AONB NEWS. Howardian Hills. A Brave New World. AONB Contacts. Inside this Issue. Paul Jackson. Issue 2 November Julian Rudd.

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1 AONB Contacts Paul Jackson AONB Project Officer North Yorkshire County Council Heritage Unit County Hall Northallerton DL7 8AH Telephone: (01609) Julian Rudd Local Plans & Countryside Officer Ryedale District Council Telephone: (01653) ext. 327 Glen Robinson Planning Officer Hambleton District Council Telephone: (01609) Inside this Issue 1. A Brave New World 2. The Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 2. Rights of Way 2. Farm Diversification Guide 3. The Countryside Stewardship Scheme 3. Farm Business Advice Service 4. Road Verges 4. All Aboard the Moorsbus 5. Rural Transport 5. Vital Villages 6. Market Towns Initiative and Community Plans 6. Parish Projects Officer 6. Community Workshops AONB NEWS Issue 2 November 2001 Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty A Brave New World In this year when the everyday life of the AONB has been turned upside down by Foot and Mouth Disease, new opportunities to improve both the community and environmental aspects of the area are increasing. Inside this Newsletter there are details of plans to revive the fortunes of Malton/Norton and Easingwold, the two main Market Towns that serve the AONB. The Vital Villages Scheme, Rural Transport Partnerships and Moorsbus Network all offer opportunities to support village services and transport networks. For farmers and land managers, the Farm Business Advisory Service offers help with business planning at this critical time, whilst the Countryside Stewardship Scheme offers grant aid for those who want to farm in a less intensive way. For the AONB Project also, this is a time of great change. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act passed earlier this year has given Local Authorities a statutory duty to prepare Management Plans for AONBs. The current Management Plan for the Howardian Hills will therefore have to be reviewed and republished by April Together with the statutory duty comes the offer of more financial resources from the Countryside Agency, to help Joint Advisory Committees (JACs) prepare and implement new Management Plans. The Howardian Hills JAC has recently prepared a Business Plan, outlining how it intends to take advantage of this new opportunity. From April 2002 the AONB Project will consist of two fulltime staff, a doubling of the current position. This will allow it to carry out more work on the ground, with local farmers and communities, whilst also reviewing the Management Plan. The Business Plan also suggests that the AONB Project office might be located within the AONB at some time in the future. This would bring it closer to the communities of the AONB, but might reduce the amount of grant aid that it could then provide for countryside management work. The views of local people will be sought before any final decision is made. So, exciting times ahead for the AONB Project. It is ideally placed to act as the common thread linking all these new initiatives together, making sure that they bring maximum benefit to the AONB. Foot and Mouth Disease has been a terrible blow for rural communities, but the challenge now is to seize the opportunities and funds offered by these new initiatives, to build more sustainable farming and village communities. 1

2 The Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Plan for the AONB, which was published in This sets out a series of guidelines covering landscape, nature conservation, cultural heritage and recreation. It doesn t cover planning issues, which are still dealt with by the local authorities. Copies of the Management Plan can be seen at the Local Authority offices, or in Malton and Easingwold Libraries. The Government declared the Howardian Hills as an AONB in The landscape is of national importance and is of equal quality to the North York Moors National Park. A Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) was set up in It has representatives of the local authorities (North Yorkshire County Council, Ryedale and Hambleton District Councils), as well as members representing The first edition of the Newsletter last year announced the start of a major programme to improve gates and signs on paths throughout the AONB. Work started around Crambe, Whitwell and Kirkham in January, but had to be suspended in late February due to Foot and Mouth Disease. The work completed to date has been well received, with new gates making access much easier for less agile people. Rights of Way New gate and signpost, Howsham Bridge Parish Councils, the Countryside Agency, National Farmers Union, Country Land and Business Association, Forestry Commission, Ramblers Association and English Nature. The JAC prepared a Management The Management Plan is put into action by the JAC partners. An AONB Project Officer (Paul Jackson) co-ordinates the work he also advises farmers on conservation work and provides grant aid for small countryside projects. He works closely with staff from the other partner organisations, who provide assistance and specialist advice. The AONB stretches from Coxwold to Howsham, covering the high ground between the Vales of Pickering and York. It links the North York Moors to the Yorkshire Wolds and is a distinctive landscape of wooded hills and valleys. There is a list of contacts in this Newsletter if you want to speak to any of the staff involved in AONB work. Farm Diversi North Yorkshire County Council, together with the District Councils and the NFU, has produced a Planning Guide to Farm Diversification in North Yorkshire. This gives easy-to-follow advice on the planning procedures and issues that farmers need to consider if they want to diversify their business. 2

3 The Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) Now in its tenth year, CSS is run by the Rural Development Service within DEFRA. It offers grants to farmers and land managers to improve the natural beauty and diversity of the countryside. The budget for CSS has increased significantly in recent years, to reflect the growing emphasis on sustainable agriculture and the environment. Grants are available for a wide range of work, from gapping-up hedges to managing meadows and pastures in a less intensive way. New options for arable fields are being introduced in 2002, designed specifically to benefit farmland birds, rare arable plants and invertebrates. It is a discretionary scheme and applicants need to enter into a ten-year agreement to improve the environment on their farm. CSS has an important role in the Howardian Hills AONB, as a means of achieving some of the aims of the AONB Management Plan, as well as offering farmers a less intensive management option. The AONB is a specific target area for the Scheme; applications offering hedge and wall restoration and the management of meadows, wet pasture and historic landscapes are particularly welcomed. ication Guide Many people are currently looking at new sources of revenue for their farming business these guidelines are essential reading and indicate what might or might not be allowed. For a copy of the Guide please contact Chris Dickinson on If you would like to find out more about CSS please contact a Stewardship Adviser at DEFRA New hedge planting Northallerton ( ) or AONB Project Officer, Paul Jackson. Farm Business Advice Service Launched nationally in October 2000, the FBAS was established to provide up to three days free advice to farmers who are interested in evaluating their existing business and looking at new opportunities. The Service is run by Business Link York and North Yorkshire and is funded by DEFRA. It is available to any farmer who has a holding number and spends at least 75% of their time on the core farm business. At an initial meeting with the farmer, the adviser gathers information on the farm business and discusses the main objectives for the business plan. This is followed up with a second meeting, where a draft Action Plan is discussed and agreed with the farmer. This may include a health check of the existing farm business, advice on future opportunities such as diversification, and possible grant funding available to the business. In late May DEFRA announced an enhancement to the standard three day Farm Business Adviser service. Five days of support can now be given to farmers who have had stock compulsorily slaughtered due to Foot and Mouth Disease. These five days will include a day on environmental matters - looking at issues and opportunities surrounding environmental good practice, stewardship and agrienvironment schemes. The advisers delivering these services include a mix of Business Link and quality assured subcontracted Advisers. All of them have received additional training on the impact and implications of Foot and Mouth Disease, as well as the range of agri-environment schemes which may have a role to play in farm business recovery. For more information on either the three day or five day services please contact Business Link York and North Yorkshire on

4 Road verges The wet winter, followed by a favourable spring, resulted in an abundance of wild flowers this summer. All aboard the Moorsbus Have you seen the smart red and yellow bus travelling through the AONB this summer? This new bus service is the latest addition to the National Park s Moorsbus Network service. A flower-rich verge The AONB Project organised the management of 20 Special Interest Verges in late February, cutting a number of important verges that were beginning to be lost to scrub overgrowth. The results have been so good that the cutting programme will be extended this winter. In the future we hope to be able to reuse some of the cuttings from these verges, to regenerate flower-rich grassland on farmland that has been entered into conservation schemes such as Countryside Stewardship. The rare Knapweed Broomrape plant doubled its population this year on its main site, following winter grazing by ponies, and was also discovered on a previously-unknown site. Every Sunday, and daily during the summer school holidays, visitors and locals alike travel on the M4 Howardian Hills Moorsbus and marvel at the wonderful views. One of the most popular stops is the City of Troy maze near Dalby, where the driver briefs the inquisitive passengers on the history of this ancient game. The development of the service has arisen from the many passenger requests, either through the National Park s annual Moorsbus survey or from the many letters the authority receives. The Howardian Hills has relatively sparse bus services, with none on a Sunday. The Moorsbus Network provides a high quality car-free day, giving local residents and visitors the opportunity to explore the AONB and the North York Moors National Park in a sustainable way. It also links with other bus services, giving better access to local towns. For further information about the Moorsbus Network ring Neil Lewis on The Moorsbus in operation in the North York Moors 4

5 The AONB is covered by two Rural Transport Partnerships Ryedale & North East Yorkshire and Hambleton & Richmondshire. Minibus brokerages have been set up covering both areas. Minibuses are owned by a variety of organisations, such as Social Services or Dial a Ride, but may not be used at particular times of the day. The brokerages will tap into that spare capacity, making vehicles available for wider rural community use. Booking of a minibus is through a Co-ordinator and trained local volunteers can drive on behalf of their community group, therefore keeping costs down. Cycle lockers are due to be installed at key points along the A170 corridor, including Helmsley. The idea is to link together different forms of transport, allowing people to leave their bikes securely whilst they catch a bus or train. The Wheels 2 Work scheme was launched this year by the Hambleton Partnership, and the Rural Transport Ryedale area is now developing one too. It helps young people become more independent, getting to work or training Wheels 2 Work courses when other transport isn t available. Mopeds are available for a small weekly hire charge, with the target group being 16 to 25 year olds. Referrals are accepted from any agency or body that deals with young people, such as the Careers Service, Parish Councils, Employers and charities. Easingwold Town Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the Hambleton Partnership are currently looking at the possibility of operating a bus service to help clubbers travelling to York. A survey revealed a local need for a bus service from the night club at Clifton Moor to Easingwold in the early hours of Saturday and possibly Sunday mornings. The Partnerships receive 75% of their funding from the Countryside Agency, with additional contributions from North Yorkshire County Council, District Councils and various other organisations. They are keen to look at further project proposals that meet an identified need. Money is available! For the Ryedale area contact Peter Oxley on ext For Hambleton contact Kevin Holt on Vital Villages Villagers in the Howardian Hills have been quick off the mark to take advantage of the Countryside Agency s new grant scheme to help rural communities Vital Villages. Residents of Welburn (Malton) can barely recognise their local post office and shop. It has had a major revamp thanks to cash from the Community Services Grant and was re-launched in October as the The Barley Basket. New owners Jill Taylor and Julia Brown carried out a survey to find out what their community wanted. They re planning to stock locally produced foods and are working with the Parish Council to look at ways of providing information to both locals and visitors on local services, events and attractions. Vital Villages offers a package of grants aimed at improving life in rural areas. For a Vital Villages information pack please telephone Julia Brown and Jill Taylor outside Welburn s Barley Basket 5

6 Market Towns Initiative and Community Plans The two largest market towns that serve the AONB, Malton/Norton and Easingwold, are both preparing Plans to revive their fortunes. The Easingwold & Villages Community Plan will be drawn up by a voluntary group and will cover a range of issues affecting community life. These include economic, social, community and environmental improvements. An essential part of the Plan is that it will be produced by people who live and work locally, and who are not necessarily elected representatives. The group s first action is to collect ideas from throughout the 32 surrounding Parishes, from all special interest groups and all sectors of the community. It would like to hear from anyone who has ideas about what improvements could be included in the Plan. For further details please contact Martin Whillock on The Malton and Norton Market Towns Initiative is funded by the Countryside Agency, Yorkshire Forward and Ryedale District Parish Projects Officer Council. The programme is aimed at regenerating the Malton and Norton area and funding is available for suitable projects. Programme Manager, Donna Lee, was appointed in July to administer the Initiative and would now like to hear from individuals or groups who have project ideas to improve the Malton and Norton area. Further details or a guide to drawing up a project can be obtained from Donna on ext Although activities have been restricted this year by Foot and Mouth Disease, the Parish Projects Officer has become a major asset to the AONB Project and a regular sight in villages. Work during the winter mainly concentrated on habitat management works on important wildlife sites, with summer work being restricted to painting village features. A widespread programme of work A repainted village name sign Community Workshops across the AONB this summer has seen many village name signs and traditional cast iron roadsigns repainted. These are part of our heritage and make a valuable contribution to the visual appeal of the AONB, particularly at a time when spirits in the countryside have been low. This Newsletter has been produced by the Howardian Hills AONB JAC Both the weather and Foot and Mouth Disease disrupted the programme of interactive workshops last year. Three were held during the October halfterm, at Welburn, Crayke and Ampleforth, with a further two at Slingsby and Hovingham in February. The ceramic pieces were coloured and fired at Terrington and have now been mounted on boards, ready for returning to their home villages. The AONB Project is working with Rural Arts North Yorkshire again this year, aiming to run a series of workshops based on ideas raised by an exhibition of photographs and writings. Watch out for further details in the local press. 6