Hampshire County Council

Sir George Staunton Country Park Joint Management Item 7

Committee

13 June 2005

Park Managers Report

Contact: Lewis Paterson (Telephone: 023 9245 3405).

1. Introduction

1.1 The following report updates members of the Joint Management Committee on developments at the Park since the previous Park Managers Report presented on 2^nd December 2004.

1.2 The Park has enjoyed busy Christmas and Easter periods. On several occasions the car park was near capacity and all children's activity clubs were fully booked.

1.3 The Park budgets have undergone a restructure, and are now cost centred. This gives team leaders greater control of their respective areas. This will also enable improved monitoring of business patterns and trends to take place.

1.4 The ornamental farm is undergoing a phase of rejuvenation, with a new Senior Farm Ranger and many new animals. The Ranger Team continues to build upon its good community and Estate management work. Horticultural work remains of the highest standard and the team is currently working on a number of plans to improve the visitor experience. The catering and gift shop arms of the business are performing well, and plans are in place to further develop both of these key income generating areas.

1.5 Shared working practices between all teams continues to thrive and common linking strands from the now established Education Service only serve to strengthen these.

1 Staffing

1.1 A recent recruitment drive has resulted in three vacant, or soon to be vacant, posts being filled. These posts were;

· Senior Farm Ranger, Lee Abrahart (started 1^st April);

· Education Officer, Kerry Bailey (started 18^th April); and

· Marketing Officer, Leah Harrison (starting 4^th July); and

1.2 A number of vacancies remain within the team and recruitment to these posts is anticipated to commence prior to the summer season.

2 Site Information

Farm

2.1 Stock levels are now steadily increasing. The breeding programme for sheep and cattle has been successful. Once again we have had a good number of twin lambs born. Lambing and calving has now finished with a total of 65 lambs and 9 calves born.

2.2 The Senior Farm Ranger is currently attempting to re-establish the pig breeding programme following the acquisition of a Large White boar. A Saddleback piglet has also been purchased from Manor farm and will be used for breeding once it reaches maturity.

2.3 The ornamental farm has recently taken delivery of a pair of breeding turkeys, these are now located within the children's paddock.

2.4 Work continues on improving the visitor experience on and around the farm with regular animal encounter sessions. The Park team is also working with design students from South Downs College to continue the development of our interpretation panels.

2.5 The area of farm land located at Little Leigh and leased from Portsmouth City Council has been relinquished as its quality was not sufficient for our farming operations. Positive discussions have been held with Portsmouth Water Ltd for the Park to take on a lease of their farm land to the north west of Thicket Lawn.

Glasshouses and Formal Gardens

2.6 The gardens team have recently completed planting of a wildflower border along the Petersfield Road boundary of the Ornamental Farm. This incorporates a living willow tunnel that will form part of the new dinosaur trail. The wildflower border will also be utilised to form strong visitor links to Leigh Park Gardens and the areas of ancient woodland.

2.7 Plans for this years Walled Garden planting include vegetable and herb beds with a theme of companion planting. The south border will be planted as mixed border with vegetable, floral and herbal elements. The sub-tropical border will also be replanted adjacent to the vinery.

2.8 Our Head Horticulturist has recently taken delivery of a number of Palms and Tropical Arum Lily's, which will be planted in the main Stove House. The Jade Vine, which we acquired from Cambridge University Botanical Gardens, is becoming well established within the glass house and will hopefully flower in the next two years.

2.9 The glass houses now have a new MP3 sound system installed which greatly adds to the atmosphere.

2.10 In conjunction with the Landscape Advisory Group the Park team is developing regency planting schemes for the Oval Garden border and will in the future consider planting schemes for the restored Front Lawn area.

2.11 Archaeology students from King Alfred's College, Winchester, are currently undertaking project work within the vicinity of the Gothic Library to begin identifying path locations and the exact site of Staunton original mansion. This is the first stage of works by King Alfred's students which will eventually, it is hoped, lead to accurate mapping of the South Garden path and planting network.

Leigh Park Gardens & Ancient Woodland

2.12 Tree thinning has been undertaken at Hammonds Land, within the forest, in order to re-establish areas of woodland pasture. The extracted timber will be sold as fire wood. Rotational coppicing has also been re-established at Thicket Bottom.

2.13 Open College Network accredited courses have once again re-commence, with the Ranger Team and students working closely together to achieve a number of key tasks within Leigh Park Gardens and the woodland. This has included the surfacing of the Well Meadow view point picnic area.

2.14 In partnership with the Conservation Grazing Scheme Thicket Lawn has now been re-fenced, allowing the re-introduction of stock. Gradually this area will be cleared of scrub and will return to outlying landscaped parkland.

2.15 Thicket Lawn forms an important boundary with the Leigh Park Housing Estate and formalised entrances to the Country Park will help with a number of management issues.

2.16 As part of CREW (Crime Reduction Environment Week) the Ranger Team have been working with local enforcement bodies such as the Police and Community Enforcement Officers to target anti-social behaviour, such as fly tipping etc, from neighbouring areas such as Winterslow Drive.

2.17 Fencing of Wakefords Copse is now complete. During this project the Ranger Team have worked closely with the Time to Think scheme. This is aimed at children who are likely to be excluded from main stream education, in this instance from nearby Warblington school.

2.18 Fishing at the Ornamental Lake continues to be popular. A number of minor changes have been made to this years membership scheme which include junior members being coached as part of the Kingfisher scheme in order to be allowed to fish unsupervised. Coaching will be undertaken by the Park's Senior Ranger following successful application to the National Federation of Anglers / Environment Agency coaching scheme. It is anticipated that this can commence from September 2005.

2.19 An area of hard standing has been created adjacent to the lake so that anglers with disabilities may gain vehicular access to the site.

2.20 Staunton Country Park has applied for a 2005 Green Flag Award and judging took place on Friday 27^th May. Results will be announced during July.

Visitor Services

2.21 The reduced annual membership charges remain popular with member numbers now in excess of one thousand eight hundred.

2.22 Last years Christmas events proved extremely popular, with the majority of days fully booked and the event as a whole exceeding budget targets.

2.23 Holiday activity clubs held during the February half term and Easter holidays have been fully booked. Activity clubs will continue to form an integral part of all main school holidays and will be organised by the Education Officer. Identifying mechanisms to increase capacity is now a priority.

2.24 It is intended to develop the potential for events (and conferencing) at Staunton. The Park's management team is currently preparing a detailed business plan that with a view to recruiting a Conference, Functions & Events officer to oversee this area. This will enable a dedicated staff member to pursue new business and build relationships with existing customers.

Catering & Conferencing

2.25 In additional to the day to day Tea Rooms business, children's parties are once again becoming popular at the Park. These will provide an important future income stream.

2.26 In an effort to increase service efficiency during peak times a number of changes have been made within the tea rooms. These have focussed on reducing the demand on the kitchens for the provision of sandwiches, salads, children's packed lunches, jacket potatoes etc. These items can now all be provided from the servery counter. During the recent Easter period this has resulted in a peak service financial turnover increase in the region of 20%.

2.27 The Park team is currently preparing the Victorian Coach House to operate as a café during weekends and holidays. It is anticipated that this service will be trialled at weekends from mid June. It is planned that the catering facility will be followed by a cycle hire operation during July.

2.28 Bookings for meetings and functions have remained steady.

2.29 The equipment fit out of the conference room is now nearing completion. Following a recent award of capital monies from Hampshire County Council bespoke conferencing seating has now been ordered.

2.30 A key part of the Park's 2005/06 marketing strategy will be aimed at attracting new conferencing and meetings business.

Education

2.31 The education service at Staunton is now becoming well established with school bookings to the end of March already exceeding last years total (with four months of the academic year remaining).

2.32 The Park has now entered into an educational partnership with Portsmouth Water Ltd. We will now be delivering a jointly developed programme of water based education topics. To this end a range of information and activity sheets focussing on this area have now been produced.

2.33 Staunton recently played host to the Countryside Live event (17^th March). This was put on by the Countryside Foundation for Education and attracted over one thousand local school children to view a range of educational opportunities. Staunton's education service was well represented and it is anticipated that the raised awareness of our service will result in additional bookings.

2.34 The Education Officer has established a local schools membership scheme to encourage their greater use of the Park. Twelve local schools have been invited to join and seven have so far accepted. The scheme will be monitored for one academic year before a decision is taken on whether it should be expanded.

2.35 Artefacts for the refurbished dinosaur trail have now been ordered from the Natural History Museum. It is anticipated that this trail will be re-launched in time for the school summer holidays.

Lottery Update

2.36 Following our recent bid submission further discussions have taken place with the Heritage Lottery Fund. Whilst feedback on the park was highly complimentary the Heritage Lottery Fund indicated that they would like to see future investment distributed more widely across the Park. Officers have been encouraged to withdraw the current bid and resubmit a revised bid during November 2005.

2.37 Working closely with the Park's Landscape Advisory Group plans for the final stage of the current phase of lottery works are currently being finalised. Due to changes in available funding this work now focuses on restoration of paths, a shrubbery, and the installation of a number of benches and litter bins at key locations.

3 Leigh Park Nursery Site

3.1 A project group comprising personnel from Staunton Country Park; Havant Day Services; Hampshire County Council Social Services; Hampshire CC Countryside Service; and Sparsholt Agricultural College has been established to look into possible uses for the site.

3.2 A bid for feasibility study funding has been made to the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Partnership, under the Area Investment Framework. It is hoped that this funding will enable a detailed study into the creation of a fully accessible training and education centre on the site. The facility is intended to be inclusive of people with disabilities and learning difficulties through the expansion and consolidation of existing partnerships and projects.

4 Recommendations

4.1 That the Joint Management Committee support in principal the development of a fully accessible training and educational centre on the Leigh Park Nursery site (formerly occupied by the Beneficial Foundation).

4.2 That the Joint Management Committee note the content of this report.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report. NB this list excluded:

1. Published works.

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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