biodiversity and access improvement plan

8/14/2019 Biodiversity and Access Improvement Plan

1/11

AccessFingringhoe

Biodiversityand

Access

Improvement

Plan


2/11

Acknowledgements

ThisprojectwasinstigatedandmanagedbyCoastNet,a

charityworkingincoastalareas.www.coastnet.org.uk

FundingwasprovidedbyNaturalEngland,throughthe

AggregateLevySustainabilityFund,withadditional

fundingfromCoastNet.

InkindcontributionswereprovidedbyThamesand

ColneRiverAggregatesLtdandthepeopleof

Fingringhoe.
http://www.coastnet.org.uk/http://www.coastnet.org.uk/


3/11

Theprocess

AccessFingringhoe

is

aproject

instigated

by

CoastNet

(www.coastnet.org.uk)

and

funded

through

NaturalEnglandbytheAggregateLevySustainabilityFund.ThefundisestablishedbyDefra,a

governmentdepartment,tomitigatethevariousimpactsofquarryingactivityandtoenable

communitiesandwildlifetobenefitfromrelatedopportunitiesthatarise.

ThisPlanisoneoftheprojectsprincipleoutputs.Itsetsoutaprioritisedselectionofactionswhichhave

beenformulatedtoimprovebiodiversityandaccesstofootpathsinthevicinityoftheFingringhoegravel

pits,operatedbyThamesandColneRiverAggregatesLtd.

Whosbeen

involved?

Theplanhasbeendevelopedthroughaninclusiveprocess,involvingthreemechanisms:

PresentationsanddiscussionwiththeParishCouncilandwithlandowners Publicevents,includingopeneveningsatthevillagehallandnaturewalkstoidentifyissuesand

opportunities

Expertworkinggroup,involvingvillagerswithexpertknowledgeofwildlifeandaccessissues.CoastNet,anindependentcharity,hasfacilitatedthewholeprocessandprovidedprofessionalsupport.

Statutoryagencieshavebeeninformedoftheprojectanditsobjectives.ThamesandColneRiver

Aggregateshave

provided

in

kind

contributions.

Implementation

Theimplementationoftheplanwillfalltoanumberoforganisations.Someactionsaretheremitofthe

Public Authorities.Somewillbeinthehandsofspecificlandowners.Somewillbereliantonthe

determinationandenergyofvillageresidents.

Eachactionisdesignedasastandalonetaskthatcanbecompletedindependentlyofothertasks.

However,

as

a

whole

the

action

plan

identifies

a

coherent

set

of

biodiversity

and

access

improvements.

ItisproposedthattheParishCouncilactasthecentralinformationpointastowhichactionsremain

outstandingandofhighestpriority.
http://www.coastnet.org.uk/http://www.coastnet.org.uk/


4/11

Backgroundresearch

Researchtoidentifyissuesandopportunitiesforbiodiversityandaccessenhancementinvolvedthe

following:

Villagersdiscussprioritiesatanopenmeetingandsetachallengingbriefforpublicinformation

Publicmeetings

Publicmeetingsduringthecourseofthe

projectwereadvertisedtoevery

householdinthevillageandwereopento

anyonetoattend.Ateachastructured

processdesignedbyCoastNetallowed

everyonetohaveasayandtoensurethat

theiropinionandknowledgewas

recorded.

Individualmeetings

Aswellasthepublicmeetings,meetings

wereheldindividuallywiththeParish

Council,ThamesandColneRiver

AggregatesLtd,andlandowners.

Walks/surveys

TwoNaturewalksprovidedthemeans

toengagethecommunityinthesurvey

processto

identify

both

opportunities

for

biodiversityenhancement,andtoidentify

accessissuesandopportunitiesfor

improvement.Theyalsohelpedtoinform

localpeopleaboutwildlifepresentinthe

vicinityofthegravelpits.

Whilstnumberswererelativelysmall

overall(33firstwalk,15secondwalk),

theydrewagoodcrosssectionofthe

community

including

children,

and

representedacoreofinterestedpeople

willingtotakepartincommunityactivity.

Walkerscarriedclipboardsandmadenotesandannotationstothemapasameansofcollecting

information.

VillagershearaboutwildlifeopportunitiesinquarriesfromEssexWildlifeTrustexperts


5/11

Commentsregardingtheadequacyandqualityofsignage,andtheprovisionofdogpoobinsprompted

anauditofexistingprovision.Theresultsofthissurveyarerecordedinthemapbelow.

Waymarkinganddogpoobinaudit

Communications

Aprojectbloghasbeenestablishedandmaintainedtokeeppeopleuptodateastheprojecthas

progressed.http://www.coastnet.org.uk/accessfingringhoe

Demonstrationactions

Animportantaspectofthisprojectwastoshowthecommunitywhatcouldbeachievedthrough

collectiveaction.Demonstrationactionsconcernedtheinstallationofinformationpanels,andtwo

benches(anadditionalactionthatwasrecommendedbythecommunityduringtheprocess).

Achallenge

was

to

meet

community

concerns

regarding

cluttering

the

countryside.

That

is,

information

panelsshouldnotbeintrusiveinthelandscape,andbenchesshouldbeinkeepingwiththerural

surroundings.

CoastNetcommissioneddesignerstoworktothisbrief.CoastNetstaffundertookbackgroundresearch

intowildlife,archaeologyandlocalhistorytoprovideinterestingcontentforthepanels.
http://www.coastnet.org.uk/access-fingringhoehttp://www.coastnet.org.uk/access-fingringhoehttp://www.coastnet.org.uk/access-fingringhoehttp://www.coastnet.org.uk/access-fingringhoe


6/11

Thepaneldesignsandlocationsweremadeavailableforthecommunitytocommentuponduringa

dropinevent,beforeplanswerefinalised.Thisyieldedadditionalinformationforthedesignersand

identifiedsomeerrors,showingthevalueoflocalknowledgeandtheprocessdesignedbyCoastNet.

ThamesandColneRiverAggregatesstaffundertooktodesign,fabricateandinstallthebenches,and

assembleand

install

the

panel

plinths.

Annex1showsallthepanelsandbenchesinplace.

Expertworkinggroup

Asmallworkinggroupwasestablished,ofvillageresidentsandCoastNetstaff,toconsiderindetailthe

contentoftheBiodiversityandAccessImprovementPlan.Thecontentwasdevelopedfromthe

proposalsandissuesidentifiedinthepublicmeetingsandwalks,eachofwhichwastestedforviability

andneed.

ThecontentoftheplanwasagreedbythegroupandwrittenupbyCoastNet.Itwillbepresentedtothe

ParishCouncilfortheirapproval.


7/11

Theplan

Biodiversityenhancement

BallastQuayRoad

TheCommonlandandsurroundingscrub(site3onproposalsmap)intheformerquarryworkings

shouldbesurveyedtoassessitsbiodiversityvalue.Subjecttoagreementwithlandownersand

managersamanagementplanshouldbedrawnuptoformthebasisforanongoingprogrammeof

habitatmanagement.Thevillageschoolwillbeinvitedtotakepartinplanningandimplementation,and

volunteerswillundertakemuchofthework(WildlifeTrust,BTCVoravillagegroup).

Footpath11corridor

FP11crossestheformerquarryworkingsandhasbeenplantedwithnativetreestoformavegetated

stripbetweenfarmedland.Alsorunningalongsideisalargedyke,whichhostsaquaticvegetationand

wildlife.Nearbyatopsoilheapfromthequarrysitehasbeencolonisedbybadgers.

Proposals:

Enhancethediversityoftheplantedcorridor(site5onproposalsmap)throughappropriate

management,asidentifiedinamanagementplan.Thecommunitywillbeencouragedtotakepartin

thisprocess.

The

school

will

be

invited

to

take

part

in

planning

and

implementation,

and

volunteers

will

undertakemuchofthework(WildlifeTrust,BTCVoravillagegroup).

Improvethewetlandhabitatbyexcavatingpartofthedykeintoapond(site5onproposalsmap),

accordingtoaplannedschemetomaximiseaquatichabitatdiversity.Itisproposedtodothisinthe

vicinityofthetopsoilheap(whichwouldremaininplace),andbecomplementedbyplantingoftrees

andscrubinthisarea.

Interimplantingandlandmanagement

Anumberofareasofthesiteareawaitingfurtherrestorationwork,whichmaynotbescheduledfor

someyears.Itisproposedtoprepareandimplementamanagementplanforthesesitestomaximise

theirbenefitforwildlife.Managementwillincludesomeselectedplantingofscrubhabitat.Asurveywill

beundertakentoidentifyappropriatelocations,butthesouthfacingsloperunningeastwestacross

FP11wouldappeartobeanexcellentcandidate(site4onproposalsmap).


8/11

Accesstobiodiversity

Someofthewildlifeisinaccessiblebeingamongstthequarryworkings.TheSandMartinswhichnestin

largenumbersisagoodexample.Itmaybepossibletousemoderntechnologytoincreasethevisibility

oftheseandotherspeciesovertheinternet.Thetechnologicalhurdlesshouldbeinvestigatedanda

proposalmade.

Environmentalstewardship

SomeofthelandownersadjacenttothequarryandintherestoredareashaveenteredintoStewardship

agreements.TheseareEUfundedschemestoencouragelandownerstoadoptbetterenvironmental

practicesinfarming.However,inFingringhoetheapplicationofthisschemeisadhocanditisthoughtthattheremaybeadditionalbenefitstobegainedforwildlifeandfarmersthroughbettercoordination.

Itisproposedtoestablishaninformalgroupoflandownerstoshareinformationontheirland

managementandtoreceiveadviceincommonregardingpotentialwildlifegains.

Futurerestoration

Itisrecommendedthatconsiderationshouldbegivengenerallybyplanningauthoritiesandlandowners

torestoringquarriedlandtonatureareasasanalternativetoagriculturalland.

Safetyenhancement

Fingringhoeisalinearsettlement,mainlystretchedoutalongasingleroute.Thefootpathnetwork

aroundthevillageconvergesatanumberofpointsonthisrouteandtheroadisthereforeunavoidably

usedby

pedestrians.

There

are

few

sections

with

pavement.

Someyearsagoalandownerdonatedlandtoenableafootpathtobecreatedonthefieldsideofthe

hedgealongoneparticularlydangeroussectionofroad.Ithasprovenavitallinkinthevillage,andwith

theincreasingvolumeoftrafficinrecentyearsthevillagehaveidentifiedothersectionsofvillageroad

thatwouldbenefitfromasimilarapproachtoimprovingpedestriansafetybetweentheoffroad

sectionsofthefootpathnetwork.

Theseareshownintheproposalsmap,thetwosectionsmarked1beingtoppriorityand2beingof

lesserpriority.Theoptionsforsecuringfootpathsonthisagriculturallandare:

Bydonationofastripofland Bypurchaseofthefreeholdoraleaseonastripofland.IneachcasetheParishCouncilwould

beanappropriatebodytoholdtitle,subjecttoagreement.

Bynegotiationofapermissivepathagreementbetweenthelandownerandapublicbody.Theoptionsforfundingsucharrangementsincludegrants,compensationpaymentsfromapublicbody,

orfinancialincentivessuchastheHighLevelEnvironmentalStewardshipscheme.


9/11

Thisplanacknowledgesthatitisrightthatalandownershouldmakethefinaldecisionastowhattheydowiththeirland,anditisreasonabletoexpectcompensationforlossofincomeorcapitalassetsasaresultofdecisionsmadeforthepublicbenefit.Footpathandamenityenhancements

Improvingthefootpathnetwork

Thefootpathnetworkisgenerallygoodaroundthevillage.However,tothesouththefootpathsskirting

themilitaryfiringrangesarefragmentedandpoorlysigned. Aprogrammeofworksshouldbedrawnup

inconsultationwiththelandownerstoremedythissituation.Site8ontheproposalsmap.

AtthesouthernendofFP11itisproposedtoreplacetheexistingstylewithakissinggatetoimprove

access.Site6ontheproposalsmap.

Toidentifyopportunitiesforotherusersoftherightsofwaynetworkasurveyisproposedregardingthe

suitabilityof

rights

of

way

for

other

users

(cyclists,

the

disabled,

horse

riders).

Possible

improvements

shouldbeconsideredandconsultedupon.

CoastalAccessimplementation

TheMarineandCoastalAccessBillwillcreatenewpowersanddutiesregardingaccesstothecoast.The

implementationofthispolicyinestuariesisasyetunclear.LiaisonshouldtakeplacewithNatural

EnglandtounderstandwhethercoastalaccesswillbepursuedinFingringhoe,whichencompasses

protectedhabitats,militaryfiringranges,anaturereserve,aquarryandtidalcreeksalongitscoastal

fringe.

Amenitiesand

information

InformationpanelstheinformationpanelsprovidedbytheAccessFingringhoeprojecthavebeenwell

received.Otherpossiblelocationsare:thehilloverlookingGeedonCreeksandFingringhoeranges(site7

onproposalsmap),southgreenroad,entrancetotheFiringRanges/saltmarshesoffSouthGreenRoad

(site8ontheproposalsmap),ontheVillageGreen.

BenchessuggestionsforadditionalbencheshavebeenmadeforthesouthendFP11(site6onthe

proposalsmap),aviewpointonthehilloverlookingGeedonCreeks(site7onproposalsmap).

AnadditionaldogpoobinwillbeinstalledatthesouthernendofFP11,subjecttoreachingagreement

regardingemptying.

Countrysidecodetheopportunitiestolearnaboutthecountrysidearelimitedforchildren.Efforts

shouldbemadetoengagewiththeschooltohelpchildrentolearnaboutwildlife,farmingandother

countrysideactivities,andtounderstandwhatisresponsiblebehaviourandwhyitisimportant.Itis

proposedtoencourageFingringhoePrimarySchooltobecomeinvolvedintheimplementationofthis

plan.


10/11

AccessFingringhoeProposalsMap


11/11

Annex1

Informationpanelsandbenches

CentreofFP11,overlookingthe

quarryworkings

NorthendofFP11

Benchoverlookingquarryworkingsand

restoredland

BenchoverlookingColneEstuary

Southend

of

FP11

End

of

Brickhouse

Lane

biodiversity and access improvement plan

Documents