PAPER B

Purpose : For Information

Committee :    BEMBRIDGE AND BRADING DOWN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Date :              14 FEBRUARY 2002

Title :              REPORT OF THE COUNTRYSIDE SECTION ON MANAGEMENT WORK ON BRADING DOWN

REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENT SERVICES

The Foot and Mouth restrictions imposed by MAFF in 2001 resulted in a delay in the processing of paperwork. The successor to MAFF, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ( DEFRA ) have recently agreed that the Countryside Stewardship Agreement for Brading Down should be extended for another 10 years. This is a valuable agreement for the conservation of the site because it ensures that the management continues with no breaks. It is still the aim of the management work to provide an example of chalk downland grazing. This will involve the continued removal of scrub by both contractors and volunteers.

The sheep flock which started grazing in August is still in residence and the grazier has reported few problems.

Signs have been in place on site to enable members of the public to report sheep problems. We have endeavoured to react quickly to telephone messages and the health of the sheep has been monitored by the grazier. The bird nesting season prevents management work taking place later than the end of February and at the time of writing some tractor flail work has still to be completed. The flail was used to cut material on the Nunwell Down side of the main road. The area at the top of Little Jane’s Quarry has been cleared and the clearance of the quarry sides is in hand. Highway work is undertaken through the year but the Adgestone Road clearance is in the February timetable for the cutter.

Rubbish and fly-tipped material is regularly removed from the down and the car which broke the sheep fence on the weekend of 26 January was swiftly removed with the aid of the Countryside Rangers. The driver was exceptionally lucky to have superficial injuries when the car spun over in the accident and came to rest 30 metres inside the fenced boundary. The sheep seemed to be unscathed by the latest accident and the grazier was on the scene very quickly.

Frank Basford from the Archaeological Centre is organising a survey of the lynchets and recommendations for the management of the archaeological remains will follow. The timetable for the production of a new map should mean that the recommendations will be put forward in the summer. DEFRA are keen to see that the conservation work will proceed in tandem with the archaeological improvements.

Contact Point : R E Edney, Countryside Officer Tel: 823890

                                                                                 M J A FISHER

                                                                              Strategic Director

                                                               Corporate and Environment Services