Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the Federation of Cumbria Commoners at 7.30pm on Tuesday 27th May 2014, ThrelkeldVillage Hall

Present: Dave Smith, Carl Walters, Joe Relph, Julia Aglionby, John Rowland, William Steele, Pauline Blair, Jim Campbell andViv Lewis (Administrator)

Apologies:Ernest Coulthard Charles Raine,Ian Gorst, Matt Stephenson, Andrew Humphries, Duncan Ellwood, Harry Hutchinson

Election of officers

  1. Election of Officers by committee members

Non Regional Member: Jim Campbell. Proposed Pauline Blair; seconded William Steele. AGREED

Chairman: Joe Relph. Proposed Dave Smith; seconded Pauline Blair. AGREED

Vice Chairman: Jim Campbell. Proposed Pauline Blair; seconded William Steele. AGREED

Treasurer: Dave Smith. Proposed Carl Walters; seconded John Rowland. AGREED

  1. Appointment of Co-opted and Lancashire and Northumberland Regional members

It was agreed that the Administrator would write to all current co-opted and regional representatives inviting them to continue on the committee.

Committee meeting

  1. Previous Minutes: the minutes were agreed.
  1. Matters arising: None

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  1. Feedback from AGM: Speaker: George Monbiot. Well planned and organised event. Successful and well attended with over 100 people in attendance. FCC’s members and others had the opportunity to listen to, question and perhaps influence a well-known speaker with challenging views on sheep and hill farming. FCC gained some publicity and profile. Discussed the need to continue putting the case for hill farming and commoning using social media, blogs and comments sections in newspaper and agreed that evidence gathering will be part of the work plan for this year.

Action: Viv and Joe to develop a plan of action for evidence gathering

  1. Finance report: Cash in bank £40,345.62. 11 commonshave not yet paid; payment date is often related to when they receive UELS/HLS monies.

Action:Viv will send out reminders.

Uldale common was not sent an invoice due to tensions around the UELS/HLS negotiations. Agree that Uldale commoners will be sent the summer newsletter (though technically not members) and a covering letter reminding them that they are not members and ask them to join.

Action: Viv to consult with their administrator Martin Curry about membership of FCC.

  1. Brief updates:
  2. Private visit by Owen Patterson to Low Hullock Howe (Carl’s farm): provided the opportunity for in-depth discussion on:
  3. moorland payment uplift while very welcome doesn’t quite compensate for loss of UELS;
  4. farm succession provided a live example of a planned farm succession on a tenanted farm;
  5. NELMS urged for caution if considering joint-agreements as a priority for NELMS payments;
  6. National Uplands Outcomes framework is a useful tool and hope that Defra, Natural England, National Parks, AONBs and others will use this framework for work in partnership with farmers and local communities.
  7. RPA inspections: urged not to conduct them during lambing
  8. Grasmere Common: highlighted the issue that the commoners’ application to UELS is being blocked by the owner, Lowther Estate Trust and this is denying them access to much needed money.
  9. Bolton Fell Moss: highlighted farmers’ concerns over compulsory purchase of the moss by Natural England
  10. Favour partial recoupling of farm activity to scheme payments so that people are rewarded for what they do with no payments for the inactive.
  1. Grasmere common: FCC has joined forces with other organisations to ask Defra to revise their rules so that the owners’ signature is not essential for a ULES application. In this case it may be possible to apply for a Conservation Enhancement Scheme (CES) but as payment comes directly from the Treasury a very good case will have to be made. Another sticking point is that NE are asking for a conditional UELS (lower stocking rate that is unacceptable to the commoners) as the common adjoins HelvellynSSSI andthis affect EU Habitat Regulations.
  2. Sale of Blecathracommon – should not affect active commoners as have registered rights
  3. NELMS: a lot of work has gone into trying to commons proof the new scheme with limited success. The committee thanked Julia for all her hard work in this area.
  4. Farm & Forestry Task Force LDNP: Carl and Julia attend and they want more farmers and young farmers to attend. They have been advised that they will have to consider changing the time, venue and content/language and culture of the meetings if they want farmers to attend.
  5. Foundation for Common Land: Julia reported that she is now the part-time Executive Director. Julia to write a short article for the newsletter providing an update of the work of the Foundation
  1. Commons Council: Viv reported that she is working on the Cumbria Proposal to Establish a Common Council.

Action: Viv to complete and send to Grant McPhee before the next NCLSG meeting on June 5th

  1. Update on Implementation Part 1 of Commons Act: No new information. Implementation comes into force in October 2104 but Alyssia Ashurst of Commons Registration Service has had no further information from Defra. Agreed to organise a meeting forChairmen later on in the year when there is more information.
  1. Other priorities for 2014: Agreed to continue attending Farming and Forestry Task Force – LDNP; Cumbria Farming and Rural Network; and NCLSG. It was noted that there hasn’t been a Cumbria Grazing Group meeting recently. Agreed not to hold a meeting for the sake of having meetings but will do so when there are issue to discuss.
  1. Ponies and Birkbeck common. Robert Benson provided an update on the organised round-up of ponies illegally grazing on the common with officials from RPA, Trading Standards, local commoners and a vet in attendance. The owner of the ponies is taking legal action but it is hoped that this issue will be resolved.
  1. Date of next meeting: 16th September 2014 at Threlkeld Village Hall

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