Environment Agency offices, Newcastle
Present:
Andrew Smith (AS) - Chair Government Office North East
Nick Brodin (NB) Regional Biodiversity Coordinator
Caroline Stewart (CS) Northumberland Strategic Partnership
Jim Cokill (JC) Durham Wildlife Trust
Rachel Ford (RF) North East Assembly
Andy Lees (AL) Durham Biodiversity Partnership
Elaine Rigg (ER) Northumberland National Park
Richard Hall (RH) English Nature
Sue Stewart (SS) One NorthEast
Stephen Morley (SM) National Trust
Andrea Shaftoe (ASh) Environment Agency
Angus Collingwood-Cameron (ACC) Country Land and Business Association
Apologies: Stuart Pudney (Northumbrian Water), Terry Coult (Durham County Council)
Also in attendance: Lynn Cuthbert (BBC) for item 3
1 Introductions
AS thanked everyone for their attendance and the Environment Agency for acting as hosts.
2 Minutes of last meeting and matters arising
The minutes of the meeting of 1 June 2006 were agreed.
Matters arising:
L&RSIG minutes and papers have been placed on the Biodiversity Forum website.
NB has still to post the workshop notes from the Annual Conference on the Forum website ACTION NB
RH reported that there was a good response to the request for projects to go into a regional Green Exercise portfolio bid. Projects are currently being assessed and a final portfolio will be created.
The LAA Seminar will be held on 14th November and two training events for planners are in-hand for 2007. NB will circulate the details of the planning events to the RTPI. Loss of the Biodiversity Forum's budget due to the ongoing Defra claw-back of funds has meant that there is no money to pay for catering at any of these events. Group members were asked to investigate whether they could contribute to the costs of this. ACTION ALL
All other action points from the last meeting have been discharged or were addressed during the main business of the meeting.
3 BBC Breathing Places - Presentation by Lynn Cuthbert, BBC Learning Project Manager
Lynn Cuthbert gave a presentation about the BBC's Breathing Places campaign. A copy of the Powerpoint presentation can be downloaded from http://www.nebiodiversity.org.uk/docs/69.ppt
Breathing Places aims to create 50,000 Breathing Places nationally and involve 1 million new people. Big Lottery Fund will be making £4 million available for projects linked to the campaign; applications for this need to be received before Christmas.
The BBC recognises that to date there has been limited engagement with regional partners over Breathing Places and that this has been a weakness. The Group discussed involvement in the campaign and the view was expressed that it would be helpful if the campaign could be influenced by Local BAP priorities.
The Breathing Places website gives information about participating organisations and can be used to promote activities and events. Individual organisations can edit and add content to their own page on the webpage once they are registered as a partner in the campaign. All partners are urged to make the best use of the website that they can to ensure that the region is well represented. ACTION ALL
It was agreed that the Biodiversity Forum should set up a specific Breathing Places sub-group with the aim of allowing partners to coordinate their response to the campaign and to assist the BBC with regional tailoring of Breathing Places. ACTION NB
4 Internal Communications within the North East Biodiversity Forum
[a] NB reported that he had carried out telephone discussions with a small number of Biodiversity Forum members to canvass views about how they felt the Forum was working and whether they were happy with the type of information they were receiving. The main points that came out of these interviews were:
· There is a lack of clarity about what the North East Biodiversity Forum is and what the role of the individual members is
· There is support for the current levels of information sent out. Everyone expressed the view that it is better to get too much information rather than too little. Generally they found the information helpful
· There were mixed messages about whether members thought their interests were adequately represented on the Regional Biodiversity Group. Most people thought their interests probably were adequately represented but couldn't name by whom, while others weren't so sure. Local Authorities in particular weren't clear about who represented them, although in only one case did they think this was a problem.
As a result of these interviews NB recommended the following:
· That new Terms of Reference for Forum members be produced to make clear what Biodiversity Forum is and what membership brings
· Ensure that all Forum members know who represents their interests on the Regional Biodiversity Group
· Produce quarterly bulletin summarising useful information about new developments, funding opportunities etc.
· Make two seats at Regional Biodiversity Group meetings available to wider Forum membership on a revolving basis
· Hold a number of short topic meetings for Biodiversity Forum membership. Suggested initial topics could include: Biodiversity and the Regional Climate Change Action Plan; Biodiversity and Sustainable Development; European Funding Opportunities; Northern Rock Foundation - new programmes and priorities; landscape scale delivery in the North East - an overview of current activity
There was support for these recommendations and it was agreed that they should be implemented. ACTION NB
[b] There was a brief discussion about how well the Regional Biodiversity Group communicates with the Forum members that it represents. There is a need for Group members to act as a communications point for the constituency of members that they represent and to cascade information if necessary. It would also be desirable if Group members could identify a proxy from the members they represent who could attend meetings in their absence.
It was agreed that NB would circulate a list of Biodiversity Forum members (with contact details) and indicate which Group member represents their interests. ACTION NB
5 Planning for 2007 Annual Partnership Conference
It was agreed that the next Annual Partnership conference would have a theme of Data and Monitoring. NB reported that the EYE Project have already agreed in principle to give a presentation about their work. There was discussion about other potential presentations on the day. Possible topics include monitoring of climate change impacts, the habitat mapping work that Northumberland Infonet is undertaking for the Northumberland BAP, and the use of biodiversity data in eco-footprinting. Possible workshop session could be held on data needs for the preparation of Local Authority Strategies and data ownership issues. Any suggestions for talks or workshops should be sent to NB who will produce a draft programme for the day. ACTION ALL
Given the links between the conference theme and data handling it was agreed that it would be desirable to try to involve the North East Information Partnership (NERIP) in the day. AS will talk to Jon Carling of NERIP about this. ACTION AS
The venue for the conference has yet to be decided. No money is available for room hire so the Forum would require a room holding up to seventy people that is available free of charge. All members of the Group were asked to let NB know the details of any suitable venues (plus the dates in March when they are free) by the 22nd September. ACTION ALL
Given the loss of the Biodiversity Forum's budget in the recent Defra claw-back it will not be possible to pay for conference catering without a contribution from the Forum members. Members of the Biodiversity Group were asked to investigate whether their organisation could contribute towards catering costs on the day. ACTION ALL
6 Review of work of Regional Biodiversity Coordinator
A written update on progress of the Regional Biodiversity Coordinator and other relevant regional information was tabled prior to the meeting and is available on the Biodiversity Forum website (www.nebiodiversity.org.uk/docs/65.doc)
RS pointed out that the Inspector's recommendations following the Enquiry in Public for the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) included advocating a holistic ecosystems approach to marine and coastal planning.
SS provided an update on the latest developments with Sustaine and the Integrated Regional Framework (IRF). Following on from recommendations made by the Sustainable Development Commission in their "Next Steps" document it is being proposed that regional sustainability roundtables be restructured as stronger, well resourced and independent bodies. Sustaine is currently reviewing how it works. Defra has written to all Regional Assemblies asking them to say how IRFs will be revised and reported on. It is expected that the IRF will now be reviewed by autumn of 2007
Date of next meeting
4 December 2006 – Environment Agency offices, Newcastle, 10am
Meeting dates for 2007
Wednesday 7th March - EA Offices Newcastle, 10am
Wednesday 6th June - EA Offices Newcastle, 10am
Wednesday 5th September - EA Offices Newcastle, 10am
Wednesday 5th December - EA Offices Newcastle, 10am
Appendix 1 – Summary of Action Points
Individual(s) / Summary of action requiredNB / Post workshop notes from March 2006 Annual Partnership Conference on the Biodiversity Forum website
ALL / Investigate whether their organisation can contribute towards the catering costs of the LAA Seminar and planner training events
ALL / Ensure that the region is well represented among organisations using the Breathing Places website
NB / Organise creation of a Breathing Places sub-group for the Forum
NB / Implement recommendations from 'market research' of Forum members
NB / Circulate list of Biodiversity Forum members and indicate who on the Biodiversity Group represents their interests
ALL / Any suggestions for talks or workshops at 2007 Annual Partnership Conference to NB
AS / To talk to Jon Carling about links between NERIP and the 2007 Annual Partnership Conference
ALL / Let NB have details of any suitable Conference venues by 22 September
ALL / Investigate whether their organisation could contribute towards catering costs of the 2007 Annual Partnership Conference