Roger ThomasCountryside Council for Wales

Devolution, the SEB& an ecosystems approach

Roger Thomas - CCW

1536…….....

….and 415 years later

then in 1964

But are we so different?

Context is similar……

Publicservice

cuts

Globalrecession

Rio +20

.…challenge is the same

• Living within natural limits

and

• Demand for ever-higher standards of living

Response is different

• Natural Resource Planning

• Delivery via a Single Environment Body

Progress towards the SEB

Ecosystems Approach - Principles

EquityConservation

SustainableUse

COBD 2004

The Process

Assessment of ecosystem services (Bridgend CBC)

Major contributing features to ecosystem

goods and service

Availability and quality of data

Soil type (and geology of the area of land)

General, strategic level data readily available

Habitat type General, detailed level data available

Position in the landscape General detailed level data available

What management is being implemented

Some detail available

Current

Potential

Opportunities layers created Ecosystem

service opportunity

Greatest potential for service enhancement

Soil Carbon Degraded peat based soils which are currently managed intensely or degraded bogs soils which are heavily drained

Vegetation Carbon Areas within the woodland network which are not planted

Water Regulation Areas upstream of urban settlements on steep slopes where habitats could be restored to help regulate water (e.g. woodland / heathland and hedges)

Pollination Areas where there is little existing evidence of flowering plants

Recreation Areas 300m from an open space or footpaths where there is a high population density [data is at different scale]

Woodland network Previously wooded land near to existing woodlands

Wetland network Flat areas adjacent to existing wetland or the rivers, on land with less nutrient burden

Grassland network Areas with less of a nutrient burden near existing grassland (eg older pasture which can easily revert)

Heathland network Areas adjacent to existing heathlands that are not too heavily managed and therefore are likely to have an appropriate soil nutrient budget

Current and potential ecosystem services

Using the information…….

Supplementary PlanningGuidance

Site Design Briefs

Natural ResourceManagementPlan

April 2014

AONBs – at the sharp end

• local knowledge

• community engagement

• consensus