Agenda item

Report of Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture

The Committee considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture regarding a revised future vision for the County Council’s Countryside Estate (schedule 2 to the signed minutes).

In March 2019, Cabinet agreed a two-stage approach for the Countryside Estate; firstly, a review of the countryside service operating model to achieve Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)  savings, and secondly a formal process to explore transferring management to external bodies or to a newly created charitable trust. Alongside this, a range of further measures were proposed to improve financial sustainability.

However, since Cabinet had agreed this approach, various key contextual changes had occurred including the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and urgent need to focus on environmental outcomes such as climate change and nature recovery had prompted a review of the decision. Accordingly, the draft revised vision was now:-

(a)        ‘Management of the estate is retained by Staffordshire County Council. Opportunities to build community capacity and involvement will be developed. Due to the recent increased significance of countryside sites to communities; should interest emerge from local community bodies in increasing their involvement in the management of local / picnic sites, this will be explored as opportunities arise on a local site basis’.

(b)        ‘Expansion of the volunteering offer, including creation of volunteer warden roles in addition to the volunteer task force. This would enable paid staff to focus on strategic duties and support greater involvement by the local community in the delivery of the parks’.

(c)        ‘Car park charges– installation of car parking charges at more car parks across the estate, with the option of an updated parking permit scheme covering multiple sites, providing a more affordable option for regular users. Under existing legislation, costs can be recovered to support provision of facilities and any surplus must be ring fenced for reinvestment in the countryside sites. This has been agreed as part of the Cannock Chase protection proposals and is already successfully operating at two locations on the Chase and at Chasewater Country Park. The approach would be extended to other sites in the county’.

(d)        ‘Cafes, business opportunities and leases – expansion of the current offer and improvement to café facilities, with retail opportunities, to offer improved services for visitors and generate income to support operating costs of the parks. NB these opportunities should be focused on complementing the overall site offer’.

(e)        ‘Rebranding of the service and a ‘friends’ scheme to facilitate public support for operating the sites with updates on activities and benefits to scheme participants such as the annual parking permit, discount vouchers etc’.

(f)         ‘Building on the success of the EU-funded Rural Development Programme for England’s Countryside Explorer project and existing Countryside Stewardship and Section 106 schemes (under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990), further investment through external funding bids for environmental management and infrastructure development’.

(g)        ‘The countryside estate acts as a ‘shop window’ to raise awareness and directly contribute to the Council’s environmental priorities – actively tackling climate change and nature recovery’.

(h)        ‘The service provides a route into environmental work for young people in Staffordshire, offering opportunities through seasonal roles and modern apprenticeships’.

(i)         ‘The estate directly supports physical health, active lifestyles and mental wellbeing through programmes of health walks, dementia trails, enabling more inclusive access and opportunities to increase wellbeing. Creating better links with GP surgeries and other health professionals to benefit the community more proactively’.

In addition, the County Council intended to introduce car park charges on further countryside sites where it was financially viable to do so and for any surplus generated to be reinvested back into the sites.

Although there were no further MTFS savings required over and above those which had already been delivered (£500,000) through adoption of a revised operational model, the proposals sought to secure greater longer-term financial sustainability through cost recovery, income generation and external funding. However, some investment funding might be required to lever opportunities and subject to approval, further work would be undertaken in due course.

During the full and wide-ranging discussion which ensued Members gave detailed scrutiny to the revised Vision asking questions, seeking clarification and raising issues of concern as necessary, including:- (i) the future role of volunteers in the operation of the service; (ii) the scope of the vision in relation to maintenance of the County Council’s Public Rights of Way Network; (iii) secure provision of parking meters on remote sites and; (iv) potential funding opportunities arising from HS2’s High Speed Rail development.

In conclusion, the Committee expressed their support for the revised Vision, in particularly (a) above. They stressed the need to have greater regard for the environment in the future management of the estate and cited potential opportunities for promoting less reliance on cars through the Country Parks offer. However, they noted a lack of specific reference to wildlife and habitats in the revised Vision and asked the Cabinet Member to consider including a suitable mention to re-enforce the work already undertaken by the Authority through the Staffordshire Nature Recovery Declaration.

The Committee also acknowledged the valuable contribution made by volunteers in managing the Countryside Estate and looked forward to an enhanced role for them under the new Vision, as appropriate.

RESOLVED – (a) That the report be received and noted.

(b) That the revised Future Vision for the County Council’s Countryside Estate be supported.

(c) That consideration be given to the inclusion of reference to habitats and wildlife in the Vision to re-enforce the work already undertaken in the Staffordshire Nature Recovery Declaration.

(d) That a further report enabling pre-decision scrutiny of future investment proposals for Staffordshire’s Country Parks be brought to the Committee for consideration, at the appropriate time.