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Enclosure 1

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority – 12 July 2013 1

BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

Telephone: (01874) 624437 Plas y Ffynnon Cambrian Way Brecon Powys LD3 7HP Dear Member A meeting of the BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY will be held in the Main Conference Room, Plas Y Ffynnon, Cambrian Way, Brecon on FRIDAY 12 JULY 2013 at 10.00am when your attendance is requested.

Yours sincerely John Cook

Chief Executive

Fire Evacuation Advice

In the event of a fire, please exit the building via the main staircase, and assemble in the car park at Assembly Point 3

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY FILMS AND WEBCASTS ALL ITS PUBLIC MEETINGS LIVE – YOU CAN VIEW THESE

HERE: - http://www.breconbeacons.public-i.tv/core/

AGENDA

1.0 Correspondence

To receive the attached Schedule of Correspondence and make any recommendations thereon. (Below).

2.0 Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of interest from members relating to items on the agenda. Members’ attention is drawn to the sheet attached to the attendance sheet and the need to record their declarations verbally and in writing, specifying the nature of the interest.

Reports for Information


If Members have declared an interest in an item please ensure that you inform the Chair when you are leaving the room, so that this can be recorded in the minutes.

3.0 Minutes To receive the minutes of the following meetings and to authorise the Chairman to sign them as a correct record:

• National Park Authority – 3 May 2013 (Enclosure 2a) • National Park Authority (EGM) – 11 June 2013 (Enclosure 2b) • Audit and Scrutiny Committee – 19 April 2013 (Enclosure 2c)

• Standards Committee – 12 April 2013 (Enclosure 2d)

• Standards Committee – 1 May 2013 (Enclosure 2e)

4.0 Public Speaking

To give opportunity for members of the public to address the Committee in accordance with the Authority’s Public Speaking Scheme.

5.0 Chairman's Announcements

To receive a verbal report on meetings and events attended by the Chairman since the last meeting of the Authority.

6.0 Chief Executive’s Announcements

To receive a report from the Chief Executive on meetings attended and progress

made on Authority business since the last meeting of the Authority.

7.0 Equality Impact Assessments

To note the Equality Impact Assessments completed for decision reports

(Enclosure 3).

Reports for Decision


SECTION 1: REPORTS FOR DECISION

A. CEO DEPARTMENT

8.0 National Park Management Plan and State of the Park Report: Update

Matt Scanlon

Report to: National Park Authority

Date of meeting: 12 July 2013

Report Title: Management Plan Update Report

Report Author: Matthew Scanlon, Management Plan Officer Purpose of Report: To update members on the progress against National Park

Management Plan priority actions and plans for state of the park

reporting, and seek agreement on proposals for progressing these

two areas of work.

Enclosures Enclosure 4 – Management Plan Timeline

Enclosure 5 – State of Park Report Timeline

Background Papers None

Public Interest Test N/A

Recommendation That Members agree the proposed methodology and

timescale for the management plan review and state of

the park report processes.

8.1 Introduction

This progress report is accompanied by a timeline for the preparation of the National Park Management Plan review. The Management Plan was approved in 2010 and will be reviewed every five years. It is accompanied by a Priority Action document which identifies six themes within which specific actions will be taken forward. Review of actions requires an understanding of progress through discussion with relevant internal and external contacts. This process is underway, and will be evidenced through update reports during the review (see points 5 + 12 in the



accompanying timeline). It will ultimately inform the review of individual chapters of the Management Plan (see points 14 + 15).

8.2 State of the Park Report

The State of the Park Report requires updating and the Management Plan working group remit was extended at the Annual General Meeting on 29 June 2013 to take this forward and also oversee the Management Plan review. The review of the indicators will commence once new indicators have been agreed. Explanatory text will be provided to allow a ‘running commentary’ of each indicator within the State of the Park Report (rather than simply a snapshot of time) and should allow a variety of indicators to be included or excluded. An initial consideration for the working group will be whether the State of the Park Report should be reframed as State of the Park Monitoring and what such a change in emphasis might entail.

8.3 Working group

It was agreed at the Management Plan Steering Group on 1st May that a new working group will be recommended to the Authority at its Annual Meeting on 28th June 2013 and this has been agreed, and will comprise the following members: Cllr G Davies Cllr Mrs A Webb Cllr M Bartlett Cllr J Holmes Prof A Lovell Mr M Buckle Mrs M Underwood A more detailed action plan report will be provided for the new working group which will also state recommendations and remit for the group. The first meeting of the new working group follows this meeting.

8.4 Methodology and context

The current Management Plan was approved relatively recently (July 2010). There are not expected to be any significant changes to the vision, aims and strategic objectives. However, adjustment is likely to be required by the revised Protected Landscapes Policy Statement, the developing concept of an overarching strategic level Management Plan for all protected landscapes (NPAs and AONBs) in Wales with local delivery priorities, Visitor Management Plan and Residents Survey and emerging legislation on Sustainable Development, Environment, Heritage and Planning. Consideration will also need to be given to the use of the Ecosystem Services Approach to the review of the Management Plan and State of the Park Report. As seen on the accompanying timeline, it is proposed that a draft Management Plan will be prepared by October 2014 for consideration by the National Park Authority. This should allow sufficient time for the final draft to go through consultation and be considered by CMT and NPA in time for approval in 2015.



A variety of stakeholders were involved in the consultation on the current Management Plan and will be engaged again after the NPA has approved a draft for consultation in October 2014. It would be useful to inform all stakeholders that we have adopted the 6 outcomes as Corporate Goals. This change in emphasis is a strong statement that the authority is working with and listening to communities and other stakeholders and is prepared to take forward practical suggestions for the good of the park. The Park Plan Officer has taken the lead on the preparation of part two of the Business Improvement Plan for 2012/13 (to be brought before Audit and Scrutiny Committee 2 August) which will allow further strengthening of the connections between the management plan actions, state of the park reporting, corporate objective setting and performance reporting.

Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement Resource requirements are within

current budgets and work plans. The State of the Park report is the Authority’s primary means of assessing its performance, consequently the review of the Management Plan will provide strategic direction for improvements in light of the review of the State of the Park Report.

b) The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012: Procurement of services over £173,934

Not applicable

c) Equality Enclosure 3 d) Human Rights Not applicable at this stage e) Sustainability Appraisal Not applicable at this stage

f) Biodiversity Impact The purpose of the report is to update

Members and seek agreement on the

recommendations for the group. While

agreement of the recommendations in the

report in themself will not have an

impact, it is acknowledged that future

approval of the State of the Park Report

and the National Park Management Plan

will impact on biodiversity. This will most

likely be through specific projects which

have been agreed through high levels aims

and actions which reflect the Authority’s

First Statutory Purpose’



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RECOMMENDATION: That members agree the proposed methodology

and timescale for the management plan review and state of the park

report processes.

9.0 Email/data policy

Paul Funnell

g) Contribution towards mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change

Not applicable at this stage

h) National Park Management Plan Actions

All

i) Background Papers None

j) Which National Park Management theme does the recommendation support?

Theme 1: Managing Park Landscapes to

maximise conservation and public benefits

Theme 2: Conserving and enhancing

biodiversity

Theme 3: Providing everyone with

opportunities for outdoor access and

recreation

Theme 4: Raising awareness and

understanding of the Park

Theme 5: Building and maintaining

sustainable communities, towns and

villages

Theme 6: Sustainable Economic

Development

Report to: National Park Authority Date of meeting: 12 July 2013

Report Title: Access to Email and Data Policy

Report Author: Paul Funnell IT and Systems Manager [email protected] 01874 620459

Purpose of Report: To approve a new policy for inclusion in Signpost

Enclosures Enclosure 6



9.1 Access to Email and Data Policy

It is sometimes necessary to let other officers have full access to a user’s email and/or other data. This could happen for various reasons including job sharing, administrative support, and cover in the event of medium to long term absence e.g. for sickness, sabbatical or maternity leave. The policy covers such situations and the options available to managers to deal with them. It does not cover access to data and emails for performance management or investigatory reasons, the rules governing access to email for these purposes are covered in the main IT User Policy. The policy has been in use as informal guidance for staff and managers for the last two years and has been refined by input from the Staff Management Forum and Corporate Management Team. It is now being brought forward for adoption as a formal policy in order to avoid any potential lack of clarity about the various scenarios and options with regard to email and data access.

Corporate Implications

a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement The policy seeks to make it clearer for all staff what the options and considerations are when the need to share email and data arises.


Not applicable

c) Equality No implications d) Human Rights The policy seeks to strike a balance

between the user’s right to privacy and the Authority’s requirements to conduct its business effectively

e) Sustainability Appraisal No implications f) Biodiversity Impact No implications g) Contribution towards mitigating and

adapting to the effects of climate change

No implications

h) National Park Management Plan No connection


Public Interest Test n/a

Recommendation Members are asked to approve the policy



Actions i) Background Papers None

j) Which National Park Management

theme does the recommendation support?

RECOMMENDATION: Members are asked to approve the policy



10.0 Democratic Services: Conference Attendance and Committee Timetable

10.1 Attendance at UK National Park Societies Conference

Julia Gruffydd

Report to: National Park Authority: 12 July 2013

Report Title:

Attendance at UK National Park Societies Conference

Report Author: Julia Gruffydd (Democratic Services Manager) Tel: 01874 620400 [email protected]

Purpose of Report:

To seek agreement to send one member to the UK National

Park Societies Conference

Enclosures Enclosure 7 – Conference Draft Programme

Background Papers

None

Public Interest Test

Not applicable

Recommendation To authorise Ms C Howell to attend the UK National

Park Societies Conference in Tenby on 15 – 17

November 2013.

10.1.1 Introduction

The UK National Park Societies are holding their annual conference in Tenby this year, hosted by the Friends of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, on 15 – 17 November 2013. The theme of the conference is National Park Challenges – Past, Present and Future, and speakers include the Minister for Culture and Sport, John Griffiths, the Chairman of the Campaign for National Parks (CNP Cymru), Paul Loveluck, the Chairmen of the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia Park Societies, and Peter Davies: Wales' Commissioner for Sustainable Futures. A draft programme is attached at Enclosure 7

10.1.2 Proposals

As the Authority’s representative on CNP Cymru, Ms Carys Howell has requested agreement from the Authority to attend this conference in November. There will be representatives from both Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire Coast National Parks.



The all inclusive cost of the event is £180 plus travel costs. This can be funded from the Members Conference budget.

10.1.3 Conclusion

This Authority has worked very closely with the Brecon Beacons Park Society over

the last few years and the conference will be debating major issues about the challenges facing National Park Authorities in future. CNP Cymru will have a key role in this debate and it would be appropriate for the Authority to send its representative. Ms Howell will be reporting back to the Authority after the event so that the benefits are disseminated to all members.


a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement Can be funded through core budget. The

Authority agreed two years ago that it would focus resources on smaller events and this is a good example of a key event at which the Authority should be represented.


Not applicable

c) Equality Equality screening completed. d) Human Rights CNP Cymru promotes access to

protected landscapes for all people. e) Sustainability Appraisal The delegate will travel as sustainably as

possible to the event f) Biodiversity Impact There will be opportunity to share

knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing National Parks in relation to biodiversity


There will be opportunity to share knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing National Parks in relation to mitigating climate change


The theme of the event cuts across most if not all of the actions.



Supports all themes




biodiversity





recreation





villages


Development

RECOMMENDATION: To authorise Ms C Howell to attend the UK National

Park Societies Conference in Tenby on 15 – 17 November 2013.

10.2 Draft Committee Timetable for 2014

Report to: National Park Authority: 12 July 2013

Report Title: Draft Committee Timetable for 2014

Report Author: Julia Gruffydd (Democratic Services Manager) Tel: 01874 620400 [email protected]

Purpose of Report:

To seek agreement to the draft committee timetable

Enclosures Enclosure 8 – Draft Committee Timetable 2014

Background Papers

None


Not applicable

Recommendation To approve the Committee Timetable for 2014

10.2.1 Introduction

The draft timetable is attached at Enclosure 8 for members’ consideration. This

has been discussed with officers from Powys County Council to avoid any clashes,

and every effort has been made to avoid certain clashes this year with

Monmouthshire County Council licensing meetings, although there may still be

occasional problems which are difficult to avoid with seven constituent authorities.

Members are advised that other meetings such as working groups will be scheduled

in consultation with members on those groups to seek consensus on the most

convenient dates.



Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement The committee timetable is drawn up to

complement the Corporate Business Cycle when key decisions are needed on finance and regulation.


Not applicable

c) Equality Equality screening completed. d) Human Rights No adverse effect e) Sustainability Appraisal Meetings are scheduled on the same day

to reduce journey times f) Biodiversity Impact No direct impact g) Contribution towards mitigating and


No direct impact


Enables any decisions to be made to progress actions



Provides a timetable for decision on all

themes.




biodiversity



recreation





villages


Development

RECOMMENDATION: To approve the Committee Timetable for 2014



SECTION 2: REPORTS FOR INFORMATION

11.0 Visitor Management Plan

NB. While this is an information item it is scheduled earlier on the agenda to allow

subsequent meetings to be held between the consultants and officers


Date of meeting: 12th July 2103

Report Title: Visitor Management Plan

Report Author: Richard Tyler Sustainable Tourism Manager 01874-620405 [email protected]

Purpose of Report: To give background to the presentation to be made at Committee

by Land Use Consultants, our contractor in developing this Plan.

Enclosures None


Public Interest Test None

Recommendation That members discuss the Consultant’s proposals and give

guidance to Officers on the final draft to be presented for decision

at the September National Park Authority meeting

11.1 Introduction

The proposal to develop this Plan emerged from the Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2012 as a means of integrating the National Park’s first and second purpose with the Authority’s duty. Encouraging visitors to enjoy the National Park is clearly fundamental to our work as is supporting those visitors contributing to the local economy but we also have a duty to protect the landscape from damage and visitors can cause that too. Finding mechanisms to manage those processes is key to success.



11.2 COLLABOR8 Extension Funding

We were fortunate to be offered extra finance beyond the end of the COLLABOR8 period. The project value amounted to €150,000 of which 50% is funded by Interreg. We were also fortunate to receive substantial match funding from the Welsh Government’s Targeted Match Fund (TMF). The project as a whole is funding a number of small projects and two major ones, the Branding project and the Visitor Management Plan. Unfortunately the TMF decision was not made until February 2013, despite an application being made in October. This severely constrained the start of these projects and both are being undertaken under considerable time pressure as the deadline to make the claim is mid August, necessitating invoices to be paid by the end of July. Nonetheless they are proving invaluable in their activity.

11.3 Consultants & Steering Group

Following due procurement, Land Use Consultants (LUC) were appointed and a steering group of BBNPA, CCW, FCW (now convened as Natural Resources Wales (NRW)) and the Local Access Forum Chair was formed. This has included the following NPA staff:

• Director of Countryside

• Conservation Manager

• Access Officer

• National Park Management Plan Officer

• Sustainable Tourism Manager

11.4 Consultation

The steering group agreed a substantial consultation process and timetable to conclude the Plan development. The staff and members workshop in March was followed by detailed consultation with the following groups:

• COLLABOR8 clusters

• Tourism Businesses via Brecon Beacons Tourism and the Tourism in Action Conference

• Conservation Land Managers

• Landowners

• Commoners and Graziers

• Community Councils

• NPA staff, especially the wardens and access management staff

• Sustainable Destination Partnership members

• Local Access Forum members



11.5 Presentation

The consultants will present their key findings to the NPA for discussion. These findings will also have been presented to the Sustainable Destination Partnership and the Local Access Forum earlier in the week of the NPA meeting and LUC will be able to report to the NPA on those discussions. It is intended that members should be able to debate the issues raised, enabling LUC to use the remainder of their contract to reflect members initial views in a final consultants’ report. That report will be brought to the Authority’s September meeting for a decision, probably on the basis that the report needs to be debated further outside the Authority before a final decision can be taken at a later meeting.

This process would enable us to make maximum use of the funding in the time available whilst ensuring that as many people as possible can have an input into the Plan. The Plan has many strategic implications for a wide range of key stakeholders and it is essential that we allow as much time as possible for engagement and discussion with them before any final decisions are taken.

11.6 Social Media

Members are reminded that this item will be subject to a structured debate through the use of social media during the meeting itself and in the weeks thereafter. The policy issues raised in this debate will be reported to members before they take their decision on the Plan in September.

Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement The implications will be assessed and

presented at the September meeting b) Equality The implications will be assessed and

presented at the September meeting c) Human Rights The implications will be assessed and

presented at the September meeting d) Sustainability Appraisal The implications will be assessed and

presented at the September meeting e) Biodiversity Impact The implications will be assessed and

presented at the September meeting f) Contribution towards mitigating and


The implications will be assessed and presented at the September meeting

g) National Park Management Plan Actions

This Plan relates to actions under ‘Managing Park Landscapes – Managing Visitor Impacts’ and ‘Sustainable Economic Development – Enabling an Improved Visitor Experience’



h) Background Papers None

i) Which Corporate Goal(s) does the recommendation support?




biodiversity



recreation





villages

Theme 6: Sustainable Economic Development

RECOMMENDATION: That members discuss the Consultant’s proposals and give guidance to officers on the final draft to be presented for decision at the September National Park Authority meeting



SECTION 1: REPORTS FOR DECISION

B. PLANNING, ACCESS AND RIGHTS OF WAY

12.0 Draft Local List for Brecon and Talgarth

Rosie Burton



Report Title: Approval of Local List for Brecon and Talgarth

Report Author: Rosie Burton, Senior Heritage Officer (Building Conservation) [email protected] 01874 620431 Tracy Nettleton, Head of Strategy, Policy and Heritage. [email protected] 01874 620431

Purpose of Report: To report to Members the outcome of the public consultation

relating to the Draft Local List for Brecon and Talgarth and to

seek approval of the Draft list.

Enclosures Enclosure 9 - Copies of consultation responses

Enclosure 10 – Photos of properties where objections have

been received

Enclosure 11 - Draft Local List Brecon and Talgarth

Background Papers Original Draft Local List Brecon and Talgarth

BBNPA Local List Criteria (approved) May 2012)

Local List Visit forms (Talgarth and Brecon)

Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990

Good Practice Guidance for Local Listing (English Heritage

Consultation Document)



Public Interest Test N/A

Recommendation That Members approve the ‘draft’ Local List for Brecon and

Talgarth

12.1 Introduction

It is open to local planning authorities (LPAs) under Section 6.16 Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 to draw up a list of historic locally important buildings, structures, garden etc. The historic environment is an asset of enormous cultural, social, economic and environmental value contributing to and reinforcing our sense of history, place and quality of life. Much of it is not clearly documented or easily accessible. Local lists can help to recognise local distinctiveness and character and to ensure these values are taken into account when changes affecting the historic environment are proposed. Local lists play an important role in celebrating heritage that is valued by the community at the local level in partnership with the National Park Authority (NPA). It enables the gathering of information about the historic environment at a local level, recording it and identifying what is significant about it. 1

Nationally important buildings are Listed and protected in law. Alterations and extensions to these buildings on the whole require Listed Building Consent (LBC) which carefully has to consider the impact of the proposals on the historic character of the building. Sometimes the proposals are not acceptable and consent is refused. Local Lists however are currently non- statutory and place no additional restrictions on buildings on the list over and above normal planning regulations – there is no consenting regime and they are not a means of limiting development options. Local Lists are a record of locally important historic buildings or spaces and we are now in a position to offer constructive advice and guidance on their conservation and proposals for their alteration, which we were not able to do previously.

In May 2012 the Authority approved the Local List Criteria for use in drawing up a list of locally important heritage assets. A National Park volunteer has, together with the Senior Heritage Officer, worked on the project to draw up the list for Talgarth and Brecon using the criteria approved by the NPA.

The Authority approved the ‘draft’ Local List for Brecon and Talgarth on 22nd March 2013.

1 Good Practice Guide for Local Heritage Listing. English Heritage, May 2012



12.2 Public Consultation

A letter was sent out to each property on the list enclosing a leaflet explaining the proposals and inviting owners/occupiers to an exhibition day held in both Brecon and Talgarth. Also each owner/occupier was offered the option of an officer visiting them on site to discuss the scheme. Furthermore, the draft list, the criteria, nomination and comment forms, e-forms and a leaflet were uploaded onto the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority website in order that the public could access the information and contact us in as many ways as possible. The two exhibition days were well attended, particularly in Talgarth. Many people were interested in the proposals and came to discuss their properties and provide information regarding other potential candidates. There were objections received from seven owners and one new nomination in Brecon. There were three objections and two nominations for all the original buildings at the Former Mid Wales Hospital site. There was one general letter of support. All of the objections can be viewed in Enclosure 9

There has been no further comment received from either Brecon or Talgarth Town Councils.

The seven objections from Brecon were from the owners of 24 Camden Place and 9-17 Penpentre, Llanfaes. They all felt that it was a further imposition of planning regulations without any benefit to them. Their opinion has not changed even after it was explained that the Local List was non-statutory and would not introduce any further regulations for homeowners.

The row of houses at Penpentre are of some local historic interest, but have limited architectural value. Given the objection received to their inclusion it is recommended that they are removed from the list. The a photographs can be found in Enclosure 11

The semi-detached property 24 Camden Place is a fine example of that particular period of architecture (Victorian) and as there has been no objection from the other half of the semi it is recommended that the property remain on the list (a photograph can be seen in Enclosure 11).

The three objections from Talgarth property owners were from Barton Willmore regarding the Former Mid Wales Hospital site, Trewalkin Fach and Brooklands in Bell Street.

Barton Willmore’s argument regarding the Former Mid Wales Hospital centres on the assertion that many of the buildings selected for the Local List are in a poor state of repair. However other buildings on the list, are in a more ruinous state, for example Blaenau Isaf in Talgarth. The poor state of repair of a building is not necessarily a good enough reason to exclude them from the list. The original



buildings at the Former Mid Wales Hospital are seen by some as locally historically important and therefore it’s recommended that they remain on the list (Photographs and a site map can be seen in Enclosure 10)

The objection from the owners of Trewalkin Fach is that having considered the issue they would prefer not to be included on the list. Having reviewed the site history of the property, as much rebuilding and remodeling work has recently taken place the architectural merit of the property is questionable and it is recommended that the property in removed from the list.

The owner of Brooklands considers the list is unnecessary as there is already a statutory list for nationally important buildings and that their building has been considerably altered. The building has some interesting architectural features remaining but there have been significant alterations and therefore it is recommended that the building is removed from the list.

There were two requests received to include all the original buildings at the Former Mid Wales Hospital site. From an historical perspective the site is important to Talgarth and its environs.

There was one verbal nomination regarding the walk along the river behind the Mill to Asylum Bridge in Talgarth. This has considerable historic merit and is locally important. It is recommended that it is included on the list.

12.3 Proposals

If members approve the Local List Brecon and Talgarth then a letter will be sent to

all the properties included on the list informing owners/occupiers of the decision.

It is proposed that the List is reviewed every eighteen months so that any changes

can be reflected and the List kept up to date.

A section on protection of and works to Locally Listed buildings will be included in

the Draft Heritage Strategy that will emerge over the next six months.

12.4 Implications

There will be on going staff and volunteer time. Officer time will be monitored to ascertain if there is an increase in advice being sought on proposals for locally listed buildings. Local Lists are non- statutory and no additional controls or restrictions exist over and above normal planning regulations



Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement Finance There is no additional cost to

the Authority for this work

Staffing There will be ongoing staff time

commitment in the Strategy, Policy and

Heritage section from the Head of the

Section, the Senior Building

Conservation Officer and a volunteer.

Improvement The recommendations if

accepted will underline the Authority’s

commitment to sustainable rural

communities and enhancing the built

heritage.


There is no procurement of services for this project

c) Equality Score 5 Low Risk

d) Human Rights It is not considered that there will be any impact on Human Rights

e) Sustainability Appraisal f) Biodiversity Impact This project may have a positive impact

on Biodiversity as important local historic sites that contribute to biodiversity will be recognised


It is not anticipated that the consultation on the ‘Local List for Brecon and Talgarth’ will contribute towards mitigating the effects of climate change.


Managing the historic environment

i) Background Papers Original Draft Local List Brecon and

Talgarth

BBNPA Local List Criteria (approved)

May 2012)

Local List Visit forms (Talgarth and

Brecon)

Planning (Listed Building and

Conservation Area) Act 1990

Good Practice Guidance for Local Listing



(English Heritage , May 2012) j) Which National Park Management

theme does the recommendation support







villages

RECOMMENDATION: That Members approve the Local List for

Brecon and Talgarth

13.0 Draft Local List for Hay and Crickhowell

Rosie Burton

Report to:

National Park Authority Date of meeting: 12th July 2013

Report Title: Draft Local List Crickhowell and Hay on Wye

Report Author: Rosie Burton, Building Conservation Officer, 01874 620433, [email protected]

Purpose of Report:

The purpose of this report is to seek approval by Members of

the Authority to take the draft local list for Brecon and

Talgarth to Public Consultation

Enclosures Enclosure 12 - Draft Local List Crickhowell and Hay on Wye

Background Papers

BBNPA Local List Criteria (approved) May 2012)

Local List Visit forms (Talgarth and Brecon)

Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990

Good Practice Guidance for Local Listing (English Heritage

Consultation Document)


N/A

Recommendation a) That the National Park Authority approves for public consultation the draft local list for Crickhowell and Hay on Wye

b) For a further report to be brought to the Authority in



October 2013 reporting the outcome of the public consultation and to seek approval for the Local List for Crickhowell and Hay on Wye.

13.1 Introduction

It is open to local planning authorities (LPAs) under Section 6.16 Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 to draw up a list of historic locally important buildings, structures, gardens etc. In May 2012 the National Park Authority (NPA) approved the Local List Criteria for use in drawing up a list of locally important heritage assets. National Park volunteers have, together with the Senior Heritage Officer, worked on the project to draw up the list for Crickhowell and Hay on Wye using the criteria approved by the NPA.

The Senior Heritage Officer has visited Hay on Wye Town Council to seek initial input into the draft list. The Town Council kindly worked through the draft list and sort some clarification and made some recommendations. These have been feed into the list. Crickhowell Town Council was provided with 20 cd discs, as requested with the draft list for Crickhowell put on them. No further input has been had from the Town Council regarding the proposals.

13.2 Proposals

It is proposed that if Members of the Authority approve the ‘Draft Local List for

Crickhowell and Hay on Wye’ then a full public consultation will take place over July,

August and September 2013 with a further paper to members in October 2013 to

report the outcome of the consultation.

The public consultation process will involve a letter to all owners/occupiers of the properties that have been proposed for inclusion on the local list, explaining the process and seeking their views on the matter, including a invite to the exhibition day or if inconvenient an option for an officer to go to site and discuss the matter.

Formal consultation will also take place with all interested parties including Historical Societies, Cadw, Town Councils and the relevant archaeological trust.

An exhibition will be held in Crickhowell and Hay on Wye in early September to explain the Local List process and seeking input from the wider community. The draft list and a nomination and comment sheets together with e-forms will be available on the Brecon Beacons National Park website.



13.3 Implications

There will be on going staff and volunteer time and this is built into work programmes.

13.4 Risk

There are no foreseeable risks if this project goes ahead or does not.

13.5 Conclusion

The project is important as it represents the National Park working closely with the community and others to assist in recognizing locally important heritage assets that are valued by the local residents.

Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement Finance There is no additional cost to the

Authority for this work

Staffing There will be ongoing staff time

commitment in the Strategy, Policy and

Heritage section from the Head of the

Section, the Senior Building Conservation

Officer and a volunteer.

Improvement The recommendations if

accepted will underline the Authority’s

commitment to sustainable rural

communities and enhancing the built

heritage.


There is no procurement for this project

c) Equality Score 5 low risk

d) Human Rights It is not anticipated that the consultation of the draft ‘Local List’ for Crickhowell and Hay on Wye will have any impact on the Human Rights Legislation.

e) Sustainability Appraisal This project will have no impact on sustainability



f) Biodiversity Impact This project may have a positive impact on Biodiversity as important local historic sites that contribute to biodiversity will be recognised


It is not anticipated that the consultation on the draft ‘Local List for Crickhowell and Hay on Wye will contribution towards mitigating the effects of climate change.


Managing the historic environment

i) Background Papers BBNPA Local List Criteria (approved) Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 Good Practice Guidance for Local Listing (English Heritage Consultation Document) Various Local Government websites





biodiversity





villages

RECOMMENDATIONS:

a) That the National Park Authority approves for public consultation the draft local list for Crickhowell and Hay on Wye;

b) For a further report to be brought to the NPA in October 2013 reporting

the outcome of the public consultation and to seek approval for the Local List for Crickhowell and Hay on Wye.



SECTION 2: REPORTS FOR INFORMATION

14.0 HR Annual Report

Richard Mears



Report Title: Annual Human Resources & Health & Safety Report

Report Author: Richard Mears, HR Manager, 01874 620425, [email protected]

Purpose of Report: An annual summary of the Authority’s HR and Health & Safety

information and trends

Enclosures Enclosure 13 - HR Annual Review 2012/13


Public Interest Test No.

Recommendation Members are asked to note the contents of the report for

information purposes.

14.1 Introduction

The attached report Enclosure 13 provides an overview of the Authority’s

turnover, sickness, recruitment, learning & development trends for 2012/13 and an

overview of Health & Safety information.

Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and

Improvement Turnover reduced from 6.98% to 12.21% and headcount increased from 128 to 134. Sickness absence increased from 2.81% to 3.3% against an annual target of 3%.

b) Equality None

c) Human Rights None



d) Sustainability Appraisal By offering and a rang of flexible work options the Authority has supported a reduction in employee travel which reduces the Authority’s carbon footprint

e) Biodiversity Impact None f) Contribution towards

mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change

None


None

h) Background Papers None


N/A

RECOMMENDATION: Members to note the content of the annual report.

15.0 Planning Service Consultation Response

Kevin Jones


Date of meeting: 12th July 2013 Report Title:

Planning Services Consultee Satisfaction Survey Results

Report Author: Kevin Jones, Development Control Manager Tel : 01874 620433 E-mail – [email protected]

Purpose of Report: The purpose of this report is to update members on the result of the recent Development Management consultee satisfaction survey which was undertaken with Consultees and Community Councils.

Enclosures Enclosure 14 – Result Graphs

Enclosure 15 - Consultee Survey Results Tables

Enclosure 16 - Summary of comments received

Enclosure 17 - Example of survey

Background Papers

Planning Services Consultee Survey 2013


N/A



Recommendation That Members note the contents of the report and the responses received from Community Councils and other Consultees in relation to the recent Planning Services satisfaction survey which was undertaken on the 20th February 2013 and endorse the minor operational revisions/reviews proposed by Officers.

15.1 Introduction

As part of our work on the “Excellent Planning Service” the Planning Department recently conducted a survey with Community Councils, Statutory and Non-statutory consultees and Unitary Authorities to gauge the perceptions and experiences of our consultees with the aim of helping us further develop our service and understand their individual priorities in relation to Town & Country Planning within the National Park. The undertaking of this survey was detailed in the report to the NPA Committee on the 23rd November 2012.

Members will be aware that the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority planning service already obtains feedback from both applicants and agents on a regular sample survey basis. The following survey results attempt to capture feedback from another sector of stakeholders in the planning process. Members should also note that questions relating to the planning service have also been included within the wider residents’ survey with the aim of gathering further valuable feedback.

The results of this survey alone and in isolation should therefore be viewed with some caution as on its own, it represents only certain sector of stakeholder views of the service. There are regular feedback mechanisms already in place to obtain satisfaction levels for Architects, Agents and Applicants, in addition to any results obtained from the wider residents’ survey. The results from this survey must therefore be taken in the round with these other surveys mentioned and as always in Development Management, an understanding that the Service must operate within a legislative and procedural framework which can dictate many of our actions.

Officers are also not aware of other such surveys undertaken by other Planning Authorities in Wales so unlike data collection on a National level such as that collected by Welsh Government or the Planning Officers Society Wales, there is no direct comparability with other Authorities in terms of the survey results.

The survey questions are reproduced for members’ information in Enclosure 17.

15.2 Methodology

The survey was sent electronically enabling all Community Councils and consultees to either email their surveys back to us or alternatively complete the survey on-line via our web site. Additionally we also sent a copy of the survey by post to Community Councils to enable them to complete the survey by hand if preferred



and to overcome any potential problems with internet connections (an issue identified to us in the past by some Community Councils) within the National Park area.

The survey questions are reproduced for members’ information in Enclosure I7.

This report presents the analysis of the results of targeted questioning of our consultees and community councils and feedback on a range of topics designed to understand how the service provided by the Planning Service is perceived. This information will form part of the work with the Service during the Planning for Excellence Programme. In conjunction with other survey information the results provide information for further discussion between Members and Officers to shape the future planning service with the Statutory Purposes of the National Park and the Authority objectives toward the National Park Management Plan also in mind.

15.3 Return Rates

The following tables detail the return rates for the surveys collectively and also separately.

Total number of surveys and response rates for Consultees, Community

Councils and Local Authorities.

No. of Surveys sent No. of Responses received Response Rate

195

30

15%

The survey can be further divided into Community Councils (CC), Statutory and Non Statutory Consultees (SB) and Unitary Authorities. We have separated out the representations submitted by Local Community Councils within the Park so that we can gauge their local level of satisfaction rather than the more professional view or response from consultees who may be more remote from the National Park.

Number of surveys and response rate for Community Councils


49

14

29%

Number of surveys and response rate for Consultees (including Unitary

Authorities)




146

16

11%

As can be seen from the above tables, 14 responses were received from Community Councils and 16 responses received from consultees. Of the responses received, 13 were received by post, and 17 were submitted electronically, giving a further guide to the increased value of electronic communications.

15.4 The Results

The results obtained from the questions are represented numerically in the tables below in Enclosure 15.

Question 1 asked for the views of the organisation responding as to the importance they placed on various functions or parts of the planning service undertaken. By gauging what parts of the planning service has higher or lower priority to our stakeholders will enable us to consider perhaps more carefully in future what areas of planning we can also give priority to further development or what parts of our service, within the boundaries or requirements of the legislation, we could perhaps do less of in the future and use our resources more effectively. It is important to note that the survey did not ask the respondent to give a rating on the current performance of this Authority in respect of each of these service/task areas , though the additional comments made by a few respondents can be usefull in identifying any concerns.

As can be seen from the results, Community Councils, Consultees and Unitary Authorities all put a high priority on the following functions:- 1. Formal enforcement action by the Authority to rectify a breach of planning

control 2. Ability to view details of planning applications on the internet 3. Ability to access planning information on the internet 4. Contact with the Planning Case Officer

A much lower priority is put on :-

1. Regular Community Council Cluster Group or Consultee liaison meetings and; 2. Formal (charged for) pre-application advice 3. Public Speaking at Planning Committee.

The above result is encouraging in its prioritisation of the enforcement function as this is one of the priority areas of improvement within the Planning Service. The particular response also points to the development of a robust enforcement service which takes formal action to resolve breaches of planning control as of high importance. In this, the Service has over the last ten months again been serving a number of formal actions in terms of serving Enforcement notices, planning



contravention notices, Breach of condition notices, Prosecution and even Direct Action to resolve a breach of control. Also of high priority are the provision of electronic planning services enabling access to planning services and application details on-line. Our planning service fairs well in comparison with other LPA’s in terms of the electronic offer and the ease of online applications is contributory to the planning excellence measure of application submissions via the portal. The system is under regular improvement in terms of the content available and Officers are also looking towards possible improvements in terms of ability to make electronic payments in future. Whilst none of the functions carried out by the Service scored less than an average 2.5 (on a scoring of 1 being least important and 5 being most important) it is surprising that facilities such as public speaking at committee and regular liaison group meetings should have produced the low total scores they have. However, when looking at the difference in response between community councils and other consultees, the survey reveals community councils place higher value on such service attributes as public speaking at committee, web casting service and regular liaison contact than do other consultees in the planning process.

The low score for the charged for pre-app service is not surprising for this group of stakeholders in the service as it is something targeted directly at applicants or agents. With regard to issues such as contact with the planning case officer, this is seen as highly important by respondents and in the additional comments, 2 of respondents highlight some concerns in this area. The current system of Planning Customer Service Officer contact being the first point of contact has been established as a successful way of enabling Case Officers the time to progress their cases. Other technical issues in terms of physical constraints of the office in terms of the number of individual phone lines or meeting space also impacts on the access to individual case officers. Most queries in relation to information /interpretation requests on planning applications are successfully handled in most instances by the Customer Service Advisors as an efficient and effective means of the Service dealing with enquiries. In terms of physical barriers to access, Officers have recently been issued individual work mobile phones for site safety/lone working reasons and as a replacement for aging digital cameras which should also improve access opportunities. Question 2 on the survey relates to the satisfaction of the Service in terms of the planning applications process relative to a consultee interaction to that process. The result can be seen in the table in Enclosure15 and the 2nd graph in Enclosure 14. Consultees were asked if they were satisfied with the way in which their comments were summarised within Officer reports; How satisfied they were that the BBNPA had then shown consideration of the comments made and how satisfied they were in terms of customer experience of the contact they have had with BBNPA Planning Service within the last 12 months. Finally, consultees were asked to give an overall service satisfaction score to the Brecon Beacons National Park Planning Service. Customer service was given the highest score by all three (Community Councils, Consultees and Unitary Authorities) groups, ranging from an acceptable standard of



service to very satisfied with the customer service provided. From the perspective of their individual organisations they were asked to rate the planning service operated by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority overall. In terms of the overall satisfaction with the service, the lowest score given by Community Councils at 2.9 (3 being Acceptable) and Unitary Authorities. Other Consultees however, rated the overall service at 4 (4 being Satisfied). Question 5 responses have also been grouped with this table as again this question asked for satisfaction levels from those questioned in terms of their satisfaction with deadlines set for response times to consultations. Question 5 was carefully worded to inform the respondent that the Planning Service had to operate with reference to the legislative and procedural framework giving an indication that, traditionally, BBNPA Planning service gave consultees slightly longer time periods in which to respond than the Regulations required us to do. Unitary Authorities seem least happy to respond within timescales (scoring only 2.6) and in general, this would correlate with Planning Case Officers experiences of obtaining slow consultation responses from some of our constituent unitary authorities (eg. Highways, Environmental Health, Housing, Education). There is little the National Park Authority can do in terms of extending standard consultation deadlines further, as such consultation periods affect overall planning performance in terms of the percentage of applications processed within 8 weeks. Electronic consultation is already available to all Unitary consultees to aid in the process speed and efficiency but it is also clear from the additional comments received that the respondents to the survey have been the Planning sections of the Unitary Authority and it is unclear if the response to all questions is from just the planning perspective or from the Authority as a whole. The situation in terms consultee response performance within the planning process could be monitored regularly to identify any particular consultee blockages in future.

Within the results reported in the graph and table, there is a clear difference between the group scores with higher rating in all instances coming from the consultee group. Officers would advance that this may be due to factors such as the nature of these consultees (including groups such as CADW, Environment Agency and CCW, Welsh Water etc) may be better set up in their ability to respond to consultation as part and parcel of their operations. Officers would also surmise that their scores may also be a little higher as being national organisations, they will be in position to compare the interactions and service qualities of the National Park with other Services they deal with on a regular basis. Question 3 asked about the consultee organisations’ level of confidence in the Authority that its Service is implementing policy appropriately and operating within the rules and guidance set down in legislation and national planning policy. Again, consultees having a wider overview of the service rate us highly at 4.1 whilst Community Councils and Unitary Authorities rate us much lower at 2.6 and 2.8 respectively. Officers consider more work needs to be done with the Community Councils in terms of training and developing an understanding of the planning system in which we must operate and the way in which we make decisions. This is echoed by work carried out by WG in November 2012 on public perceptions of the



planning process which gave account of poor perceptions and lack of understanding of Planning services in Wales generally. Question 4 of the survey asked specifically in terms of the planning excellence measures developed by Officers, the appropriateness of each of the measures in defining the ‘excellent planning service’. Remembering that the current survey results come from selected parts of the Planning Service Customer Base, Consultees, Unitary Authorities and Community Councils, the above graph below (3 and 4 Planning Excellence) reveals the results of the individual questions on the appropriateness of the excellence measures. The key measures or indicators of the service have been rated by Consultees, Unitary Authorities and Community Councils below, point 1 being rated as the most appropriate and 7 being the least appropriate:-

1. The ability to access the Planning Service electronically e.g. through the ability to submit applications on-line or view application details

2. Added value through delivering a formal pre-application advice process or by negotiated improvements to proposed development during the course of an application

3. Added value through negotiation of S106 Legal Agreements as part of planning decisions to mitigate for the effects of development or provide community gain where appropriate

4. Quality of decision making through the successful defense of the Authority Decision at Planning Appeal

5. Community Engagement and participation through offering training, attendance at public meetings and engagements by planning staff

6. Regular survey to determine direct customer (applicants and agents) satisfaction and confidence in the service provided

7. Speed of determining planning applications (NB the BBNPA has set itself a target of 70% of all applications determined within 8 weeks)

None of the measures put forward were viewed as inappropriate to use as measures of the excellent planning service. Overall Community Councils, Consultees and Unitary Authorities indicate ability to access the Planning Service electronically as the most appropriate measure. Officers may give further consideration in future to developing additional measures to cover our electronic services in future as at present, the current measure focuses largely upon the submission of electronic applications via the planning portal, a measure which is in large part outside of the Authority control. Amongst this stake holder group as a whole, the speed of determining applications (an established key Government performance measure of Service for many years) is the least appropriate measure of an excellent planning service overall, though in separating the results into the sub-groups, Community Councils rated this highly in terms of appropriateness for the measure.. Regular engagement through the amount of training events, liaison meetings and other public meetings in terms of proactive planning approach to communicating our service scored highly here in terms of



appropriateness from Community Councils and Consultees as did notions developed of Added Value of the Planning Service and community gains through the Section 106 process. The individual results can be seen in the graph in Enclosure 14 and tables in Enclosure 15.. Questions 2, 4, and 5 also gave opportunity for additional comments to be made by respondents. A table containing the comments made and a summary of the key comments is given at Enclosure 16.

15.5 Conclusion

In conclusion, the survey represents an attempt for the first time in the planning service to obtain feedback from a critical stakeholder group within the planning process. The data recovered will in future inform Officers and Members in decisions as to targeting development of certain aspects of our service and if the survey is refined and repeated periodically, could form a base line for measuring an improved service. However, the survey limitations (in terms of this being only one stakeholder group) should be kept in mind in proposing changes to the service and further information from the wider all park residents survey and the periodic applicants/agents survey need to be looked at also so that rounded view of feedback is obtained. In response to the survey, there are some small scale changes Officers are considering which should be without impact to the wider service;

• Review the options for improving contact with officers, and the ways of managing expectations of consultees and community councils having ready access to officers

when available.

• Further Planning training sessions for Community Councils. As an excellence measure, Officers already have follow-up cluster group training sessions

timetabled to commence on the 18th July.

• Review and Improve planning web pages to ensure they are user friendly, up to date and contain full and useful information. Work has commenced on the review

of the Enforcement web pages which should be complete by end of Q2.

• Investigate other options for taking payments online. Work has begun on this by

the Customer Services Supervisor in conjunction with Finance Officers looking at

the likes of ‘paypal’

• Consider refining and repeating the survey, perhaps on 3 year intervals.



Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and

Improvement Finance There is no additional cost to the Authority for this work

Staffing There will be ongoing staff time commitment in the Planning Services Department.

Improvement The results of the surveys will underline the Authorities commitment to Planning Excellence.


Not applicable.

c) Human Rights It is not anticipated that the consultee survey will have any impact on the Human Rights Legislation.

d) Sustainability Appraisal It is not anticipated that the consultee survey will have any impact on Sustainability.

e) Biodiversity Impact It is not anticipated that the consultee survey will have any impact on Biodiversity.

f) Contribution towards mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change

It is not anticipated that the consultee survey will have any impact on Climate Change


h) Background Papers Planning Services Consultee Survey 2013 i) Which Corporate

Goal(s) does the recommendation support?

1. Theme 4: Raising awareness and understanding of the

Park

Theme 5: Building and maintaining sustainable

communities, towns and villages

RECOMMENDATION: That Members note the contents of the report and the responses received from Community Councils and other Consultees in relation to the recent Planning Services Consultee survey which was undertaken on the 20th February 2013 and endorse the minor operational revisions/reviews proposed by Officers .



16.0 Countryside & Land Management Year End Performance Report

Julian Atkins

Report to: National Park Authority Date of meeting: 12th July, 2012

Report Title: Countryside & Land Management Year End Performance

Report

Report Author: Julian Atkins Director of Countryside & Land Management [email protected]

Purpose of Report:

1. To provide members of the Authority with an overview of the Countryside and Land Management Directorate’s performance for the year 2012-13.

Enclosures Enclosure 18 – Year End Performance

Background Papers

Corporate Goals, Annual Objectives, and Improvement Objectives for 2012/13 National Park Management Plan


Not applicable

Recommendations That Members note the Directorate’s performance for

2012-13.

16.1 Background

Members will be aware that the Director of Countryside & Land Management introduced a Year End Performance Report for the Directorate last year which was reported to Audit & Scrutiny Committee on July 13th, 2012. The report presented here summarises the key performance achievements and issues across what is a very broad spectrum of activities undertaken by the Countryside and Land Management Directorate during 2012-13 but rather than reporting to ASC it is felt more appropriate to present the report to the NPA so that all Members are informed of the Directorate’s activities and progress.



Given the breadth and geographic spread of work undertaken by teams within the Directorate it is not possible to report on everything achieved but the information reported here seeks to present as comprehensive a picture as possible.

16.2 Service Priorities

Park Authority Purposes and Duty

The Countryside & Land Management Directorate delivers on both the First and

Second Purposes and also the Duty of the National Park Authority regarding socio-

economic well being:

First Purpose: The Directorate undertakes numerous practical conservation and

access-related activities and works to improve people’s understanding of the concept

of a National Park, the qualities that make the Brecon Beacons special, and how

those special qualities need to be conserved and enhanced.

Second Purpose: Through its sustainable tourism work, access and recreation

activity, and education service, the Directorate promotes understanding and

enjoyment by connecting people to the landscape and communities that are the

National Park.

Duty: Through projects such as Collabor8, Rural Alliances, MOSAIC, and Crossing

Park Boundaries and well as through administration of the Sustainable Development

Fund, the Directorate supports socio-economic well-being and also delivers services

to improve social inclusion and community resilience.

NPMP Priority Actions

The Directorate also delivers and supports the NPMP Priority Actions through

direct action and through the delivery of a number of Plans and Strategies (and the

priorities listed therein). Key Plans and Strategies for the Directorate are:

Local Biodiversity Action Plan

Rights of Way Improvement Plan

Waterfalls Management Plan

Geopark Management Plan

Visitor Management Plan (in development)

Sustainable Tourism Strategy

Community Engagement Strategy

Education Strategy

Social Inclusion & Child Poverty Strategy



The Directorate delivers against all six National Park Management Plan Themes as

listed below:

1. Managing Park Landscapes to Maximise Conservation and Public Benefits 2. Conserving and Enhancing Biodiversity 3. Providing Everyone with Opportunities for Outdoor Access and Recreation 4. Raising Awareness and Understanding of the Park 5. Building and Maintaining Sustainable Communities, Towns and Villages 6. Sustainable Economic Development

Corporate Goals and Objectives

Members will be aware that the Authority’s Corporate Goals and Objectives for

have been changed for 2013-14 but in 2012-13 they remained aligned to the previous

Corporate Goals which were organised around: Taking Care of Planning, Taking

Care of Business, Taking Care of the Environment, and Taking Care of People. This

Year End Report is therefore structured around these four Goals.

The Directorate contributes directly to two of four corporate goals and also

provides specialist support to the Planning function under Taking Care of Planning.

For 2012-13 the key Corporate Objectives were as follows (with Improvement

Objectives highlighted in Bold):

Taking Care of Environment

• The National Park’s ecosystems will benefit from broad-scale and targeted

conservation works

• Biodiversity is conserved and enhanced through public engagement, practical action and planning advice

• A sustainably managed range of access opportunities will be available

Taking Care of People

• The principles of sustainable development are increasingly embedded in the economic activity of the National Park.



• Communities are inspired by and recognise the benefits of where

they live

• People benefit from the special qualities of the National Park

16.3 Service Delivery

The Directorate delivers a number of key work packages:

• Delivering a wide range of activities and events across the National Park and at our key centres (National Park Visitor Centre and Craig y Nos)

• Maintaining the public rights of way network

• Undertaking conservation and land management work in response to visitor pressures, historic events, and emerging climate change pressures, especially at key sites such as Waterfalls Country and in the Uplands.

• Administering the Sustainable Development Fund

• Community Engagement and capacity building through MOSAIC, Crossing Park Boundaries, the Community Council Charter, and Fforest Fawr Geopark

• SustainableTourism Development work through Collabor8, Rural Alliances, and Fforest Fawr Geopark

• Sustainable Transport provision through the seasonal “Beacons Bus” services and the Visitor Transport Initiative

• Providing a first class education and interpretation service for schools groups and members of the public.

• Improving community resilience through support for organisations such as The Green Valleys and other partners.

• Pursuing opportunities for renewable energy generation on NPA land.

• Co-ordination of Volunteering Opportunities

Strategic Direction: In 2011-12 the Directorate restructure was a key area of work, approved by Members in December 2011 and completed, in terms of the key changes, on time by April 1st, 2012. The restructure responded to the clear steer from Members, reinforced by feedback

from Future Directions Forum and the Joint Area Advisory Fora, which set the

Strategic Direction for the Directorate for the foreseeable future.



The Directorate is now working to ensure that:

1) There is a stronger focus on practical Conservation and Park Management

activity across the Park;

2) The Authority can maximize its effectiveness in working with the Park’s

Communities; and

3) Commercial opportunities and income generation potential are being fully

pursued

16.4 Service Performance

Enclosure18. sets out the performance measures which will be of most interest to

Members and notes are provided to clarify certain measures where these do not

appear to be comparable to the same figures for 2011/12. The information is

presented under logical headings in so far as possible but it is important to note that

the teams and individuals within the Directorate frequently work on a project by

project basis across the department.

The enclosure also includes narrative on the key achievements for the year and this

provides a better feel for the diverse and detailed work of the Directorate as a

whole.

16.5 Performance Issues/Exceptions

2012/13 represented the first full year of operation for the revised Directorate and the new Directorate Management Team. It proved a challenging year for our Visitor Centres in particular and on a bare analysis of quantifiable performance measures represented a mixed year in terms of performance improvement. Crudely, 8 of the measures presented were an improvement on 2011/12 and 7 were not, while 3 are new for 2012/13. However, some of the measures which did not improve, such as:

• Beacons Bus Passenger numbers (Measure 1 under Sustainable Tourism)

• The Ratio of Match Funding under SDF (Measure 1 under Sustainable Communities)

• Fforest Fawr Geopark Event Participants (Measure 4 under Sustainable Tourism)

• The number of Public Path Orders made/confirmed (Measures 3 & 4 under Conservation)

are subject to factors outside the direct control of staff in terms of, for example: the poor summer weather when Beacons Bus was operating; the ability of aspirant projects for SDF funding to secure other match funding; the opportunities for Geopark Exhibitions being limited by the closure of Brecknock Museum; and the



unanticipated need to deal with temporary path closure orders to deal with Phytopthora Ramorum infections. However, the key achievements highlighted provide a useful counterpoint to the bare numerical results and help to demonstrate that the Directorate’s overall performance in 2012/13 was good and getting stronger.

• Participation in Education activities grew 14% relative to 2011/12

• Our Rural Skills programme secured a very strong take up with 21 (72%) of the 29 participants achieving AGORED accreditation.

• Volunteer numbers saw a healthy increase from 127 to 147 active volunteers and 1383 days of volunteer time expended on BBNPA projects (A 77% increase on the 780 days achieved last year).

• The number of National Park Ambassadors and businesses accredited through the Green Tourism Business Scheme both saw good levels of improvement and Beacons Bus ridership, while markedly down on 2011/12 levels due to the poor summer was still above target.

• The physical condition of the Park’s public rights of way saw good improvement in terms of the proportion of the network being easy of use, but 2012/13 saw a marked reduction in in the number of Public Path Orders being completed due to officers having to process 10 temporary path closure orders at the request of the Forestry Commission Wales. These orders had to take priority to enable works to be undertaken to combat Phytopthora Ramorum infections. Early indications for 2013/14 are that we will again be asked to process further orders for Natural Resources Wales as new infection sites have recently been confirmed.

• Partnership working saw significant levels of activity continuing for the benefit of both residents and visitors and the Authority including: Rural Alliances, Walking with Offa, Romans in Carmarthenshire, The Llangasty Bird Hide Project, Our Beacon for Bats, Calch (Herbert’s Quarry), and the MOSAIC project.

• We completed a further 3,800 metres of upland path works, up on the total for 2011/12, half of which were pre-emptive works designed to prevent further deterioration of existing path sections which would then be more costly to repair.

• The achievements of the Funding Development Officer in her first year in post are particularly encouraging and a more detailed report is being presented separately.

16.6 Performance Against Improvement Objectives

In terms of measuring performance against the Improvement Objectives, 2012/13 has seen good progress made on a number of fronts: Biodiversity is conserved and enhanced through public engagement,

practical action and planning advice



Both the work we undertake directly with our own resources and staff (such as that undertaken by the Wardens team) and the support we provide partners such as The Green Valleys through the Service Level Agreement have delivered work to conserve and enhance biodiversity this year. Examples of this work include the local community-led biodiversity and woodland group projects delivered by TGV to our management work at Llangasty Caeau T Mawr, and our winter heather and grass burning programme on the Black Mountains and Mynydd Myddfai. Longer term we have made good progress across the Black Mountain in supporting Commons Associations applications for Glastir and are similarly developing relationships in the Black Mountains. Communities are inspired by and recognise the benefits of where they live

The work of both the Sustainable Communities and Sustainable Tourism teams in 2012/13 demonstrate increasing delivery and engagement with communities through the Ambassadors scheme and its offshoots, our Fforest Fawr Geopark work, the work to support the 8 Rural Alliances, Community Council engagement through the Charter, and our growing involvement in rural skills training. The achievement of International Dark Skies Reserve Status generated substantial press interest and raised significantly the awareness of the National Park externally but also created a real buzz across the communities in Park as well.

16.7 Reporting issues

Trends for 2012-13:

• Securing increased participation rates on our guided walks events continues to be a challenge and there is a need to reduce the cost per participant by increasing the numbers attending.

• Barriers to schools being able to take up our services (transport costs, modernisation programmes, cover arrangements) are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

• Beacons Bus ridership is likely to continue to be heavily influenced by the weather and the funding environment is very likely to be even more volatile due to cuts in public sector funding.

• Partnership working will continue to be the most effective means of securing resources to deliver the National Park Management Plan priorities for action and this will inevitably mean some degree of compromise in order to find synergies with our partner’s priorities.

16.7 Conclusion



Taking all of the above analysis into account, the Directorate’s performance for 2012/13 is considered to be good and showing consolidation and improvement in key areas. The presentation in parallel with this report of focussed annual reports on the Funding Development Role and our Visitor Centres service demonstrates that the Directorate Restructure has secured the required shift in emphasis and is achieving results already. Further consolidation and refinement of the year-end reporting measures and format will improve performance comparisons between years in future reports.


a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement

The report provides a year end analysis of performance for 2012/13 based on the information available

b) Equality The report makes no recommendations with regards to protected characteristics

c) Human Rights The report makes no recommendations with regards to human rights

d) Sustainability Appraisal The report demonstrates a further improvement in the Authority’s CO2 footprint.

e) Biodiversity Impact The report outlines key achievements with regards to Conservation, including biodiversity

f) Contribution towards mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change

The report outlines key achievements with regards to climate change


The report outlines key achievements against all 6 of the NPMP Themes

h) Background Papers Corporate Goals, Annual Objectives, and Improvement Objectives for 2012/13 National Park Management Plan


Supports all Management Plan themes

RECOMMENDATIONS:

That Members note the Directorate’s performance for 2012-13.

17.0 Funding Development Report

Ruth Coulthard

Report to: National Park Authority Date of meeting: 12th July 2014

Report Title: Funding and Account Development - Year End Report 2012-2013 Report Author: Ruth Coulthard

Funding Development Manager [email protected]



Purpose of Report:

To provide members of the National Park Authority with an

overview of funding development and account management

activity during 2012-13 and outline future priorities

Enclosures None

Background Papers

None


Not applicable

Recommendation That members note the activity and future priorities for funding

development and account management.

NB. A TABLE SUMMARISING FIGURES FOR FUNDING DEVELOPMENT WILL BE CIRCULATED BEFORE THE MEETING AND PLACED ON THE WEBSITE

17.1 Introduction

As this role is new to the organisation, initial work was undertaken to develop the priorities for this post and putting the structures in place to carry out enhanced funding development and account management work, in particular ensuring that this role supports the delivery of the NPA’s corporate objectives and the National Park Management Plan. The report below sets out the work undertaken, progress in the first year and priorities for the future.

17.2 Funding Development and Account Management Structures

The key aims of this new role are to:

• Coordinate funding development and funding applications to ensure that all opportunities for funding are maximised.

• Develop partnerships with funders and organisations to increase success and potential of partnership working to deliver corporate objectives and the Management Plan.

To achieve this a number of structures needed to be put in place. These included:

• Greater coordination between officers and cross-referencing of projects • Greater awareness of funding opportunities amongst officers and the NPA • Prioritisation of funders and key organisations which required scoping the

opportunities, likelihood of success and resources needed to achieve success.

• Developing an on-going system to keep these updated, communications up to date and progress opportunities.



In order to ensure that the funding strategy was geared to delivery of NPA priorities rather than being funding led, a register of projects was drawn up. Discussions were held with key officers within the NPA. A database was created of projects that were being undertaken or were hoped to be commenced – encouragement was given to ensure these related to the corporate objectives and the National Park Management Plan.

The following criteria were used:

• Project start/finish • Budget required • Funding already secured • Links to Corporate Objectives / NPMP • Whether this was a priority project or an aspiration

Further work was then undertaken on:

• Whether this could be delivered through external funding, partnership work or both

• The cost/benefit of securing the funds • Likelihood of securing funds.

This then led to an assessment of joining projects together where appropriate, whether this was a high, medium or low priority for pursuing funding, identification of funding / partnership working opportunities and who would take the lead on securing funding.

17.3 Progress in 2012-13

The following outlines the progress achieved in funding development and account management in 2012-13.

Account Development An outline of key organisations was developed along with an assessment of opportunities for joint working and the potential to deliver projects identified on the register through partnership working. In addition, relationships with a number of key organisations were developed to enhance delivery of the NPA’s work and in-kind support.

• Valleys Regional Park (VRP): A relationship was developed with the Director and Manager of the VRP project which led to delivery of a joint approach to businesses for financial support to the NPA, resulting in two offers of support, and joint promotion of the Dark Sky initiative leading to several sites attaining the Dark Sky Discovery status and enhanced publicity.



• HLF: A talk was given to, and meeting held with, HLF’s UK Head of Landscape to demonstrate the NPA’s contribution to the Forgotten Landscapes Project including delivery of key projects.

• National Trust: A relationship was formed with the Wales’s Deputy Director to facilitate closer joint working in both practical and fundraising capacity in 2013-14.

• University of South Wales: Developed the relationship with the University to deliver £7500 in kind support for delivery of the Dark Sky Programme, with an additional £3800 funding in 2013 to deliver the ambassador programme and instillation of telescope at the NPVC. Also developing relationship with the Head of Commercial Services, to engage in the NPA’s research prospectus.

• Trunk Roads Agency: Relationship developed to form a joint management strategy and vision for Storey Arms – to be developed in 2013-14.

• Funding liaison: Work undertaken to bring together funding development roles within UK NPAs to share best practice, ideas and potential joint future bids. Links are also being developed with a number of South Wales Local Authorities and charities to share similar experiences and identify opportunities.

• Offa Country Partnership / Walkers are Welcome: Managed the procurement of new Sustainable Walking Guidelines for the partnership and managed the relationship with the National Walkers are Welcome (WaW) network – resulting in Cardiff City Centre promotional display planned for Summer 2013 and national promotion of the area’s WaW towns.

• Welsh Government: Working with the Transport department to secure £14000 in relation to the A465 dualling programme to assess the landscape impacts and identify mitigation measures. Also, chair the A465 Heritage Protection Advisory Group, forming liaison with construction engineers and Welsh Government with local Authorities, CADW and NRW. This is aiming to result in a package of mitigation measures within the dualling programme to increase access and interpretation.

• Blaenavon World Heritage Site: Chair the Partnership’s Access and Landscape Working Group which has led to the implementation of a new code of conduct for commons, two large contract access and interpretation projects for the NPA, with a further contact in 2014 to deliver the end of year conference with a value to the NPA of £5k. A presence was also negotiated free of charge at the National Eisteddfod. A £6000 marketing, interpretation and training programme was also negotiated which would involve the NPA working as a contractor to deliver. However due to capacity restrictions this could not be taken up. Negotiated Torfaen’s involvement in the Skills for the Future HLF project.

• Brecon Beacons Park Society: Several meeting have been held with executive officers of the Park Society to establish a more strategic approach to partnership working and joint activity including fundraising. Joint goals and areas of engagement have been agreed and are to be progressed in 2013-14.

• Carbon Trust: links have been made with the Carbon Trust and agreement for two free feasibility studies and audits to be undertaken at NPA properties.

Development of Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Programme Recognising that the HLF view the NPA as a serial applicant and wish to see a strategic approach to bids, development of a programme for applications was



developed and presented to HLF officers in Wales. It was decided internally that there would be the following three bids scoped:

• Uplands: This will feature on the Black Mountains and through discussions with HLF, a Landscape Partnership approach was decided upon. Initial workshops have been held to scope out the project and it has been identified more work needs to be done with landowners and commoners to develop the partnership approach. If successful, a bid will be developed and application submitted for a development grant in 2014-15.

• Waterfall Country: this will concentrate on the Gunpowder works – specifically to preserve and potentially restore existing structures along with a community education, interpretation and skills training programme. An internal workshop is planned to deliver the latter aspects and then a submission will be developed with the contractor for development funding – aim for submission late 2013.

• Skills for the Future: a development grant has been secured to scope a training programme based on training 10 apprentices in practical land management and visitor services skills. This is to be delivered in partnership with Pembrokeshire Coast NPA and Torfaen CBC. The full application is to be submitted late 2013 and, if successful, the project will commence in 2014-16.

• Craig y Nos: a potential Parks for People bid is being scoped for Craig y Nos focusing on preservation and restoration of key historic assets, including the Victorian dam, as well as interpretation, education and skills training. Initial discussions have been held with key staff and are to be held with CADW to assess feasibility of development and also implementation.

Local Authority Liaison

• Monmouthshire County Council: a grant of £35,000 was secured to fund the running of Abergavenny TIC along with the agreement of a Service Level Agreement. In addition, a business case has been developed with MCC officers to assess the feasibility of moving the information centre which would create a new modern, customer focused centre in the new library development with a capital investment of £300,000. This proposal is currently being debated by MCC and if they are minded to approve, full plans would be brought to the NPA for deliberation and decision. In addition a partnership has been facilitated with the town’s key voluntary and commercial partnerships and the NPA to develop a new co-produced tourism development plan.

• Carmarthenshire County Council: a grant of £11,000 secured towards the running of Llandovery TIC. In addition, project managed an options appraisal of development potential for the centre and the NPA’s operation, in recognition of declining visitor numbers and revenue. The report recommended a HLF bid be developed to modernise the information centre and services within the building. Discussions are now taking place to decide how this will be taken forward in partnership.

• Neath Port Talbot Borough Council: a report was written for the Council’s cabinet successfully requesting a five year rent free lease. This is now being drawn up by both Authorities’ solicitors. Joint project of £150,000 was also undertaken to modernise the toilet facilities in Pontneddfechan. Further work is planned to improve parking facilities.



Dark Skies Through partnership working with the Brecon Beacons Park Society, International Dark Sky Reserve Status was achieved. Through this £8950 has been jointly raised to deliver an events and education programme plus purchase a telescope for the National Park Visitor Centre which, subject to planning permission, should be installed in this financial year. In addition a further £8600 was secured in kind from partners for delivery of training, education, events, video and materials. Funding Development Work Work has been undertaken to scope out potential future areas of funding development. This has included:

• Corporate Sponsorship: a business breakfast event was held to discuss funding potential with businesses and a further one is planned for late 2013. In addition, negotiations secured a presence on the ‘We Fund the Valleys’ corporate giving site. A proposal for a sponsorship prospectus is being developed which would highlight to corporate investors the range of opportunities for supporting the NPA’s work.

• Visitor Giving: Research has been undertaken with National Parks England, the Campaign for National Parks and the Brecon Beacons Park Society into the feasibility of establishing a visitor giving mechanism. Further in-depth research is planned for 2013-14 with a trail small scheme under consideration in conjunction with the Park Society.

• Charitable Status: Research has been undertaken into the potential models for future charitable trust in order to enable legacy donations, large scale private donations, crowd funding and visitor giving models to be implemented. Feasibility work is concentrated upon models, structures and legal requirements.

• Account management: a framework of key organisations has been drawn up with opportunities to develop in order to help facilitate the NPA’s work. These are to be progressed with CMT officers in 2013-14.

Funding for Training A number of opportunities have been taken to secure funding and in kind support for staff training including an archeology course for volunteers, three social media training courses for information centre staff and interpretation conferences and funding development training. Additional Funding Applications and work

• Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust: applications totally £16680 were made to the Trust. To date £7850 has been secured for employment of two apprentice wardens and a training programme for volunteers.

• Woollen Line: an application was made to the Campaign for National Park’s Park Protector Award which resulted for the NPA’s submission winning and the Woolen Line project receiving the £2000 award.



• Beacons Way Markers: Two markers were successfully procured, installed and launched for the Beacons Way.

• Visit Wales: funding was secured to deliver WiFi access at Llandovery and Abergavenny Information Centres worth £3000. This was also successful for the NPVC but the signal at the centre didn’t allow this to be implemented.

• Abergavenny TIC: work was undertaken in partnership with the two local organisations to buy two electric bikes for the centre and a contract negotiated to sell National Express tickets – both to encourage use by locals and visitors. A competition was organised with the town’s food festival and a contract agreed with the new Jazz Festival to act as a box office – both to ensure the centre makes the most of high profile events encouraging further footfall and spend.

17.4 Priorities for 2013 and the Future

To determine ongoing priorities for funding development and account management, in early 2013 the Authority’s Corporate Objectives and key projects were reviewed and split into three categories: those that required direct intervention to help gain funding, those that require support for officers in identifying and securing funds and those that will require funding for implementation in future years. A number of other priorities for the post were also proposed and agreed including evolving the funding development and account management work. A summary is provided below. Fundraising methodology and research priorities

• Charitable Trust: continue research and, in partnership with the Chief Executive, prepare options for developing a potential charitable trust.

• Corporate sponsorship / prospectus: continue trial of business event engagement in partnership with the Valleys Regional Park and local authorities and develop proposal for, and draft of, sponsorship prospectus.

• Visitor Giving: continue research into visitor giving models and work with Brecon Beacons Park Society in development of BBNP pilot scheme.

• Development of policy on mass participation events and charging policy: trial visitor giving scheme with the Original Mountain Marathon and work with CLMT colleagues to develop policy and mechanism for future large scale events.

• Ongoing funding opportunities: continue to carry out research into external funding opportunities, updating the central register and colleagues.

• European Funding Opportunities: carry out research into next stage of Intereg and other European funding schemes as details are announced in late 2013 / early 2014.

• Development of ethical funding guidelines and policy to coordinate external funding bids.

Account Management Priorities

• Local Authorities: continue work to progress future development of the Tourist Information Network and secure ongoing financial support. In addition, work



with Merthyr Tydfil CBC RDP programme to ensure BBNPA is represented in the next round of funding.

• Valleys Regional Park: engage with the implementation group to ensure funding and joint marketing / funding opportunities are maximised plus input into next stage of programme delivery to ensure the NPA and its priorities are represented.

• Trunk Roads Agency: Continue to work with TRA to ensure their plans are in line with NPA aspirations for Storey Arms and an area landscape masterplan is implemented.

• Funding Liaison: Continue developing links with other NPAs and local organisations to maximise learning opportunities and potential for joint funding development work.

• Research prospectus: liaise with University of South Wales and other institutions as appropriate to deliver the NPA’s research prospectus.

• National Trust: Develop relationship with National Trust in relation to practical work and specifically funding development within the National Park area.

• Blaenavon World Heritage Site Partnership: continue chairing working groups to ensure in-kind support for BBNPA and maximising opportunities for contract work. In addition, engage with the development of a potential social enterprise to carry on the work of the Forgotten Landscapes Project to secure ongoing opportunities for landscape and habitat management, and access improvements, to the National Park.

• Welsh Government: manage landscape advice contract and work with WG and construction engineers to secure ongoing funding for advice and mitigation proposals in relation to A465 dualing programme.

• Brecon Beacons Park Society: continue to develop joint projects and areas of work between the Park Society and NPA.

Dark Skies Reserve Priorities

• Dark Sky Reserve Board: facilitate the establishment of a board to manage the reserve, including the formation of an action and funding plan to continue with events and education, lighting improvements and economic development. In addition organise a launch event for the reserve status with the Minister.

• Dark Sky Senedd Debate: organise a debate in the Senedd to take forward reserve status and engage with Assembly Members on lighting improvement standards.

• Establishment of a National Park observatory: in conjunction with partners, complete instillation of Dark Sky observatory at the NPVC.

Funding Application Priorities

• HLF: work with officers to progress HLF programme including development of workshops, partnerships and scoping plus acting as liaison with HLF officers.

• Penwyllt: develop funding methodology for achieving a visitor management plan for the Penwyllt area and potential HLF application for Craig y Nos.

• NPVC: Work with new centre manager to identify funding opportunities for visitor centre improvements, in particular play equipment



• Education and Community Development: develop funding potential to facilitate socially excluded groups to visit the National Park and undertake activities and education programmes with the Education and Community Development Teams as well as training ambassadors and educators.

• Delivery of Fforest Fawr Geopark Action plan: work with team to identify funding sources to facilitate community development and interpretation/education activities.

• Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust: Engage with the trust to try and secure second year funding.

• Walking with Offa: Contribute to funding search to facilitate Stage 2 project

17.5 Conclusion

Whilst statutory funding is decreasing, it is clear there is a much opportunity the National Park Authority to increase its funding development and account management potential to ensure the delivery of our Corporate Objectives and National Park Management Plan. Now the first year is of this role is underway and structures are in place, it should provide a useful platform to take this work forward in a strategic way.

Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement Whilst there are costs associated with

raising funding and in kind support, the overall income from this work should exceed these amounts.

b) The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Not applicable

c) Equality The projects which the funding aims to deliver should all be aligned with the social inclusion action plan and therefore not have any equality impact.

d) Human Rights The projects which the funding aims to deliver should all be aligned with the social inclusion action plan and therefore not have any equality impact.

e) Sustainability Appraisal The projects which the funding aims to deliver should all be aligned with the social inclusion action plan and therefore not have any adverse sustainability impact.

f) Biodiversity Impact The projects which the funding aims to deliver should all be aligned with the social inclusion action plan and therefore only have a favourable impact on biodiversity.


The projects which the funding aims to deliver should all be aligned with the social inclusion action plan and therefore



RECOMMENDATION: That members note the activity and

future priorities for funding development and account

management.

18.0 Trading Report

Wayne Lewis


Date of meeting: 12th July 2013 Report Title:

2012/13 Year End Trading Review

Report Author: Wayne Lewis Commercial Manager 01874 620492 [email protected]

Purpose of Report: To provide a year-end review of the trading performance of the

visitor and information centres.

Enclosures None


only have a favourable impact. h) National Park Management Plan

Actions The projects are all those identified within the National Park Management Plan.

i) Background Papers Not applicable j) Which National Park Management

theme does the recommendation support?




biodiversity



recreation





villages


Development



Public Interest Test None

Recommendation Members are asked to note the report.

18.1 Introduction

This report has been produced to provide members with a detailed year end trading review for the Visitor Centres and Information Centres. It also includes the trading performance of our car parks and online shop.

Total Income Overview For Year 2012/13

Location

Income This Year

Income Last Year

+/- %

Visitor Centre £120,311 £122,987 -2.1% Tea Rooms £267,277 300,930 -11.2%

Abergavenny TIC £22,432 £25,221 -11.1% Llandovery TIC £12,727 £13,918 -8.6% Waterfalls Centre £15,684 £14,517 +8.0%

Online Shop £4,156 £3,413 +21.8% Car Parks £49,476 £49,937 -0.9% Total £492,063 £530,923 -7.2%

2012/13 was clearly a difficult trading year for our Visitor and Information Centres. I believe there were three key drivers to this performance; � The extreme wet weather experienced in 2012. � The continued tough economic conditions. � National events, including Jubilee and Olympics. 2012 was the second wettest year on record, with April to June being the wettest on record for that particular period. All but one of the Bank Holidays fall in this period, and these are key trading times for our Centres. The National Park Visitor Centre benefits greatly from “last minute” visitors from a driving radius of about forty miles, who clearly had limited opportunities to get out and about. The continued tough economic climate is having an impact on all businesses, and 2012 saw many more large and small retailers cease trading. Consumers are seeing many pressures exerted on their disposable income, and they have limited confidence in the short to medium term future. Consumers have continued to reign in their spending, and are looking to get more value for money where they do choose to spend. Wales Government figures show that overnight domestic tourism visits in 2012 fell by 2.3%, and the amount of money spent fell 10.2%. 2012 saw a number of large national events, which although would have been beneficial to the UK as a whole, I believe had a negative impact on visitor numbers to



the National Park. As many of our visitors come from South Wales and the South of England, these visitors were in the most convenient location to visit the Jubilee celebrations, and many of the key Olympic events. For many holiday makers, a visit to one of these events was integrated into their holiday plans. For those who did not have tickets for these events, many chose to stay at home and watch them on TV, and the wet weather only added to the attraction of this. The Olympics and Paralympics almost covered the entire month of August, and the drop in visitor numbers in this month are quite noticeable.

National Park Visitor Centre and Tea Rooms Visitor Centre

Income This Year

Income Last Year

+/- %

Publications £37,100 £41,512 -6.2% Souvenirs £39,899 £37,659 +5.9% Food £10,752 £10,083 +6.6% Stamps £1,253 £1,180 +6.1% Total £89,004 £90,434 -1.6% Tea Rooms

Food £247,382 £276,525 -10.5%

Total £336,386 £366,959 -8.3%

The National Park Visitor Centre only just failed to achieve growth in its retail operation. A key driver to this was the decline in sales of publications such as maps and guides. This would suggest that more and more visitors are doing their research at home and either downloading maps and guides, or are purchasing them on the internet before they arrive.

The challenge has been to try and mitigate this decrease, with sales of other items, and the increase in sales of souvenirs has shown us the way forward. My team has spent the winter months sourcing new local products that appeal to our visitors, and you would have seen many of these at the recent Members training day. We have also relayed the fixtures at the Centre to give more impact and increase the customer flow around the room. We have also increased the number of local crafts producers who sell from the centre on a commission basis. There are now thirteen local crafts people who have a permanent display in the Visitor Centre. Considering the overall trading conditions, the Visitor Centre came very close to achieving its year on year sales figures, and visitors have responded well to the changes and the new products that have been introduced. The introduction of a Visitor Centre Manager has been a huge step forward in the day to day running of the centre, and has already had an impact on the staff and the physical appearance of the Centre. Having this role in place will enable a more



consistent commercial future, allowing us to capitalize on income opportunities and closer scrutiny and control of costs. Expenditure. The Visitor Centre overspent in its expenditure budget by £1447, and this was due to inaccurate budgeting for staffing costs. A member of staff retired in 2011 with no replacement put in place, and this salary was simply removed from the budget for 2012-13. While it was possible to make some efficiency savings, it is clear that three members of staff could not do all the work previously done by four. There was also no provision in the budget for holiday cover and as a result staffing costs exceeded budget by £11,253. It was only due to savings in other areas that we were able to bring the overall overspend down to the afore mentioned £1447.

The Tea Rooms overspent on its expenditure budget by £24,231, with the biggest contributor an overspend on staffing costs of £12,656. This has been driven in the main by the need to provide cover during a three month period of sickness. The remaining overspend is made up of a number of areas, the largest examples being; � Repairs and maintenance £1343 � Gas £1082 � Cleaning and domestic supplies £712 � Catering provisions £7703

Abergavenny Tourist Information Centre

Income This

Year

Income Last

Year

+/- %

Publications £13,048 £15,313 -14.8%

Souvenirs £5,810 £6,103 -4.8%

Food £1,013 £948 +6.8%

Stamps £585 £597 -2.0%

Total £20,456 £23,026 -11.1%

Abergavenny Information Centre has had a challenging year, and its performance has lagged considerably behind the other centres. We have taken the same approach to Abergavenny in terms of relaying the fixturisation, adding new product ranges, and introducing more products form local producers. However, the visitors have not responded in a similar fashion to the National Park Visitor Centre. We will continue to trial different product ranges, especially around food tourism, which Monmouth shire and specifically Abergavenny is becoming famous for. We have partnered with Cwrt Cupboard, a local craft co-operative to sell local crafts, but they have struggled to supply us with the quantity of stock that we need. We now have an agreement to work with the individual members of the co-operative.



We also had a successful partnership with ‘cards for good causes’ where the centre was used as the retail point for their charity Christmas cards. We saw an increase in add on sales on the back of the extra footfall that the centre gained from this partnership, and we have just agreed to do the same again this year. At the end of the year we also became a booking agent for National Express coaches, which gives us an income on each ticket that we sell. It is too early to evaluate the success of this or the likely income we will generate, but it does give one more reason to visit the centre.

I conducted a Health and Safety Audit of the site, and on the back of that we introduced new Health and Safety procedures. This include a checklist which lists the daily, weekly and monthly tasks that need to be completed, which will enable us to monitor and control health and safety in a more proactive manner. Expenditure- Abergavenny Tourist Information Centre underspent on its expenditure budget by £13,790. This was predominantly down to two factors � Underspend of £8571 on staffing costs due to over budgeting. � Underspend of £3846 on purchase of retail stock.

Llandovery Tourist Information Centre

Income This

Year

Income Last

Year

+/- %

Publications £7,459 £8,210 -9.1%

Souvenirs £4,450 £4,667 -4.6%

Food £210 £274 -23.3%

Stamps £427 £573 -25.4%

Total £12,546 £13,724 -8.5%

Llandovery Tourist Information Centre has had twelve months of change and uncertainty, and this is continuing into the new financial year. The Tonn press which was located on the ground floor adjacent to the information centre was removed back in the summer of last year, which left and empty space in a prime area of the building. Despite numerous offers to utilize this space during the summer period, they only granted us permission to use this space two weeks before the centre closed for the winter. Our plans were to use this space as an extended retail area for the new financial year, but other developments have led this space to be utilized by Carmarthenshire County Council. A more recent development has been the removal of the Heritage Exhibition on the first floor. This is due to be replaced with a “business hub”, but this has yet to be put in place. My concern is that the Centre has now lost its identity as visitor



attraction, as the building will now have three diverse uses, all aimed at differing markets. We have continued to take a “business as usual” attitude to the centre, and I am still confident that we can still have a successful summer season for 2013, after this will need to understand more around the long term plans for the centre. We have implemented many of the same changes as highlighted in the other centres, including increasing local products and introducing higher value souvenirs. The introduction of snacks and drinks is also proving to be particularly successful at Llandovery. We have also introduced the new Health and Safety procedures which have been adopted well by the team at the centre.

Expenditure- Llandovery Tourist Information Centre underspent on its expenditure budget by £364, due to a collection of small savings on utilities and everyday expenditure.

Waterfalls Information Centre

Income This

Year

Income Last

Year

+/- %

Publications £11,632 £11,176 +4.1%

Souvenirs £2,496 £1,554 +60.6%

Food £1,185 £690 +71.7%

Stamps £303 £113 +168.1%

Total £15,616 £13,533 +15.4%

The Waterfalls Centre has been the one beneficiary of the wet weather we experienced in 2012. The waterfalls have looked spectacular on many occasions, and this has encouraged visitors to visit this site. The other centres have helped the cause by directing visitors to the area, on the back of numerous enquiries with regards things to do and see in the rain. We quickly identified that this centre was being under-utilized within the retail offer, and we moved to quickly introduce more souvenir and food products to capitalize. The figures above show the success of this, and we are pushing forward more of these products for 2013. We opened the Centre for Christmas week for the first time, and this saw over two hundred visitors to the centre between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and we intend to repeat this again in 2013. One of the key messages coming from our visitors was their inability to pick up waterfalls related souvenirs, and we are about to take delivery of our own range of Waterfalls souvenirs that are going to be exclusive to the Brecon Beacons National Park. These are going to be trialed at our centres, but there is a future possibility of supplying these products to other selected retailers to further increase the income potential.



Expenditure- Waterfalls Information Centre overspent on its expenditure budget by £2778, due to the incorrect budgeting of staff costs. As the centre is single manned, it is very difficult to reduce this particular cost without closing the centre. The overall overspend on staffing was £3111, and savings in other areas enabled us to reduce the overall underspend to the afore-mentioned £2778.

Car Parks

Income This

Year

Income Last

Year

+/- %

Visitor Centre £30,018 £34,720 -13.5%

Craig Y Nos £12,050 £13,351 -9.7%

Cwm Porth £23,820 £23,833 -0.1%

Gwaun Hepste £13,600 £12,753 +6.6%

Total £79,488 £84,657 -6.1%

The decline in visitor numbers last year is clearly echoed in the car park income figures. The National Park Visitor Centre and Craig y nos have seen particular falls, however, we have seen a recovery in the Craig y nos figures during Q4 as the impact of the new signage and the full time Warden has taken effect. The Waterfalls car parks did fare much better, due again to the extra footfall in that part of the National Park that benefitted from the wet weather. Gwaun Hepste car park had its entrance road tarmacked at the end of the year, and the car park itself had its surface repaired, making it a more attractive proposition for visitors. I am confident that this will have a real positive impact on the number of visitor who will use this car park in the coming year. We are also discussing plans to utilize the shop at Cwm Porth more effectively. There is a challenge in that the building has no mains power, and the solar panels are at present generating a limited supply of power. We are, however, investigating the extension of solar panels to give us a greater flexibility of use for the building. In the mean time we have already identified an increased and improved range of products that we can put in place, which we believe, will substantially increase the income from the shop. Expenditure- The Waterfalls car parks overspent on its expenditure budget by £6823 due to incorrect budgeting for staff costs. This was also compounded by the Car Park Warden having his role evaluated in the summer of 2012, which resulted in his pay increasing by two grades. The car park is manned seven days a week, five days by the full time warden and two days by other staff. In previous years these remaining two days have been covered by wardens from within the warden team, and this cost has been absorbed within the warden’s budget. This year, I have had to pay for this two day cover from within the car parks budget, and again this was not budgeted for at the start of the year.



Online Shop The online shop had a steady year with an increase in sales of 21% from £3431 to £4156, and an increase in its profit by 59.3% from £1180 to £1880. The challenge going forward is how we grow our online sales further, by deciding on what products and services can move to our online platform that will appeal to visitors, and sufficiently engage them to buy. We have a number of trials in the pipeline for the coming year, and the results will be delivered within the quarterly trading reports to Audit and Scrutiny Committee. Conclusion The Visitor and Information Centres have clearly had a challenging financial year, but this has been consistent with other businesses within the tourism industry last year. However, I am confident that behind the scenes we have put in a great deal of hard work that means we are now better placed to take these centres forward commercially. I spent a great deal of the summer understanding the centres as businesses, as well as understanding how they deliver the National Park statutory duties, and over the winter period we have implemented a number of actions that mean that we enter the new financial year with confidence and real excitement. The key achievement that really excites me is the quality of the commercial team that we now have in place

� The appointment of a Retail and Information officer � The appointment of a Visitor Centre Manager � The appointment of a full time Warden at Craig y nos � The reinvigorated enthusiasm of a Retail and Information Centre Supervisor.

I am delighted how each of the team has fitted in well with each other and the organization as a whole. The manner in which they have contributed to, and implemented our plans has been a pleasure to watch and be a part of. I am also heartened to see the commitment from the centres staff, who have also contributed greatly to our plans and again been enthusiastic in the implementation of (most) of them. We have recently introduced a monthly performance meeting for the above team, and the enthusiasm and energy that is generated from these meetings is a joy to witness. I am now totally convinced that we have brought the right people on board, and that they will prove to be great assets to the Authority in the coming years. It is due to the dedication and hard work of this team, that I can now list a number of practical achievements that have been implemented over the second half of the year, that give us a great opportunity for the new financial year;



� Introduction of new Health & Safety procedures. � Introduction of new Health and Safety Folders at every centre. � Relaying of fixtures at each centre to improve display and customer flow. � Introduction of twenty new product suppliers across all centres. � New car parking signage at Craig y nos. � Leasing of the Old Craft Shop at Craig y nos. � Leasing of the flat at Craig y nos. � Over £17,000 worth of maintenance and equipment improvements at the

National Park Visitor Centre and Tea Rooms. � Introduction of eleven permanent crafts producers at National Park Visitor

Centre. � Plans for Children’s play area for National Park Visitor Centre now a corporate

objective. � Funding in place for observatory at National Park Visitor Centre. � Work started on wildlife garden at the National Park Visitor Centre. � Achieved “5” hygiene rating at the Tea Rooms. � Successful Christmas partnership with ‘Cards for good causes’ at Abergavenny

Tourist Information Centre. � Further five year rent free lease with NPTC for Waterfalls Centre. � Delivered three successful Dark Skies events as part of the accreditation process. � Delivered an Information Centres staff feedback day in partnership with the

Sustainable Destination Partnership. � Delivered and Information Centres pre-season Roadshow in partnership with the

Sustainable Destination Partnership. � Delivered a workshop to bring together Information Centre staff and local

tourism businesses aimed at improving communication between both parties. � Delivered an all centres pre-season training day. � Increased online sales by 21.8% and profit by 48%.

As you can see some great achievements that put us in a positive and more proactive position for the coming financial year, and I am looking forward to updating you with the results of our work each quarter at Audit and Scrutiny Committee.

Corporate Implications a) Financial, Staffing and Improvement

This report is for information only


Not applicable

c) Equality This report is for information only, no decision to be made

d) Human Rights This report is neutral with regards to Human Rights

e) Sustainability Appraisal This report is for information only, no decision to be made.

f) Biodiversity Impact This report is neutral with regards to biodiversity.

g) Contribution towards mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate

This report is neutral with regards to climate change.



change h) National Park Management Plan

Actions Promoting understanding and awareness “promoting opportunities to connect people to the National Park information” “Provide a first class visitor experience and welcome to anyone interacting with and enjoying the National Park and its special qualities.”

i) Background Papers List any sources you have used to write this report – this may be an internal memorandum, letter from a consultee, or even a telephone note. Only include documents that do not contain exempt information




recreation




Development

RECOMMENDATION: Members are asked to note this report.

19.0 Member Reports

a) To receive reports from members who have represented the Authority at external meetings or events. These include:

• WLGA conference (Mrs J James, Cllr G Hopkins, Mr E Evans, Cllr Mrs J

Ward and Cllr Mrs A Webb(

• Campaign for National Parks: Mrs Carys Howell

• Planning Seminar: Cllr Evan Morgan and Mr M Buckle

• Women, Power and Change: Mrs Melanie Doel

• Social inclusion – under-representation on public bodies: Mrs Melanie Doel



20.0 Gifts and Hospitality

Julia Gruffydd

To receive a verbal update from the Democratic Services Manager.

SECTION 3: EXEMPT REPORTS

21.0 Access to Information

To consider the Public Interest Test at Enclosure 19 Recommendation: To consider whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business in accordance with section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 12 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act.

22.0 Fixed Term Contracts

NOT FOR PUBLICATION - This report contains information relating to Part 4, section 12 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. To consider the exempt report at Enclosure 20 and any recommendations therein.

23.0 Other Business

Such other business, as is, in the opinion of the Chairman, of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration.

Schedule of Correspondence

1. To receive apologies for absence

2. Such other correspondence as, in the opinion of the Chairman, is of such urgency as to warrant consideration.

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