Archived decisions

Contact: Julia Davey, ext 6732 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report recommends that the County Council will have regard to the Blashford Lakes Strategic Management Plan (BLSMP) in the determination of planning applications and other decisions within the area, and to the proposed Terms of Reference for the Blashford Lakes Consultative Forum and the BLSMP Steering Group, attached as an appendix.

2. Background

2.1 The BLSMP has been prepared to review and update the Blashford Lakes Management Strategy and Plan 1992 (known as `the Blue Book').

2.2 The Blue Book was produced by Wessex Water and a number of partners, including Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council, as a requirement of a legal agreement attached to a planning permission granted by the County Council in December 1992 which permitted the use of lakes within the Blashford Area post mineral extraction for public water storage (the Blashford Lakes Reservoir Scheme).

2.3 The recommendation in the Blue Book was that the plan should be reviewed every four to five years. However, although Wessex Water has substantially met its obligations in the Management Strategy the partners now consider that it needs to be reviewed to keep abreast of legislative and other changes that have taken place since it was first published.

2.4 Moreover, some planning decisions for the extensions to existing quarries in the Avon Valley are at variance with proposals in the Blue Book and a number of the lakes have been included in National, European and International nature conservation designations.

3. The Review

3.1 The review was undertaken by a partnership (the BLSMP Steering Group) which comprised representatives of Hampshire County Council, Wessex Water, Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water, the Environment Agency, English Nature, the Hampshire Wildlife Trust and New Forest District Council.

3.2 Land Use Consultants (`LUC') were commissioned to undertake the work.

3.3 Preparation of the BLSMP has involved consultation with many stakeholders and interest groups in the study area, including Ellingham, Harbridge and Ibsley Parish Council and Ringwood Town Council. A draft of the BLSMP was published in July 2004 for public consultation. Around 20 people and organisations responded, and changes to the BLSMP were made accordingly.

4. The Review Document

4.1 The document establishes the strategic aim of the BLSMP as:

"To ensure that existing and future uses at Blashford Lakes, including water storage and supply, sport and recreation, nature conservation, mineral working and restoration, and residential amenity, are mutually accommodated as far as is practicable, within the framework set by legislation."

4.2 Ten key principles covering issues such as the need to achieve multiple land use objectives; water supply regime consistent with nature conservation and recreation objectives; landscape management; public access; environmental education; and, implementation through the Blashford Lakes Consultative Forum are proposed.

4.3 The BLSMP:

(i) updates the objectives and detailed management proposals for all the activities that take place within the study area, and for individual lakes, water courses and areas of land within the area;

(ii) revises the terms of reference for the Blashford Lakes Consultative Committee, including extending its membership, re-titling it the Blashford Lakes Consultative Forum, which will be chaired by a local Member of the New Forest District Council; and

(iii) updates the terms of reference for the BLSMP Steering Group.

4.4 It is proposed that ongoing monitoring of the BLSMP should be overseen by the Blashford Lakes Steering Group, reporting to the Blashford Lakes Consultative Forum.

4.5 Finally it is proposed that the BLSMP should be formally reviewed in 2010, although it is envisaged that the detailed management proposals will need to be reviewed on a more frequent basis.

5. Director of Environment's Comments

5.1 Within the area of the BLSMP most of the issues arise from land management, where the Council's Rights of Way service has an important role, and local planning issues, in which the district council will take the lead. However, the County Council has a limited role in connection with the planning legacy of the mineral operations which have created the Lakes. Although there are still substantial mineral deposits in the Avon Valley these lie outside of the BLSMP area. Proposals for the use of these deposits will be considered through the Hampshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework. There may be some residual mineral planning matters arising from the restoration and after-use of the lakes. In those cases the BLSMP will provide helpful advice.

6. Impact Assessments

6.1 Assessment of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act has been considered in this response but no adverse impact has been identified in terms of race, creed or gender.

Recommendation

That Hampshire County Council will have regard to the Blashford Lakes Strategic Management Plan in the determination of planning applications and other decisions within the area.

899Rpt/JD