Countryside Team Five Year Work Plan 2016 to 2021; Year 2
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Countryside Team Five Year Work Plan
2016 to 2021; Year 2
Introduction
This five-year work plan updates the actions for Year 2 of 2016 to 2021. It retains existing elements:
familiarises readers with the Team, provides a work schedule in line with the Corporate Plan,
summarises existing work commitments, retains working themes and sub-themes, and a schedule for
the work plan, income generation and external funding applications. It will continue to be reviewed
and adjusted annually.
The Countryside Team comprises the following services:
Conservation Manager
Senior Ecologist and Climate Adaptations Advisor
Ecologist
Rights of Way Officer
Rights of Way and Wardens Assistant
Countryside and Access Projects Officer
Assistant Conservation Officer
Wardens Manager
Four Area Wardens
Three Assistant Area Wardens
Five Estate Wardens (Two seconded to Skills in Action).
The purpose of this Five Year Work Plan is to provide drive and focus for collaborative team
working, for income generation and applying for external grants. It provides focus for some but not
all areas of delivery, focussing on rights of way, access and site management (habitats and species).
Table 1 lists the four focal areas that have guided delivery for the past three years, as well as obligatory
delivery areas. Table 2 lists the Team’s short, medium and long term work priorities, which are
updated from the previous 5 year plan. This is in order to anticipate emerging opportunities and
themes arising from current work and from legislative and policy changes.
Corporate Plan 2017-2018
The Corporate Plan includes two Improvement Priorities of direct relevance to this Work Plan:
Improvement Priority 2: Through effective partnership, facilitation, practical action and
the planning function the National Park’s landscapes and biodiversity will benefit from
broad-scale targeted and promoted conservation projects
What will we do and how will we do it?
Within this Improvement Priority we have identified well-being objectives that cover biodiversity and
landscapes.
Reducing land-based carbon emissions and restoring upland habitats:
o Commence and continue peat restoration projects (grip blocking, bare peat
protection, erosion gulley blocking and upland path construction) in the Black
Mountains (Black Mountains Land Use Partnership), Central Beacons, Great Forest
(Waun Fignen Felen AMP6 Project) and Mynydd Du (Glastir), to achieve biodiversity
conservation and landscape restoration, whilst contributing to the Fforest Fawr
UNESCO Global Geopark Management Plan
Waterfall Country: - Service Level Agreement with NRW
o Implement the SLA, and undertake improvements to Gwaun Hepste Car Park
maintaining and developing links to the local community and its businesses.
1 Black Mountains: - Black Mountains Land Use Partnership Sustainable Management Scheme
o Implement the programme of actions approved by Welsh Government for which we
are the lead partner during this financial year.
Research Programme and Strategic Research Partnerships
o Co-host a joint BBNPA research conference with strategic research partners.
Local Biodiversity Action Plan (Local Nature Recovery Plan)
o With local and regional partners, scope and agree a programme of work setting out
the aims and sources of funding for the Local Nature Recovery Plan.
Improvement Priority 3: Visitors from a wide range of backgrounds will have access to a
sustainably managed range of recreation opportunities
What will we do and how will we do it?
Within this Improvement Priority we have identified a number of well-being objectives that cover
outdoor access and recreation.
Maintaining and improving access to the countryside; best practice in upland and lowland
path surveys, management and restoration:
o Agree revised Rights of Way Delegation Agreements with the 6 Unitary Authorities.
o Use the 2017 Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) grant to deliver a number
of ROWIP projects.
o Commission and implement WG Capital Grant-funded projects: access
improvements at Llyn y Fan Fach and Black Mountains, landscape improvements at
Pont ar Daf, traffic management solutions in Pontneddfechan and modernised P&D
machines at Centres.
o Pending further grant availability from WG, commence ROWIP Review and
development of an integrated access management plan.
Geographically, our site-based commitments continue to be delivered through four Focal Areas
(Table 1).
Delivery of the Corporate Plan Improvement Priorities is influenced heavily by the principles of
sustainable natural resource management (Environment (Wales) Act 2016).
Action: Through delivery of corporate Improvement Priorities, and to
complement the principles of sustainable natural resource management (Section
4 Environment (Wales) Act 2016), the Countryside Team will pursue the cross-
cutting theme of connectivity, with the following sub-themes:
Theme: Connectivity (ecological, physical, intellectual)
Sub-themes:
Improving Experience (of living in, visiting and experiencing the Park)
Habitat focus – Peatland Conservation and Restoration
Survey and Monitoring
Research
Site Management
Marketing (social and economic)
Understanding and Enjoyment
Knowledge-sharing
Training and Capacity Building
Partnerships
Visitor Management.
2Budget cuts have come during an era of increasing policy ambition in Wales, for which additional
delivery capacity is required.
Action: The Countryside Team might submit a further expression of interest to
the RDP Sustainable Management Scheme to support the Park’s Nature Recovery
Partnership.
Income generation for site management and funding priorities relating to the Work Plan are
listed in Table 3.
Organisation change and emerging areas of work
A new Management Team came into effect on 1 May 2017 as part of the restructure introduced
following the development of a new strategic framework focussed around four key work areas and
four critical success factors. Core delivery on site management (landscapes, habitats and species),
access and rights of way, and the Authority’s principal engagement with volunteer teams, critical to
delivery of both Park Purposes and to providing a resilient environment for the Park’s socio-economic
and health well-being will be delivered across the key work areas of Biodiversity, Heritage, Community
Well-Being (which incorporates access and RoW management) and Economy.
Emerging areas of work that ideally will ease pressures on the team include:
Expansion of Waterfall Country (NPT, RCT, Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Fund) to ease
pressure on the existing Project area and build capacity in local communities through an area
partnership
Blending opportunities in Waterfall Country with the Enviroparks S106 projects (benefiting
Blaen Cynon SAC) and with the potential S106 Forest Holidays development on Garwnant
(benefiting Manor Penderyn) – a potential area-based approach.
Maximising opportunities to use earmarked reserves, and grant funding (e.g., WG grants) as
leverage for additional funding, particularly to support project staff to deliver work.
Table 1 The four geographic focal areas for project delivery and obligatory delivery
Focal area Existing commitments
Mynydd Du Delivering service level agreements for six Glastir Advanced Common Land
Schemes
Meithrin Mynydd Partnership
Waun Fignen Felen Management Forum and Welsh Water AMP6 Project
S39 Agreement for warden service on Welsh Water’s Great Forest and
Cribarth land holdings
Llyn y Fan Fach WG Capital Grant project
Waterfall Country Waterfall Country Management Plan
5 year SLA with NRW to retain Gwaun Hepste receipts
Gunpowder Works – Explosive Times HLF Project Phase 2
Waterfall Area Safety Advisory Group
Gorge Walking Codes of Conduct
SWOAPG partnership
Llangasty and Caeau Llangasty and Caeau Ty Mawr Mgmt Plan Implementation
Ty Mawr NRW Partnership Plan for habitat mgmt. April 2017 to March 2018
Finalise tenancy agreement renewals
Black Mountains Black Mountains Land Use Partnership project delivery, pending successful
grant application
Obligatory delivery
Rights of Way Delegated agreements & redefinition thereof:
3Table 1 The four geographic focal areas for project delivery and obligatory delivery
Focal area Existing commitments
Finalise new HoT for delegation agreements with UAs
Definitive Map Modification Orders
Public Path Orders
Path surveys
Path maintenance programme and database mgmt.
Advice to public and colleagues
Rights of Way Improvement Plan Review and successor plan development
ROWIP projects
Countryside and Access Authority
Rights of Way Act Local Access Forum
Delivery of Access and peatland elements of BMLUP SMS
WG Capital grant Site access improvements
(£133,000) Llyn y Fan Fach (£74,900)
New WG Capital
grant??
4Table 2 Short (within year), medium (two to five years) and long duration (over five years) work streams.
Deletions (xxxxx) indicate work completed or removed. The illustrates whether or not the project has
started.
Work Plan Years
Short duration (< 1 year)
Medium duration (2-5 years) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Long duration or repeated annually (> 5 years)
Clydach HEP habitat project delivery
Halfway Cattle Grid
Surface holes/caves risk assessment
Biodiversity sensitivity maps for MoD
Annual Grouse Surveys
Predator control licences
WFF SMS EoI with DCWW
Mynydd Du
Glastir common schemes
WFF AMP6+
Secure new Vols team
Waun Ddu Bog fence
DCWW S39
Meithrin Mynydd
Llyn y Fan Fach Access improvements
Penwyllt Hub
Parks for People HLF
Research (UWTSD)
Repeat lower plants survey
Craig-y-nos CP
NRW SLA
Explosive Times HLF Phase 2
Ecology Support
Woodland mgmt. contract
5Table 2 Short (within year), medium (two to five years) and long duration (over five years) work streams.
Deletions (xxxxx) indicate work completed or removed. The illustrates whether or not the project has
started.
Work Plan Years
Short duration (< 1 year)
Medium duration (2-5 years) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Long duration or repeated annually (> 5 years)
Paths maintenance
Revise tenancy agreements
Site meetings
Llangasty Caeau Ty
Habitat mgmt. (NRW funding)
Mawr
Grazing agreements
Survey and monitoring
Peat protection Grwyne (AMP6)
Hatterrall Predator Control licences
Annual Grouse Surveys
SMS full
Peat Waun Fach
Education and Interpretation
Black Mountains BMLUP
Upland paths
Bracken strategy
Southern scar
Visitor mgmt.
BMGA long project list
Hatterrall burns
Canal tow path
Survey app dev’t
Countryside and
Access contingency planning
Access
Ground truth peat mapping, project dev’t
Miles Without Stiles
6Table 2 Short (within year), medium (two to five years) and long duration (over five years) work streams.
Deletions (xxxxx) indicate work completed or removed. The illustrates whether or not the project has
started.
Work Plan Years
Short duration (< 1 year)
Medium duration (2-5 years) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Long duration or repeated annually (> 5 years)
BMs Upland Volunteers
E & Central Beacons Volunteers
Access and other projects
Upland path surveys
LAF
Blaen y Glyn Visitor Mgmt Plan
RoW Database
Complete Events Mgmt Policy
ROWIP projects
RoW
RoW Finance Review Project
Complete Challenge Events Guide
ROWIP Review and successor plan
Joint Research Conference with universities
Review the LBAP/new Nature Recovery
P’ship
PTY student
PES paper
Glastir Contract Officers training
Other projects Peatland mgmt. decisions guide
NP Ambassadors and Geopark Ambassadors
NRW Focal sites workshops
Glastir woodlands consultations
Wardens and rangers meeting
DCWW biannual liaison
7Table 2 Short (within year), medium (two to five years) and long duration (over five years) work streams.
Deletions (xxxxx) indicate work completed or removed. The illustrates whether or not the project has
started.
Work Plan Years
Short duration (< 1 year)
Medium duration (2-5 years) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Long duration or repeated annually (> 5 years)
Predator Control licences
Challenge Events guide
Removing Trees from Traeth Mawr
Ecosystem services mapping
LBAP EoI SMS consensus (November 2016)
NG pipeline review
AMP7: Brecon Beacons Mega-Catchment
8Table 3 Income generation from site management and external funding needs not yet listed in
support of Work Plan (Table 2). Deletions indicate work completed or removed.
Now
and for Long
Now
next 5 term
years
Income generation for site management
£157,300 WG access grant
Waterfall Country warden service agreement
Glastir Advanced Commons Schemes SLAs
RoW Finance Project
Professional Training Year (in-kind capacity increase)
University field courses (in-kind capacity increase)
AMP6 project Grwyne
AMP6 Project Waun Fignen Felen
£133,000 capital grant
NRW Partnership Fund Llangasty-Caeau Ty Mawr
Llangasty-Caeau Ty Mawr annual rent
HAC Service Level Agreement
External funding needs
Connectivity mapping
Four focal areas capital projects
Usk catchment (WUF idea)
LBAP/Local Nature Partnership collaborations
INNS
ROWIP Review pilot project
Access improvements identified in ROWIP Review
Project officers required for: -
Black Mountains LUP
PES Sponsorship Negotiations
Area Experience Leaders (Wardens)
Small sites (Llangasty, Pen y Crug, Mynydd Illtyd, Trust reserves)
NNRs (with NRW)
Wildlife Sites
Wildlife Ambassadors
Volunteer Teams (e.g., Mynydd Du and Great Forest Upland
Volunteers)
Park Peatlands Restoration
Applied research: -
DURESS scenarios
HNV farm distribution and profiles
High PES potential farms
INNS
Bracken distribution and ecosystem impact
Bracken uses
Landscape and biodiversity impacts of fire
Evidence gaps (WBP)
Biodiversity research strategy (Park’s biogeography)
Research student grant scheme
9Table 3 Income generation from site management and external funding needs not yet listed in
support of Work Plan (Table 2). Deletions indicate work completed or removed.
Now
and for Long
Now
next 5 term
years
Follow up to Donna Carless’s research and ADAS report
Survey and monitoring
GMEP demonstration project
Assistant Ecologist/Participation Science Officer
Collaborative (LBAP) survey and monitoring
Local biodiversity projects: -
Community-led partnerships, place planning and theLBAP/ Local
Nature Partnership
PES pilot project (Peatland Code template)
Capacity building: -
Local contractors
Full time Volunteers Development Officer
Countryside mgmt. traineeships
Ecology traineeships
GIS traineeships
Farming: -
Hill Farming Training Scheme
On-farm working holidays and apprenticeships
On-farm partnerships with other businesses (LAND?)
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