Item No : 5

Date: 29th January 2014

Report: Surrey Hills AONB Draft Business Plan (2014 – 2019)

Written by: Rob Fairbanks

______

Purpose of Report

To report on the activities of the Surrey Hills AONB Unit and advise on the draft Business Plan (2014 – 2019)

Summary

The Surrey Hills Members Advisory Group considered the draft Business Plan at its meeting of 6th January, as reported under Matters Arising. The Plan is very much work in progress and needs to be appraised within the context of the priorities being identified in the new Management Plan; the business planning undertaken by partners; and funding bids that are confirmed annually.

The Strategy

It has been summarised in the consultation AONB Management Plan under Section 3, The Delivery Strategy. In summary, the strategy over the next 5 years is:

·  Surrey Hills AONB Board, as a Joint Committee, working through the AONB Unit, focusing on policy, strategy and fund raising

·  Surrey Hills Society, as a membership charity, focusing on raising public awareness and supporting volunteering

·  Surrey Hills Enterprises, as a Community Interest Company, focusing on building the Surrey Hills brand by working with and for the business community

·  Surrey Hills Trust Fund, as a Fund within the Community Foundation for Surrey, focusing on generating income for projects and a permanent endowment to support the work of the AONB Unit.

Core Funding

The Defra settlement for 14/15 is a 6.25% reduction in this financial year but effectively a stand still settlement for 15/16. This is relatively good news. No advice has been received for 2016/17 onwards. The National Parks will have a reduction of 8% in 14/15 and a similar reduction in 15/16.

The draft Constitution was considered at the AGM in October. It includes a funding formulae based on Defra continuing to contribute up to 75% towards the core staff unit costs and Local Authority Core Members contributing a minimum of 25% and will commit them to support over a five year period. The AONB Board agreed that the reductions in local authority funding should not be assumed. It is therefore proposed that they should align to the contributions from Defra. These figures are set out in the Business Plan on page 9.

AONB Unit Staffing

The Business Plan sets out the funding from Defra for the AONB Unit's core staff that includes the AONB Director, Office Manager, Communications Officer and Planning Adviser. The other posts are referred to as `projects’ which are subject to separate, fixed term funding arrangements. These include the Woodland Adviser, Development Manager, NAAONB Policy Manager, Tourism Coordinator and Senior Administrative Assistant. All the posts are detailed in Table1.

In order to build the capacity of Surrey Hills Enterprises CIC (SHE) and reduce the establishment costs of the AONB Unit over the business plan period, it is recommended that the Woodland Adviser (Sean) and the Development Manager (Carrie) are transferred to Surrey Hills Enterprises. The Development Manager already has a secondment agreement in place. With the Woodland Adviser, there is greater flexibility within SHE to support the work of the INTERREG Wood Hubs project, the Wood Fair, Conference, working with contractors and generating fee paying income work from landowners and grant bodies, eg Forestry Commission.

Regarding the Surrey Hills Marketing Communications Officer (Caroline), this post is considered by Defra to be a `core' position within the AONB Unit. It is important that this post works across the Surrey Hills family and by working more closely with SHE, including sharing some space at Birtley Court, would allow this post to seek additional income to increase its capacity whilst still supporting the AONB Board with its PR and communications work.

Regarding governance and accountability, the Surrey Hills AONB Board would still oversee all the posts through quarterly reporting to the AONB Board. The Surrey Hills personnel would still effectively work as a team but with a new emphasis of working across the family, rather than within the SCC hosted AONB Unit.

Recommendations

The AONB Board is asked to note the draft Business Plan (2014 – 2019) and issues related to staffing

TABLE 1.
Position / Grade / FTE / Contract period Current role / Funding / Review issues
AONB Director.
Rob Fairbanks / S 11 / 1 / To develop and promote policies and organise action to conserve, enhance and manage the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
To develop, secure adoption of and keep under review, and organise and co-ordinate the implementation of a management plan for the Surrey Hills AONB.
To lead a team of staff in a flexible and co-operative approach and to co-ordinate activities with the work of other staff, partners and agencies as appropriate.
To advise and support the Surrey Hills AONB Board and Partnership. / Core funding / Greater lead on external funding and coordination amongst Surrey Hills family and Protected Landscapes
Potential to review contracted hours and recharge time
Planning Adviser
Clive Smith / S9 / 0.4 / To assist in the development and promotion of policies, and organisation of action to conserve, enhance and manage the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
To provide strategic landscape and planning advice to the Surrey Hills AONB Director and Surrey Hills Board in order to support and add value to the landscape and planning functions of the constituent local planning authorities and partner organisations. / Core funding / Opportunity to review hours and appraise charging for planning advice, public inquiries etc
Office Manager,
Denise Furlonger / S8 / 1 / To provide finance and administrative support to the Surrey Hills AONB Board and to the Surrey Hills AONB Unit, and to organise the efficient running of the Surrey Hills office.
To organise and provide appropriate information to the Board, partner organisations and the public. / Core funding / Potential to review contracted hours and recharge time against projects eg. Our Land RDPE
Marketing Communications Officer,
Caroline Price / S8 / 0.3 / To raise awareness, understanding, and enjoyment of the Surrey Hills by all sections of local communities and visitors, through the use of all appropriate media, with particular responsibility for the Surrey Hills website.
Develop clear and appropriate messages about the identity of the Surrey Hills AONB and the Surrey Hills Board. / Core funding / Potential to review contracted hours and recharge time against projects
Working Group and Grants Administrator,
Pennie King / S7 / 0.4 / To support the Working Groups established by the Surrey Hills Board by providing effective administrative support
for projects
To promote, administer and coordinate the delivery of the Sustainable Development Fund through the Working Groups and in consultation with the Surrey Hills AONB Director / Project funded / Potential to review contracted hours and recharge time against projects
Contract period to be kept under review
Woodland Adviser
Sean Harrison / S8 / 1 / To provide specialist woodland management advice to landowners, land managers, and woodland contractors on the appropriate restoration, management and connection of ancient woodlands within the Surrey Hills area.
To promote the professional development of wood fuel production and its associated woodland management in the Surrey Hills area; / Project funded for 2014/15:
Woodland Trust £7.5k, FC grants, INTERREG, other income through consultancy, with SDF balance / Closer working through SHE, but based at Warren Farm
Contract period to be kept under annual review
Development Manager
Carrie White / To be responsible for the administration and coordination of the Surrey Hills Enterprises initiative to inspire and engage with organisations, businesses and communities to utilise the Surrey Hills trademark and to embrace the core values of the brand as part of their business operations.
To assist with the development of a business model that can generate income and will ultimately create a sustainably funded legacy organisation that will maintain and develop the brand in perpetuity. / Core funded project post. Seconded to SHE at Birtley Court / Opportunity to reduce AONB budget support and generate income through projects and grants.
Contract period to be kept under review
Our Land Tourism Project Coordinator,
Sarah Loftus / S9 / 1 / To coordinate the delivery of Phase 2 of Sustainable Tourism in the South East’s Finest Landscape Project as set out in the Business Plan attached to this job profile / Defra RDPE funded until March 2014. In discussions with Defra and partners over 9 month extension related to national roll-out / Terminate contract in March 2014, unless funding to extend contract
Senior Admin Assistant,
Justine Aldous / S4 / 0.3 / Performs a range of administrative duties to support staff as part of the Surrey Hills AONB and regional Tourism Project teams. / Defra RDPE funded. In discussions with Defra and partners over 9 month extension related to national roll-out / Terminate contract in March 2014, unless funding secured to extend contract
National Policy and Development Manager, NAAONB
Richard Clarke / S10 / 1 / To lead on policy and collaboration with the National Association for AONBs / Full cost recover from NAAONB / Secondment agreement in place until March 2015