Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the Federation of Cumbria Commoners held after AGM at 4.30 pm on Friday 2nd March 2012, Newton Rigg

Present: Dave Smith (Chairman), Carl Walters, William Steele, Julia Aglionby, John Rowland, Ernest Coulthard, Duncan Ellwood, Charles Raine, John Jackson and Viv Lewis (Administrator)

Apologies:Harry Hutchinson, Ian Gorst, Marianne Teasdale, Robert Benson, John Atkinson,Joe Relph, Pauline Blair,Andrew Humphries

  1. Previous Minutes: the minutes were agreed.
  1. Chair’s report: given at AGM
  1. Administrators’ Report: will be covered in the agenda items.
  1. Finance report: given at AGM. 2012 membership fees: total invoiced £8,490, received so far £5,400.Majority of individuals have paid their membership fees and about half of the commons associations.
  1. Updates

a)LDNP NIA – 2nd stage application was unsuccessful. One reason given was that there was insufficient consultation of farmers at all stages in the bid writing process.

b)Hill Farming Training Scheme for conservation professionals: The grant application from the Foundation for Common Land was successful. Veronica Waller and the Farmer Network to coordinate delivery of the project. The next stage is to develop the training materials in conjunction with a contractor. Members of the Federation will advise and review all materials

c)Northern Flagship project: co-designing HLS scheme on Caldbeck common – this is moving forward slowly as there is some resistance fromNE staff to work in a collegial way with farmers

d)RSPB – Naddle and Swindale farms: new farm manger has started work and is shadowing Eddie Eastham. Carl and Viv plan to meet him

  1. Commons Council Update

Julia and Viv met with Grant McPhee, Naomi Oakley and Simon Humphries on 11th January. It was clarified that there is no need to go back to the ‘yes’ commons associations and ask them to re-confirm their vote. But the ‘borderline’ commons associations will need to re-vote and demonstrate a substantial majority if they wish to be a founder members of the Commons Council. Viv has written to all the Chairmen of the ‘yes’ commons to inform them of the situation, also suggesting that theymay wish to check with their members that their vote still stands. She has also written to all ‘borderline’ commons associations saying they need to re-vote. Some ‘borderlines’ have already voted – most are saying that they would now prefer to wait and see how the Commons Council develops before they join.

Viv and Julia were given the go- ahead to draft the establishment order. Naomi Oakley said that there will be funding to pay a returning officer when we get to that stage.

Action: Viv and Julia to develop establishment order

  1. Cumbria Grazing Forum – self-monitoring implementation proposal

Dave, Carl, Viv and Will Rawling met with Richard Potts, Ewan Nugent and Tim Nicholson of Natural England on Feb 13th. The self-monitoring project will be piloted on Kinniside common. They are currently negotiating a HLS agreement. The pilot will be divided into 2 stages: 1) secure the agreement, and 2) with Kinnisde commoners and members of the Federation to develop and implement ideas for monitoring. Natural England will contribute £1,000 towards monitoring. The Federation will match this sum from Hadfield Trust funds if needed.

Action: Viv to coordinate and inform about what is going on.

  1. Hosting visits

We have been asked by European Forum for Nature Conservation and Pastoralism to host party of Irish Government staff and NGOs people from 24- 26 May. This is part of a Leonardo exchange visit and we will get paid. They will be staying at Newton Rigg. The visit will be a mixture of presentations and visits to commons. Committee members will help with visits to commons. The details will be finalised nearer the time.

Wels commoners visit: Welsh commoners and National Trust officers from Abergwesyncommon will be visiting from Wednesday 8th August late afternoon - leaving Friday 10th mid-day. Details to be discussed near the time.

Action: Viv to coordinate

  1. Young Commoners – attending gathers

Some young commoners are asking for the opportunity to help out/gain experience of gathering on other commons. We agreed to set up a system linking young commoners with committee members who would host/inform young commoners about when they are gathering.

Action: Viv to set up a system

  1. AOB

Duncan suggested that there should be updates on legal cases relevant to commons in the newsletter.

Action: Viv to research.

We have had no follow-up from the ‘Upland woodland creation visit’ by NE and FC staff.

Action: Viv to ask for report/outcomes from the visit.

  1. Date of next meeting:May 15th , 7.30 pm Threlkeld

Meeting closed at 5.15

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