MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE BEMBRIDGE AND BRADING DOWN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE HELD AT BRADING TOWN HALL, BRADING, ISLE OF WIGHT ON 23 OCTOBER 2001 COMMENCING AT 10.00 AM
Present :
Mrs M A Jarman - (Chairman) Isle of Wight Council
Mr P D Joyce - Isle of Wight Council
Mr T Peach - Bembridge Parish Council
Mrs M Sullivan - Brading Town Council
Mr P Tuck - Brading Town Council
Also in attendance :
Mr R Edney - Isle of Wight Council - Countryside Section
Miss K Green - Committee Services
1. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
RESOLVED :
THAT Mrs Jarman be Chairman for the ensuing year.
2. MINUTES
RESOLVED :
THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2001 be confirmed.
3. REPORT OF THE COUNTRYSIDE SECTION
Brading Down - Practical Report
The Officer reported that there had been an active summer on the Brading site. As well as Countryside Rangers, volunteers and recuperating Officer Cadets from Sandhurst had been helping with the activities
Members were advised that a tractor had been used to remove cuttings from the car park areas and Nunwell Down. Scrub had been cut back as part of the annual management programme and there had been few public complaints about the site. It was reported the Nunwell side of the down would be worked on through the winter to reduce the scrub cover. The sheep had been returned in late August, but would be removed from the site in March 2002 to allow the flowering plants to set seed. Frank Basford from the Archaeological Centre was due to visit in the spring to complete a more detailed survey of the archaeological remains.
Members were advised that due to the problems experienced when the main road crossing Brading Down was resurfaced in the summer the Countryside Section were now invited to Highways Liaison meetings to limit the likelihood that work would take place without consultation. It was hoped that better communication between departments would prevent further problems arising.
It was reported that a volunteer working day had been arranged to take place on Sunday 28 October 2001 with the Island Conservation Volunteers which would target mainly Sycamore trees on the Nunwell side of Brading Down.
RESOLVED :
THAT the report be noted.
4. BRADING QUARRY AND BUTTERFLY WALK
The transfer of responsibility of the Butterfly Walk from the Council to Brading Town Council would probably be completed in April 2002. It was felt that the Town Council were happy to take on this duty but only if the area was in a suitable condition with only maintenance required. It was felt that some of the walkway hedges needed cutting back and step work needed attention.
It was reported that work in Brading Quarry was progressing very well. The scheme had won funding from the Police Liaison Group and an award from Village Ventures Project. Marianne Sullivan reported the loss of tools from the Brading Quarry site and that the Town Council were considering the installation of a work shed on the site.
RESOLVED :
THAT the report be noted.
5. COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP
The Council Officer reported that the responsibility for Countryside Stewardship had now been passed from MAFF to the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the agreement would last 10 years. There would be a new contact Officer for the Countryside Stewardship Scheme following the departure of Mark Simmons who had originally developed the scheme. A new Isle of Wight Officer had yet to be appointed. An annual programme of scrub clearance had been agreed which would continue the maintenance work completed so far.
RESOLVED :
THAT the report be noted.
6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
It was reported that a camper van had been regularly parked at Brading Down car park and that it should be moved on because the site has signs indicating that no camping or overnight travellers were permitted. Mr Edney said he would ask Peter Greenwood to look in to the matter because he was the Council’s contact for the removal of travellers.
Mrs Jarman highlighted that some of the brown tourist information signs adjacent to the car park on Brading Down had letters missing and asked if they could be replaced. Mr Edney said he would report this to the Highway Department which had responsibility for the Island’s brown tourist signs.
It was agreed that there would be a site visit arranged for next summer 2002. Tony Tutton, Property Manager of the National Trust was willing to guide Members of the Committee on a tour of Bembridge Fort. This would be a follow up visit from the original visit in 2000 when The National Trust proposals were first aired.
In relation to a concern Mrs Clough raised at the last meeting Mr Edney reported that the quarrying of chalk from the northern side of Bembridge Down at Longlands Chalk Pit had been limited and there should only be three more trailer loads taken from the site. The quarry had been reopened to provide material for a cattle track damaged when Southern Water had worked on the pipeline nearby.
Mrs Sullivan informed members that a section of Coastal Footpath between Brading and Sandown had fallen in to the sea making it impossible to complete the walk. Mr Edney replied that he would look in to the matter and report back because the Rights of Way Section controlled the maintenance work on the Islands right’s of way network.
7. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting was time tabled for 14 February 2002 at 10.00am at the Brading Town Hall
It was agreed that the date for the next meeting should be arranged to take place during the half term week in February and all subsequent meetings should commence at 4pm and not 10am
CHAIRMAN