encompasses protected habitats, military firing ranges, a nature reserve, a quarry and tidal creeks along its coastal fringe. Amenities and information Information panels – the information panels provided by the Access Fingringhoe project have been well received. Other possible locations are: the hill overlooking Geedon Creeks and Fingringhoe ranges (site 7 on proposals map), south green road, entrance to the Firing Ranges/saltmarshes off South Green Road (site 8 on the proposals map), on the Village Green. Benches – suggestions for additional benches have been made for the south end FP11 (site 6 on the proposals map), a viewpoint on the hill overlooking Geedon Creeks (site 7 on proposals map). An additional dog poo bin will be installed at the southern end of FP11, subject to reaching agreement regarding emptying. Countryside code – the opportunities to learn about the countryside are limited for children. Efforts should be made to engage with the school to help children to learn about wildlife, farming and other countryside activities, and to understand what is responsible behaviour and why it is important. It is proposed to encourage Fingringhoe Primary School to become involved in the implementation of this plan.
Access Fingringhoe Proposals Map
Annex 1 Information panels and benches
End of Brickhouse Lane
South end of FP11
North end of FP11 Centre of FP11, overlooking the quarry workings
Bench overlooking Colne Estuary
Bench overlooking quarry workings and restored land