Issue - items at meetings - Call-In of 24 September Environment CMM Decision on Downland Management

(i)           Report of the Director of Strategy & Governance – for consideration by the Cabinet Member (copy attached).

(ii)         Report of the Director of Environment – for information only (copy attached).

(1)         That the Cabinet Member, having taken into account the recommendations of the Environment & Community Safety Overview & Scrutiny Committee and the additional information provided by the Director of Environment, confirms his decision of 24 September 2009 in relation to Cityparks Downland Management.

60.1               The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Strategy & Governance requesting reconsideration of his decision of 24 September 2009 concerning Cityparks Downland Management (for copy see minute book).

60.2               The Cabinet Member stated that the Environment and Community Safety Overview & Scrutiny Committee had requested that the decision to introduce sheep grazing on the council’s chalk grassland be reconsidered. The information report from the Assistant Director of City Services, that accompanied the Call-In report, sought to address the issues raised by scrutiny. The Cabinet Member considered the issues. The first concern was that there was a lack of consultation with local conservation and wildlife groups. The Cabinet Member stated that this had been addressed in paragraph 4.2 of the report. There would be consultation with conservation and wildlife groups, friends groups, residents, users of the sites and ward councillors on the feasibility of sheep grazing for each site. Officers had been asked to establish a consultation process before Christmas. The other concern was that there had been a lack of information in the Cabinet Member Meeting report relating to the cutting and compositing of sites not being grazed, and that there had been a lack of analysis in the report on the impact of the downland mowing policy on a site by site basis. The Cabinet Member stated that this had been addressed in paragraphs 3.14 and 3.16, and in Appendix 2 of the report, where further information had been provided on the implication of moving from conservation mowing, and removal of the grass to sheep grazing, and the consequences where conservation mowing would only take place. The introduction of sheep grazing was a much improved means of managing the chalk grassland. The Cabinet Member stated that having considered the scrutiny report, he was satisfied that the original decision should stand and the decision would not be amended or changed.

60.3               Councillor Mitchell was not at the meeting when this item was considered and so provided the following written comments:

“I thank the officers for producing this report that goes some way to clarifying the council’s approach to the management of the chalk grasslands that are not being grazed. However, I feel that the report does not sufficiently make clear what is meant by ‘conservation mowing’.  It is generally accepted, including by the several wildlife conservation groups in the city, that conservation mowing includes the removal of the cut grasses and this needs to be clarified. 

There is a contradiction at point 3.16 which states that “conservation mowing is to be continued without the collection of cut grass.”

The report is helpful in that it makes reference to a ‘ranking order’ of sites but there is no indication in the report that this has been compiled in consultation with the wildlife groups.  This goes some way, but not nearly far enough, to getting the proper biodiversity management plans for these individual sites that has long been called for.

One of the key recommendations of the scrutiny call-in was for better consultation with the wildlife conservation groups and I made a very strong request for them to be consulted before this report came back before the Cabinet Member.

This request has been ignored and the only mention in the report of consultation with the groups was a meeting back in May 2009.  This is simply not acceptable.

Finally, I see that this report is just for noting and therefore no decision is being taken.  This just serves to further add confusion to this issue and I would urge the Cabinet Member to meet again with representatives from the conservation groups to properly spell out his policies in relation to this important issue.”

60.4               RESOLVED - That, having taken into account the recommendations of the Environment & Community Safety Overview & Scrutiny Committee and the additional information provided by the Director of Environment, the Cabinet Member confirmed his decision of 24 September 2009 in relation to Cityparks Downland Management.