Agenda item

Purpose of the Report: Scrutiny of Services

This report updates the Committee on the development of a joint strategy for Surrey’s Countryside Estate. The Committee is requested to establish a Member Reference Group and agree how they would like to input and engage with the development of the strategy.

Declarations of interests:

None

Witnesses:

Lisa Creaye Griffin, Countryside Group Manager

Sam Cunningham, Senior Change Consultant

Key points raised during the discussion:

1. The report was introduced by the Countryside Group Manager who explained that a Countryside Estate Strategy Member Reference Group (MRG) would focus on developing questions for the public engagement exercise, supporting the drafting of the Countryside strategy and the three year business plan.
2. It was clarified that since the partnership had been established in 2002 there was no overarching strategy for the Countryside although each area within the Countryside had a management strategy in place. In terms on key achievements, the Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) had improved conservation sites that formed part of the estate and would be focusing on improving visitor’s services going forward.
3. With the reduction of funding to the Countryside from the County Council and the impact of the loss of funding through Brexit, there was a plan in place to replace funding. It was explained that DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) would be lobbied for financial support.
4. The Countryside Group Manager explained that SWT would be in attendance at MRG meetings and confirmed that EU funding for the Countryside currently stood at £300k.
5. The Chairman requested that officers confirmed what ideas had been considered as part of income generating activity on the Countryside estate.
6. It was confirmed that the MRG would be given the opportunity to review funding sources to support the management of the Countryside estate.
7. In response to a Member question, it was confirmed that discussions around the development of the strategy with a number of partner organisations including Natural England and the Forestry Commission had already taken place.
8. The Chairman queried the timescales for strategy launch in February 2019. Officers explained that work on the strategy would be prioritised for launch in March 2019 to coincide with the 60^th anniversary of SWT.
9. A Member of the Committee queried the timescales for engagement with the public and asked if this was an appropriate amount of time. The Senior Change Consultant explained that 8 weeks was the standard amount of time given for public engagement exercises and that a number of channels including social media and focus groups would be used to support activity.

Cllr Heath briefly left the meeting at 10.42am

10. It was stated by a Member that public engagement should also include holding events for residents to attend.
11. In regards to charging on the Countryside, the Countryside Group Manager explained that as part of the engagement activity officers wanted to understand the public desire for setting variable costs.    
12. A Member of the Committee stated the importance of clarifying and communicating with the public the costs associated with maintaining and supporting the Countryside. It was further added that DEFRA would be focusing on ‘public money for public goods’ and that this was something that the MRG should focus on as a possible avenue for future funding.  
13. It was agreed that the Committee should be notified of when a Countryside Estate Strategy MRG meeting would be taking place.

Resolved:

1. The Select Committee agreed the following membership of the Countryside Estate Strategy Member Reference Group, subject to agreement by COSC,

·         Richard Hampson

·         Tina Mountain

·         Jonathan Essex

2. The Countryside Estate Strategy Member Reference Group to report back on work undertaken to support the countryside estate strategy at the 22 February 2019 Select Committee meeting.