Archived decisions

Contact: Katie McDonald, ext 6775

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That officers be authorised to finalise and submit to the European Commission an application for funding for an extensive programme of works under the LIFE 3 Programme.

(ii) That authority be given for Hampshire County Council to be named as the Beneficiary in a bid for European funding.

2. Reasons

2.1 The New Forest is one of the most important sites for wildlife in the United Kingdom and is widely recognised as being of exceptional importance for nature conservation throughout Europe. A candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) with outstanding examples of 13 habitats of European interest are represented, together with two priority habitats types - bog woodland and riverine woodland.

2.2 Whilst the LIFE 2 New Forest LIFE Partnership (1997-2001) delivered considerable conservation work on the ground, it also demonstrated there was still much work to be done. In particular, the partnership now better understands the significance of the wetland processes in sustaining the quality and quantity of habitats. The extensive work proposed under the LIFE 3 application on the hydrology of the wetlands and the habitats that support them will bring significant benefit to the cSAC overall.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 The alternative option is not to submit a bid. However, this would present a lost opportunity to secure the sustainable conservation of the New Forest, to secure additional funding from Europe and to build on the successful efforts of the partners in the LIFE 2 project.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member of Officer Consulted - Not applicable.

5. Dispensation Granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

7. Introduction

7.1 Following the success of the LIFE¹ 2 - New Forest Life Partnership a bid for further support for funding from the EU under the LIFE 3 Programme was made by the County Council.

7.2 This report comments on the result of the County Council's application on behalf of the New Forest LIFE Partnership for Funding in September 2000 and requests support for the submission of a new application to the European Commission LIFE 3 Fund in 2001.

8. Background

8.1 The New Forest LIFE 2 Partnership Project, due for completion at the end of September 2001, was part funded by the LIFE Nature Fund. It has implemented an exciting and important programme to restore over 4,000 hectares of Special Area of Conservation; produced an integrated management plan to maintain the conservation status of the New Forest in favourable condition; and the National Trust purchased 500 hectares of land for nature conservation benefit. It was the largest funded project of its kind in the United Kingdom, with total costs equating to £5.25 million. The European Commission funded half these costs.

8.2 This project has been acknowledged as a successful example of delivery of the Natura 2000 objectives at local, regional and European level, displaying shared commitment to the management of the New Forest Special Area of Conservation through a partnership of organisations.

8.3 On 4 September 2000 the former Planning and Transportation Committee authorised the submission of an application for LIFE 3 funding on behalf of the New Forest LIFE Partnership. The project was for a further four years funding from the LIFE Nature Fund with a total cost of £11.8 million.

8.4 A response was received from Europe on 19 July 2001. Unfortunately the New Forest application was not selected for funding. The Commission received 310 proposals, representing a total request for 303 Million Euros (approximately £190 million) against an available budget of 80.6 Million Euros (approximately £50 million).

9. New Application for September 2001

9.1 In view of the enormous efforts put into the LIFE 3 submission and because of the motivation of the partners, the New Forest LIFE Partnership has compiled a new application for 2001, concentrating on EC priority habitats.

9.2 Hampshire County Council has again offered its project management skills to help the partnership prepare the bid. The scale of the project has been reduced, the works proposed now focusing solely on the priority habitats. Efficiency savings have also been made, particularly with regard to the management costs. The level of monitoring has also been reduced resulting in a total project cost of about £4 million.

9.3 The partners in the proposed joint bid include English Nature, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission, The National Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

9.4 The following organisations will form part of a wider consultative group for the project: Hampshire Wildlife Trust, New Forest Committee, Ninth Centenary Trust, Verderers of the New Forest and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

9.5 Other organisations will be invited to join as the scope of the bid becomes clearer. These might include, for example, Southampton University which has major research links with the New Forest wetlands.

10. Project Objectives

10.1 The proposed New Forest LIFE 3 Project builds on the success of LIFE 2 and focuses on the areas that were highlighted by the LIFE 2 programme as those which require significant input before sustainable management can be reached.

10.2 The overall objective of the proposed programme is to enable the sustainable management of the riverine woodland and bog woodland habitats in the Natura 2000 network.

10.3 The project objective is to restore the priority interest features of the New Forest SAC and to enhance their long term sustainability through the integrated management of the water basins. Whilst they are named in the SAC management plan, they are not currently resourced and work would certainly not take place at this scale without the assistance of LIFE Nature funding. A total of 1,698 hectares of SAC will be improved.

11. Timetable

11.1 Once the details of the submission to the European Commission have been finalised by the partnership the intention is to submit the funding bid in September 2001.

11.2 Initially the submission will be presented to the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for approval. If satisfied, DEFRA will then forward the bid to the European Commission, probably during October or November 2001. The earliest indication of success or failure will be through informal channels in March 2002, with a formal decision being announced in June 2002.

11.3 If the project is successful works could begin in July 2002 and will last for four years.

12. Future Resource Implications

12.1 As project manager, Hampshire County Council will play an important role ensuring the delivery of the project. Focusing on the legal aspects of contract management and financial administration of the project, the resources will constitute a small part of the overall project. The majority of the funds required for the practical works will be borne by the other project partners.

12.2 The resource implications of the bid can be met from the existing operational budgets of the planning department.

13. Contracts with the LIFE 3 Partners

13.1 Hampshire County Council will be the beneficiary in the contract offered by the European Commission. In turn the County Council will enter into legally binding contracts with each of the partners to ensure that it carries legal liability solely for its part of the work, and that partners in turn carry their legal liabilities to deliver the EC contract.

13.2 Progress of the bid will be reported at appropriate stages. No contractual obligations will be incurred until after a formal contract has been accepted and signed by the County Council.

6656/KMcD