This paper provides members with a summary update of recent activity of the AONB Partnership staff team and a staffing update.

3.1       Members received the report of the AONB Partnership Manager with a summary update of recent activity of the AONB Partnership staff team and a staffing update.

3.2       The AONB Partnership Manager advised members that the Stiperstones & Corndon Hill Country Landscape Partnership Scheme was progressing well, and took them through the progress to date, outlining the many different activities that had taken place. Members were reminded that further details of the scheme were available on the Landscape Partnership Scheme website www.stiperstonesandcorndon.co.uk. Harriet Carty said that it was an aspiration for Landscape Partnership Schemes that other organisations would focus their projects into that area to boost activity.

3.3       The AONB Partnership Manager advised the meeting that £22,703 had been allocated to nine projects this year through the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF). He informed members that additional funding had been received from the Jean Jackson Charitable Trust and the Millichope Foundation and that this funding, along with the Friends of the Shropshire Hills AONB membership fees, was the only funding for the SDF as there was no Defra funding available as in previous years.

3.4       The AONB Partnership Manager informed members that funding of £216,000 had been secured from WREN for a four year project focussing on Freshwater Pearl Mussel recovery sites, and reduction of sediment in the river through work on runoff pathways and rural sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). He added that the project included a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded research bid working with the University of Worcester to investigate resistance to Phytophthoradisease in alders.

3.5       The AONB Partnership Manager advised that team members had undertaken a case study on the Long Mynd as part of the “Better Outcomes on Upland Commons” project which was led by the Foundation for Common Land. The report arising from this work would be published shortly.

3.6       The AONB Partnership Manager informed members that project planning for the proposed Clee Hill Heritage Project was well advanced but that the stage 1 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund had been delayed to September as there were some issues around whether Shropshire Council would take on the leases for some of the Heritage sites which were still to be resolved.

3.7       The AONB Partnership Manager advised that the Management Board had agreed to take more time to consider the options with regard to setting up a charitable body linked to the AONB. He went on to say that the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) had recently gained charitable status, though it wasn’t anticipated that the Association would be raising money nationally which would come to individual AONBs.

3.8       The AONB Partnership Manager reminded members that in a restructure as a result of budget reductions, the Planning and Landscape Officer post had been made redundant at the end of March and Mike Kelly had moved to the newly created core post of Natural Environment Officer. He informed the meeting that Clare Fildes would be leaving the team to take up a post with Shropshire Council’s Outdoor Recreation Partnerships Team. He added that a further staffing review had taken place as a result of this and it had been decided not to refill the post of Development Officer directly but to create a new post of Sustainable Tourism and Business Officer. This would result in a structure where a number of more senior officers within the team would have responsibility for developing new projects, accessing external funding and managing project staff.

3.9       The Chair paid tribute to the amount of work that the Development Officer had done during her time working for the AONB Partnership. This was echoed by all present.

3.10    Mrs Kidd expressed some concern as to whether the team would have capacity for development of larger projects. The AONB Partnership Manager said that several members of staff had been involved in applying for and gaining project grants. There was not an immediate need now for a very large scale project with the LPS under way, and over time staff could build their experience, with training if necessary. The Chairman commented that there was a strong network for advice, as well as events organised on fund?raising through the NAAONB.

3.11    The Chair thanked the AONB Partnership Manager for his report.