Hosting theU.K. National Park Societies’ Conference‘National Park Challenges - Past, Present & Future’Friday, 15th November to Sunday, 17th November 2013

to be held at

The Giltar Hotel,9 Esplanade, Tenby,Pembrokeshire,SA70 7DU

www.fpcnp.org.ukRegistered Charity No. 1012091

UK_Park_ Societies_Conference_Layout 1 29/05/2013 08:55 Page 1

www.fpcnp.org.uk

“National Park Challenges – Past, Present & Future”

Invitation & Programme Summary The Friends are delighted to have been entrusted with hosting the ‘U.K. National Park Societies’ Annual Conference

for 2013. We are really excited about the location, the hotel, the field trips and the programme of speakers we have

lined up for you which we are sure you will thoroughly enjoy.

The conference venue, the Giltar Hotel in Tenby, is a wonderful sea front location with uninterrupted stunning views

across the mile-long stretch of South Beach Sands to Caldey Island. The three star hotel has recently been re-

furbished and received the 2012 Certificate of Excellence Award from TripAdvisor. All food is locally sourced

where possible and the owners are doing all they can to accommodate everything we need and make the occasion a

roaring success.

Since we have finally agreed a major conference sponsorship deal with ‘BigBelly Solar Compactor Bins’ and the

hotel itself has also given us an exceptional deal, we are now in a position to offer an ‘all-in’ conference price of

£135.00 per person. This price includes the conference fee, bed, breakfast, & evening meal for both the Friday and

Saturday night (including the Conference Dinner with sponsored pre-dinner drinks and canapes). It also includes a

packed lunch or hot-buffet lunch on Saturday (depending upon which trip you opt for) and hot-buffet lunch on

Sunday. Tea and coffee facilities will also be included throughout.

This is a set price and is dependent upon either singles occupying a single room or two people sharing a double

room. The Giltar has some 50 rooms with a mixture of single, twin and doubles all with ‘en-suite’ facilities. Whilst

we will endeavour to meet your preference, rooms will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis according to

availability. Singles who occupy a double room for whatever reason will be charged a supplement of £22.50 per

night, i.e., £180.00 for the conference. If, at the time of booking, there are no rooms left, we will endeavour to find

alternative accommodation in a nearby Hotel at a similar price, providing there is still space left at the conference.

Due to the smaller number of single rooms, it would help enormously if two friends, who don’t mind sharing, book a

twin room. Do please let us know on the forms (attached) your preferences for rooms, trips & choices at each course

for the two evening menus. In order to avoid disappointment, we strongly advise early booking.

With regard to the programme itself, with all the changes that are taking place, particularly with new legislation

emerging and a new focus on sustainable development and renewable energy in National Parks and AONBs, we feel

“National Park Challenges – Past, Present & Future” is an appropriate conference theme. We also feel that the

impact of some of the proposed changes are so far reaching that we wish to extend the invitation to the conference to

all those who are invited representatives at meetings of CNP in London or CNP Cymru including the National Park

Societies, AONBs and NPAs throughout the U.K.

We sincerely hope you will find the combination of the stunning location, enjoyable field trips, stimulating

presentations and the comfortably relaxed atmosphere of the hotel such, that you will remember your visit to

Pembrokeshire and its wonderful coastal National Park for years to come.

Peter Heard (Chairman, FPCNP)

Conference Sponsors: ‘BigBelly Solar Compactor Bins’

With much appreciated help from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

Arrival Friday, 15th

November – The Giltar Hotel

13.30 hrs (onwards )- Registration

14.15 hrs. Meet outside the Hotel’s front entrance For those early birds who arrive in time and fancy a moderately easy guided walk (led by Steve Drinkwater) along South

Beach to Penally & Hoyle's Mouth Pre-historic Cave.

16.00 – 18.00 hrs. The Bottom Lounge - CNP - National Park Society Chairs & Chief Executives Meeting All Society Chairs, Chief Executives or nominated CNP representatives are welcome to attend.

18.30 hrs. Congregate in the Bar An opportunity for all delegates to renew old acquaintances and informal networking

19.15 hrs. The Main Restaurant Welcome and introduction by Peter Heard, Chairman of the Friends

19.30 hrs. Dinner served

21.15 hrs. Introduction to Guest Speakers, Steve Sutcliffe & Renate Thome - ‘Skokholm – A new Beginning’

22.15 hrs. Bar for a Nightcap & an opportunity to network

Saturday, 16

th November

07.00 – 09.00hrs. Breakfast in the Breakfast Restaurants

09.00 hrs. Assemble in the Main Conference Room

09.15 hrs. Video Welcome from the Minister, John Griffiths AM Following a recent cabinet re-shuffle, John Griffiths AM, (formerly Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development)

now has a new role as Minister for Culture and Sport but retains the role as the Minister responsible for National Parks in

Wales.

Throughout the Conference approx.15 minutes will be allocated for Q & A at the end of each presentation.

09.30 – 10.00 hrs. Polly Groom: Archaeologist with CADW (Ancient Monuments) - ‘Embracing our rich Heritage’

10.15 – 10.45 hrs. Peter Ogden: Chief Executive, CPRW (Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales)

‘Landscapes and seascapes: the framework for looking after our special places’

11.00 – 11.15 hrs. Coffee in the Top Dining Room

11.15 – 11.45 hrs. Jim Wilson & David Archer: Respective Chairs of Brecon Beacons Society & Snowdonia Society

‘Access - Enjoyment for all?’

12.00 – 12.30 hrs. Jonathan Jones: Former Chief Executive of Visit Wales -‘Tourism: a lifeline for National Parks?’

12.45 hrs. Field Trips 3 & 4 Top Dining Room - Collect Packed Lunches & Walking Gear -15 mins. to catch coaches

Saturday Lunchtime and Afternoon Field Trips (See below)

13.00 hrs. Coaches Depart for Field Trips 3 & 4

13.00 – 14.00 hrs. Field Trips 1 & 2 Buffet lunch in Main Bar Area

14.00 hrs. Field Trip 2 Coach Departs 14.00 hrs. Field Trip 1 Departs on Foot - Front Entrance of Hotel

17.00 - 17.30 hrs. Tea & Biscuits available in the hotel

Saturday Evening

18.45 hrs. The Main Bar - Pre-Dinner Reception (Sponsored by Celtic Wines) together with canapes

19.30 hrs. The Main Restaurant - Chairman’s thanks to the conference Sponsors (BigBelly Solar Compactor Bins) and to the PCNPA for their enormous support behind the scenes.

20.15 hrs. Conference Dinner

21.45 hrs. Guest Speaker: Paul Loveluck, CBE - Chair CNP Cymru

20.30 hrs. Bar for a nightcap & an opportunity to network

Sunday 17th

November

07.00 – 09.00hrs Breakfast in the Breakfast Restaurants

09.00 hrs. Assemble in the Main Conference Room

09.15 – 09.45 hrs. Tegryn Jones: Chief Executive PCNPA - ‘Planning for Sustainability in National Parks’

10.00 – 10.30 hrs. Peter Davies: Wales' Commissioner for Sustainable Futures

‘The place of Protected Landscapes in a sustainable Wales’

10.45 – 11.00 hrs. Coffee in the Top Dining Room

11.00 – 11.30 hrs. CNP: Helen Jackson, Ruth Bradshaw & Lisa Bainbridge: ‘National Parks-Future Challenges’

11.45 – 12.40 hrs. Panel of Experts - Chaired By Edward Holdaway: Chair of Friends’ Policy Sub- Committee

Tegryn Jones, Peter Ogden, Peter Davies, Paul Loveluck, Jonathan Jones, & Anne Robinson Quite apart from the opportunities offered throughout the conference in the question & answer sessions, this particular session

is intended for anyone to put any problems or issues causing concern in their own Societies to the panel of experts or to the

conference as a whole.

12.40 hrs. Chairman of the Friends to ask Richard Howells to round up the conference

12.55 hrs. Hand over to the hosts for the 2014 Conference

13.00 hrs. Conference Ends - Hot Buffet lunch in Main Bar Area

Saturday Afternoon Field Trips Trip 1 – Guided Walk around Tenby - Rob Scourfield (NPA) will lead this. A guided walk around the historic medieval walled town of Tenby. The town is a Conservation Area with some 350 listed

buildings and is amongst the largest in any National Park. Because of its huge popularity with tourists (it has three blue flag

beaches) its population expands tenfold in the height of the tourist season, causing its own problems.

Trip 2 – Centre Manager (NPA) will welcome this trip to Carew Castle, and will also guide the trip to Bluestone Carew Castle is one of the few to display its development from Norman fortification to Elizabethan country house. There is a

tidal mill which is the only restored such building in Wales and one of only five tidal mills left in Britain. A major programme

of restoration work has recently been carried out on the castle which won a Prince of Wales Award in 1998. Come and see

some of these improvements before moving on to Bluestone for a tour of this controversial development. Judge for yourself

how you think this development has turned out in practice.

Trip 3 – Coast Path Walk for serious walkers - Ian Meopham (NPA Ranger) will lead this walk For the serious walkers, a walk along a stunning stretch of the coast path around Strumble Head and Carreg Wastad point (Last

Invasion Country). You will have an opportunity to consider the impact of alternative farming techniques on the landscape and

should have the chance to see some seals and seal pups.

Trip 4 – Coach tour and visit to the Invasion Tapestry - (FPCNP will lead this tour) - Tapestry Guide, Mary

Robinson, one of the stitchers) The invasion tapestry is quite remarkable and was created to mark the bi-centenary of the last invasion (by the French) of Great

Britain. We hope that this trip will also embrace a tour to the site of a proposed new marina, Fishguard Fort, the famous Nevern

Celtic Cross, the Bronze-age megalithic burial chamber of Pentre Ifan (c. 4,000 BC) and a scenic tour back over the Preselis.

Tea & Coffee Tea & Coffee will be available on a help yourself basis throughout the conference.

Transport & Parking. There is a train service from Paddington, London to Tenby which is approx. 15 minutes on foot from the Hotel.

The Hotel has its own limited car parking space. Please seek guidance as to where to park upon arrival at the Hotel.

The Friends is an independent voluntary charity committed to help protect, conserve and enhance the Pembrokeshire Coast National

Park for all to enjoy Registered Charity No 1012091