Archived decisions

Contact: Emma Beagley, tel 01489 576 387

email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report summarises the activities and events regarding the environment of the River from July 2005.

2. Corporate Strategy

2.1 This report supports Aims 1 to 5 of the Corporate Strategy (Maximising Life Opportunities, Stewardship of the Environment, Building Strong and Safe Communities and Improving Services) by contributing to the statutory duties entailed in the management of the River Hamble.

3. River Hamble Estuary Management Plan Implementation Forum

3.1 The River Hamble Estuary Management Plan Implementation Forum met on 23 November 2005. At the meeting the Harbour Master briefed the Forum on the new Harbour Authority structure and the establishment of the River Hamble Annual Forum. The Implementation Forum thought that this would provide an ideal opportunity to annually update the River Hamble stakeholders on its work and the implementation of the River Hamble Estuary Management Plan on the River. It was therefore actioned that the Management Plan Officer, the Assistant Harbour Master (Environment), should put this suggestion to the Harbour Board.

3.2 The Hamble Estuary Management Plan Student Research Fund, set up to help implement the aims and policies of the Management Plan, has received one application which was considered at the last Implementation Forum meeting. The application was from a student undertaking research into the attitudes and practices adopted by river users in respect of pollution prevention and waste disposal. The Implementation Forum felt funding could be offered if the student included an additional question in his questionnaire. It is hoped that the results of this study will provide information from which further research can be undertaken and/or will help inform management practice.

4. River Hamble Education Group

4.1 The River Hamble Education Group is a sub-group of the Implementation Forum set up to help implement the educational aims and policies of the Management Plan. The Group felt that the best way to address many of the current educational aims and policies needing action, as well as some of the problems highlighted by the Group, would be to set up a portal type website for the Hamble area.

4.2 The Group is lucky to have a Member representing Southampton Solent University. As a result the project has been taken on as part of a media and web design course for second year undergraduates at the University. The Assistant Harbour Master (Environment) introduced the project and the Group's requirements for the website to the students in November 2005. It is hoped that the Group will be able to pick the best site design in April/May 2006 which will then be published. A holding page will be published in the meantime.

4.3 The design of the site will have similarities to the Interpretation Boards that were installed on the River in September 2005. The boards already carry the website address under the `for further information' section. The map seen on the interpretation boards will be utilised within the website design.

5. Eastleigh Borough Tourism - Hamble Valley

5.1 Hamble Valley Tourism, Eastleigh Borough Council's tourism unit, has closed. The service was withdrawn in December 2005. The River Hamble Harbour Office will continue as a Visitor Information Point dispensing leaflets and local information as part of the Visitor Information Network.

5.2 The potential gap created by the loss of the service will hopefully be filled by a Southampton-based company, Walking Distance. Walking Distance is taking on the Hamble Valley brand from January 2006 and will continue to circulate the current Hamble Valley leaflets while stocks last. They are also proposing to produce the 2006 Hamble Valley Visitors' Guide, and Pocket Guide.

6. Bait Collection

6.1 The River has witnessed an increase in bait collection activity in the last few months. The activity is of concern generally, due to the attitude and actions of commercial bait diggers.

6.2 Commercial bait diggers work in groups, usually of three or more, and intensively dig over the inter-tidal areas of the River, removing Rag and Lug worms. Potential problems arise when the bait collector does not backfill the holes he creates. This makes the area dug look very unsightly and also potentially damages the structure of the inter-tidal area.

6.3 The Harbour Office receives numerous calls from concerned River users about bait collection activity and its aftermath; the houseboat owners are especially vigilant. Where possible the Patrol staff will attempt to communicate with the bait collectors in question, but this can sometimes be difficult and potentially confrontational.

6.4 Bait collection as highlighted as an activity that has the potential to damage the designated habitats and/or their features in the Solent European Marine Site (SEMS) Management Scheme. The SEMS Management Group produced a voluntary code of conduct called `The Bait Collectors' Code' as an educative measure and the River Hamble Harbour Office finds that it works well when given to those digging for bait for personal use.

6.5 The Code does not help in the education of the commercial bait collectors. The River Hamble Harbour Patrol Officers do when possible pass on copies of the Code and River Hamble Bye-Laws to those they can reach, but there are practical problems with this.

6.6 The Assistant Harbour Master (Environment) is consulting with English Nature to see if there are any other avenues which can be utilised to try and control the commercial bait collecting activity on the River. The Hamble Estuary Management Plan Student Research Fund is also looking for students to undertake research into the effects of bait collection on the River and its habitats. This research would be in parallel with work being undertaken elsewhere in the Solent and will help inform management of the activity on the River.

7. Marine Consent Timing Issues

7.1 When applying for consent to undertake dredging (or construction) works in the River the applicant will have to seek consent from The Marine Consents and Environment Unit (MCEU) at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The MCEU, as part of its statutory consultation process, will seek advice from English Nature and the Environment Agency (amongst others). The Harbour Office and some commercial operators on the River noticed that the Food and Environmental Protection Act consents issued after November 2005 all now carry the condition that work must cease by 15 March 2006. Previously this was the end of March.

7.2 The change is a result of the advice given by the Environment Agency on the timing of works with regard to fisheries, especially salmonid species. This change was introduced with no information as to why, so the Assistant Harbour Master (Environment) brought together representatives of the Fisheries scientists and Development Control Officers from the Environment Agency with the Commercial Operators from the River affected by the timing issue and the Harbour Master to find out more and establish a workable way forward.

7.3 It would appear that the Environment Agency is being consistent with the advice it issues regarding fisheries timing issues in other areas such as the Test and Itchen. But it is known that the River Hamble does not have anywhere near the level of salmonid species that the other Rivers in the area do. Therefore through discussion it was agreed that the Harbour Office, in partnership with Dr Paul Tosswell, would look into ways of ensuring dredging activity, in particular the sediment level in the water, remained within the parameters that the Environment Agency set as safe for fish migration.

7.4 It is hoped that this work will provide a method of monitoring that meets the criteria of the Environment Agency and that will therefore allow the dredging activity to continue on the River till the end of March. Methods may include sensors that monitor the level of sediment in the water, or similar technologies.

8. Marine Bill

8.1 In December 2004 DEFRA published its five year strategy "Delivering the Essentials of Life" committing DEFRA to improving the current framework for managing and protecting marine resources through a Marine Bill, and then in January 2005 the Government announced its commitment to a "new framework for the seas...". To date it has not been established what the Marine Bill will cover but it will put in place a better system for delivering sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment, and key themes it could cover include:

· Marine Spatial Planning

· Improvements to coastal management

· Improvements to the marine consents process

· Fisheries management

· Marine Nature conservation including Marine Protected Areas

· Possible Marine Management Organisation (MMO)

8.2 January 2006 sees the start of an intensive consultation period for the Marine Bill. DEFRA intends to start the process by publishing a consultation document setting out what it expects to be covered in the Marine Bill, how it envisages the separate parts fitting together, and setting out DEFRA's thinking and the options for four significant parts of the Bill: Marine Spatial Planning; marine consents; marine species and habitat protection; and a possible MMO. The area of fisheries has already been substantially developed through the recent fisheries reviews. Alongside this consultation document DEFRA intends to run participatory stakeholder events. All comments will be drawn together by DEFRA and the draft Marine Bill will be published by November 2006 at the latest. Introduction to Parliament will be dependent upon the availability of Parliamentary time, but it is likely to be sometime during 2007.

8.3 DEFRA is working to develop proposals for the Marine Bill with other Government departments and with the administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The main source for information on the Marine Bill can currently be found at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/marine/uk/policy/marine-bill/index.htm

8.4 A number of voluntary environmental organisations have joined forces to form Wildlife and Countryside LINK. These organisations are:

· Buglife

· Council for British Archaeology

· Marine Connection

· Marine Conservation Society

· Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

· Shark Trust

· The Wildlife Trusts

· Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

· World Wildlife Fund -UK

8.5 Wildlife and Countryside LINK has been involved throughout the five year process that lead to the Marine Bill, including the Review of Marine Nature Conservation. It has produced a number of bulletins and papers to `... inform and focus thinking as the Marine Bill develops'. These papers can be found at www.wcl.org.uk

8.6 The British Ports Association (BPA) has recognised that the Marine Conservation element is well represented in the Marine Bill process by Wildlife and Countryside LINK but that the commercial sector, especially ports and harbours, does not currently have such a platform for its views. The Seabed User and Developer Group has been formed and the BPA is a member. The group is coordinating the commercial response to the statements being made by the environmental organisations on what might or might not happen with the Marine Bill.

8.7 Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is the term used to describe the integrated management of different coastal activities and therefore describes the work of groups like the Implementation Forum, the River Hamble Streamlined Consents Advisory Group and the Solent Forum. ICZM is to be included in the Marine Bill under two elements: Marine Spatial Planning and improvements to licensing for marine activities.

8.8 DEFRA is currently compiling the English ICZM Strategy - to clarify the Government's vision for the coast and what it sees as the aims of ICZM. This strategy will be put together with the strategies for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and will be presented to the European Union (EU) as the UK ICZM Strategy. Elements of this will undoubtedly be included in the Marine Bill. This could mean changes for the way groups like those mentioned above operate.

8.9 As consultation gets underway the Harbour Authority will be represented by the BPA, as a partner of the Implementation Forum and the Solent Forum, and also as part of Hampshire County Council. The Harbour Authority should urge its stakeholders to get involved in the consultation process as the Marine Bill is the single biggest chance for a considerable amount of time to affect such big changes to the coastal environment and the way it is managed.

9. Impact Assessments

9.1 This report provides a position statement only, therefore an impact assessment, in terms of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, has not been undertaken.

Recommendations

1. That this report be noted.

2. That the River Hamble Harbour Board allow the River Hamble Estuary Management Plan Implementation Forum to present an annual update on its work at the River Hamble Forum.

733(B)/EB