A local authority perspective from Coombe Country Park

Managing an Historic Landscape for Ecological Conservation & People at

Coombe (Abbey) Country Park-A Coombe (Abbey) Country Park (Coventry City

Council) Case Study of Effective Partnership Working

by Paul E Hodges Cenv ,CMIEEM ,PgDip , BSc(Hons),NVQ III, Forest School Practitioner 3

Aims & Objectives-

• To investigate & Explore the Conflicts & Consensus between Ecological/Countryside Management & Historic Landscape / Archaeology.

• To explore the conflicts experienced in the Managing of a site for Biodiversity & Historic Landscape & Public accessibility-Informal recreation eg Dog’s, BBQ’s & Night Hawking.

• To use the case study of Coombe (Abbey) Country Park- via its Site Management & Veteran Trees Management Plans & Higher Level Stewardship Agreement & Site of Special Scientific Interest Agreement as regards to Effective Partnership Working between various Agencies & Stakeholders in achieving a reasonable Balance of Conservation priorities & Public engagement.

Summary of Potential conflicts & areas of common ground between

Countryside Managers&Archaeologists• Accessibility (DDA & Equal Ops Compliant) & Preservation of

Historic Monuments with Archaeological Artefacts eg Erosion.• Habitat & Species Management Programmes vs Preservation of

Historic Landscapes (eg issues - Livestock worrying & Theft) & Archaeological Artefacts vs Public access & Informal Recreation (Night-hawking by illegal metal detectorists-Treasure Hunting!).

• Modern Health & Safety Obligations vs Keeping Historic Landscapes Protected & Preserved in as near to original form eg Veteran Trees & Dead Wood vs Public Liability Claims

• Conservation of the historic landscape & associated features vs the need to embrace modern technologies to achieve effective Conservation Management at a realistic economic price (Given the numbers of staff available) eg Tractor Mounted Equipment & Powered Pedestrian kit eg BCS Reciprocator, Flail & Power Brush.

Summary of Areas of Common Ground-Conservation Managers,

Ecologists, Archaeologists, Architects-• Conservation & Preservation of high quality Habitats due to conservation

designations both Ecological (SSSI) & Archaeological /Historical (Grade 1 & Grade 2 Listed Buildings & Historic Landscapes (Duck Decoy)& Gardens)

• Shared interests in the effects of Climate, Weather, Soil Types, Geology, Geomorphology, Vegetation on the location & Interpretation of Features found in the British Landscape eg Environmental Archaeologists.

• The long term Conservation & Preservation of the most important elements of the British Countryside & built environment for the benefit of future generations. The aims & Objectives precise enough to ensure that the projects can be undertaken sustainably & Monitored using scientific principles allowing reasoned evaluations & assessments to be made & reported on. So Decision Makers can be positively Influenced -resulting in adequate budgetary funding (Hopefully ! Brexit ?).Aim of sustainability.

• The ability to reach reasonable compromises between the different professionals involved – Resulting in Win – Win Scenarios as often as reasonably practicable.

• The fact that there will be areas that we will have to accept that we will have to agree to disagree !

Coombe Abbey CP’s-Archaeology-

Coombe’s Duck Decoy 1880’s OS Map-

Duck Decoy in operation-

Coombe’s Duck Decoy-Only 1 in Warwickshire & 14 Active - Country.

Wild Flower Meadow & Roundel & Veteran Trees-Capability Brown 300yrs

Green Haying Conservation Project on Wildflower Meadow extension-

Snakeshead Fritillaries – reintroduction in damp areas in Wildflower Meadow-

BBQ’s at Coombe Country Park-

Old Style BBQ UnitDisability access Picnic Bench- now with metal portable bbq pad.

Some of Coombe’s BBQ Issues -

How some of our Public visitors choose to leave our site (we Tidy up!)

BBQ damage to memorial Picnic bench-Lack of respect to departed.

Solutions we have come up with-

Portable BBQ Slabs on ground-Quicker & Easier to clean -

Aluminium Plates on bench surfaces to protect from BBQ’S-

Problem of litter & Portable BBQ Scorch Marks on amenity grasslands-

Kissing Gate with Disability Access-

Veteran Oak Tree Bole on the Old Deer Park with dead & Living Wood areas-

Vane Trapping of Saproxylic Beetles-Links to Jon Webb & Saul Herbert.

Interpretation of rare beetles found in vane trap surveying on old deer park-

Lesser Stag Beetle-Dorcusparallelipipedus

Rhagium mordax – Longhorn Beetle-

True Service Tree’s- Wild Flower Meadow/Old Deer Park-Largest in

England-True Service Tree in full leaf True Service Tree Leaves & Fruit-

8 of the 9 Species Warwickshire Bat’s at Coombe Abbey Country Park-

Environment Agency-Health & Age checking Coombe Pool Fishery Stocks-

Biodiversity News Winter 2015/16-Warwickshire Harvest Mice Project-

Coombe Abbey Country Park- Warks Wildlife Trust/PTES/CCC-

Coombe Abbey Country Park-Bioblitz-OPAL / CACP-CCC / RNHS Partnership-

Nationally Benchmarked Standard-Parks&GreenSpacesCoombeAbbeyCP-

Truly Native Black Poplar-Populus nigravar.betufolia–Grown-Cutting-LBAP

Convolvulus Hawk Moth-Only one in Warwickshire that Year (David Brown).

Hedgehog Surveying Tube-Warwickshire Wildlife Trust-Rugby

Area Project Partnership

Adders Tongue Fern-Wildflower Meadow-

Warwickshire Bat Group Interpretation

Veteran Tree Management Old Deer Park-

Acid Grassland/Heathland-LBAP Priority Habitat-Regionally&Nationally

Bramble scrub control on edge of acid grassland as part of HLS Programme-

Corporate Volunteering Day-Conservation Task-Balsam Control-

Warks/WestMids Fire & Rescue Services-Rib Boat Carrying Lorry

Warwickshire Police, Environment Agency, Angling Trust & CACP-CCC -

Warwickshire & West Midlands Ambulance & Air Ambulance Services-

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust-Living Landscapes Project Bid-Interpretation-

Princethorpe Woodlands Living Landscape Project

Partners:Coventry City CouncilCoombe AbbeyButterfly ConservationFriends of Brandon WoodForestry CommissionLocal landownersNatural EnglandPeoples’ Trust for Endangered SpeciesThe Warwickshire Dormouse Conservation GroupWarwickshire County CouncilRugby District CouncilWarwickshire Wildlife TrustHanson AggregatesSmiths ConcreteWoodland Trust

Why this area?

PrincethorpeLiving Landscape

• Heritage

• Coombe Abbey

• Princethorpe College

• Fosse Way

• Ryton Pools CP

• Roman Lunt

• Brinklow castle

• Baginton Oak

• Woodlands used as coppice

Coombe (Abbey) Country Park’s –Coventry City Council’s Partners-

• Natural England (SSSI Agreement & HLS Agreement ) & JNCC (WeB’s)• English Heritage (Archaeology & Historic Monuments & Landscapes).• Environment Agency (Fishery & Aquatic Environment).• Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (Princethorpe Woodlands Living Landscape Project Bid, Hedgehog

Project-Rugby, Warwickshire Habitat Biodiversity Audit, LBAPS,HAPS)-• Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) – Harvest Mice Survey Project.• British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) –WeB’s, CBC, BBS, Bird-track, FBI, WBI• Royal Society For the Protection of Birds (RSPB)- BGBW, Winter & Water-Birds• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) –WeB’s• Warwickshire County Council (Archaeologist & Ecologist & Records & Museum )• Rugby Borough Council ( Planning Authority)• Reservoirs Inspectorate ( Dam Wall, Sluices, Spillway & weir checks)• Warwickshire Police, Fire & Rescue & Ambulance Services. (NHS & Air)• OPAL–Outdoor Laboratories– Citizen Science eg Worms &Soil+Biodiversity Surveys.• Defra – Department for Environment , Food & Rural Affairs (HLS –Agreement).• Butterfly Conservation (Warwickshire) – Transects-WFM & Acid Grasslands.

Coombe (Abbey) Country Park’s –Coventry City Council’s Partners-

• LANTRA- Land based Industry Training & Awards Body-Mower & Brushcutter.• Warwickshire College – Morton Morrell• Warwick University, Coventry University(Theraputic Care MSc),Birmingham University• Coventry, Warwickshire & Solihull’s – Local Biodiversity Action Plans (Habitats & Species).• Historic English Gardens Society-(Millar & Nesfield –Formal Gardens at Coombe Abbey CP)• Warwickshire Flora Group-Surveys & Monitoring eg Acid Grasslands 03/06/2016.• Warwickshire Bat Group (Bat Survey’s & Monitoring)• Warwickshire Reptile & Amphibian Team (Wart).• West Midlands Bird Group• Ancient Tree Forum – Veteran Tree Management Plans & Assessments• Coventry & Warwickshire’s Social Services Depts-Referals-Work Based Learning-Level 1

Award, Certificate & Diploma in work-based Land-based Operations (0072-11)• Coventry & Warwickshire’s NHS Trusts (Health) eg Green Gyms, Walking Programmes• Keep Britain Tidy Group (Green Flag Nationally Benchmarked Standard for Parks).• Department of Communities & Local Government (National Government)-Green Flag Awards• Mr Tim Newton – Consultant coleopterist – (Vane Trapping-Beetle Identifications)

The Local Authority Perspective on Ecology & Historic Landscape

Conservation – Summary -• The future lies in Effective Partnership working Especially Budget

sharing on compatible projects eg Princethrope Woodlands Living Landscapes Project – Heritage Lottery Funding Bid.

• Facilitating & Enabling – Bigger, Better, More joined up (as per the Lawson Report) in terms of Ecological & Conservation Project Delivery & State of Nature Report 2016 (Responses to & Call to Action)– Biodiversity Monitoring for all species groups eg CACP Bioblitz’s (Next 12/05/17)( Experts & Citizen Science Programmes eg OPAL).

• Positively encouraging Professionals to share their knowledge with others & look for areas of Common Ground in their Aims/Objectives & Desired Outcomes/Key Performance Indicators eg Ecologists/Wildlife & Countryside Managers, Archaeologists, Landscape Architects, Historic Gardeners, Fishery Managers, Environmental / Ecological Educators & Interpreters, Scientific researchers (eg Botanists, Ornithologists, Coleopterists, Mycologists, Bryologists, Lichenologists etc.).

Conclusions & Recommendations-

• Effective Partnership Working between Agencies & Stakeholders is the way forward in the future (A truly symbiotic relationship !)

• This will facilitate & enable the realisation of achievable sustainable goals in the short, medium & longer term eg CEnv, CMIEEM, CEcol.

• Collaboration by a range of Professionals, their employers, Professional Institutes & learned Bodies- will result in more scientific approaches & reasoned arguments & better outcomes (Based on evidence- eg The State of Nature Report 2016) for the British Countryside/Landscape & its dependant Biodiversity,Heritage, Historic & Cultural Diversity-People.(Win –Win!)

• All of the people here can have a positive effect on the outcomes that they are responsible for. Craft good questions! Obtain precise, relevant & Scientifically substantiated Answers =A firm basis for effective decision making (Based on best evidence)- advocating & influencing adequate funding & enhancing long term sustainability

Bibliography & References –

• Coombe Country Park – Management Plan 2012 - 2017.• Coombe Country Park – Management Plan 2006 – 2011.• Coombe Country Park – Veteran Tree Management Plans-Coombe.• Coombe (Abbey) Country Park-Higher Level Stewardship Agreement 2013 -2023 – AG00535571.• Coombe (Abbey) Country Park-Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Agreement –NCC > English Nature > Natural

England.• Warwickshire Biodiversity Audit-WCC & Warks Wildlife Trust• Coventry, Warwickshire & Solihull – Local Biodiversity Action Plans- (Habitats) Parkland Pasture & Veteran Trees,

Acid Grassland, Neutral Grassland, Reed-beds, Rivers & Streams, Eutrophic Lakes, Parklands, Alder & Willow Carr, Scrub, (Species)-Song Thrush, Barn Owl, Bats, Black Poplars

• The Princethrope Woodlands – Website – www.princethropewoodlands.com• Managing Habitats for Conservation – William Sutherland• Ecological Survey & Monitoring – William Sutherland• Habitat Management for Invertebrates by Keith Alexander• British Wildlife Magazine-Volume27-February 2016-Duck Decoy’s –Stars of the Pond Landscape by Andrew M

Heaton pgs 162-170.• Grassland Monitoring Report –English Nature• Habitat Fragmentation –Species at Risk- Invertebrate Group Identification-No 89-English Nature Research Reports• The Parkland Inventory Project- A Pilot study for an inventory of Park Lands –No147-English Nature Research

Reports.• Towards Sustainable Grazing for Biodiversity-An analysis of Conservation Grazing Projects & Their constaraints-

No.316 by R.W.Small, C.Poulter, D.A.Jefferies & C.J.Bacon August 1999

Special Thanks to the CACP Team-

• Murray Hayden – CACP Education Officer

• Fiona Mackenzie – CACP Interpretation Officer

• Emma Cosgrove – CACP Visitors Centre Manager.

• Wendy Muir – CACP Estate Officer

• Michael Thackwray – CACP Estate Officer

• Chris Turner & Sean Millar – CACP Gardeners

• Ann Akerman –CACP / War Memorial Park

• Anthony Molloy–Street Pride & Green Spaces-CCC-Line Manager of the Estate & Gardener’s.