February 2010
Severn Estuary Partnership Manager Leaves
Jonathan Mullard, SEP Manager, is leaving the Partnership at the end of March, to take up a management role with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in Whitehall. Jonathan said ‘It has been a difficult decision for me, as I have enjoyed working for the Partnership so much. I hope that in the time I have been Manager I have been able to establish a clear direction for the organisation and to raise its profile. I wish the Partnership well and will be following developments on the Estuary with interest.’
The SEP Manager position will be advertised in the near future by Cardiff University. In the interim Jeanette Reis, a researcher in the Marine and Coastal Environment Group, who has extensive project management experience, will be working one day a week to ensure progress on a number of schemes that Jonathan has initiated. The remaining three posts of SEP Officer, SEP Assistant and Web Content Officer remain in place and it is the Management Group’s intention to maintain a team of four staff for the Partnership.
For more information contact mullardjd@cardiff.ac.uk, or severn@cardiff.ac.uk
SAC/SPA Designation Update
SAC/SPA designation update; all relevant local authorities have received a letter (dated the 11th November 2009) from the nature conservation agencies to notify them of the new SAC designation. Additional letters will be sent out on the 10th February 2010 to notify landowners, occupiers, competent bodies and interested parties of the SAC designation.
Newport Wetlands SSSI
The Newport Wetlands Centre is soon to be officially designated as a SSSI. The area has 17 features and the designation would extend seaward of the sea defences.
Celebrating the Severn
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is releasing its 24 page version of ‘Celebrating the Severn’ on 2nd March at the House of Lords. This pre-election parliamentary event is intended to highlight the current issues on the Severn to the government.
Finding Sanctuary Drop in Day
Date: 23rd Mar 10
Region: Bristol
Venue: The Kings Arms, 168 Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2XZ
Time: 10am-8pm
This is an opportunity for anyone interested in the Finding Sanctuary Project or the Marine Conservation Zone planning process in general to meet the Project Team and ask any questions that they might have. The Finding Sanctuary team will also be available to conduct mapping interviews with anyone that wishes to share information about their marine activities.
Shoreline Management Plan Review (SMP2) –
Update
The consultation on the draft Shoreline Management Plan Review (SMP2) closed on 10th January. The Severn Estuary Coastal Group (SECG) would like to thank everyone who attended the stakeholder events in November, filled in the questionnaire on-line or sent their comments in on the draft SMP2.
As part of the public consultation, the SECG contacted approximately 1,000 Stakeholders and held three public exhibitions around the Estuary during November. In total, 83 formal responses were received and 84 people attended the stakeholder events. The results will be collected and used to make changes to the draft SMP2 during February and March. Following this, the SMP2 will be finalised and agreed by all the local authorities and partners on the SECG (including the Environment Agency, Countryside Council for Wales and Natural England). An Action Plan will also be developed to help implement the policies set out in the SMP2.
The final SMP2, Action Plan and supporting documents, including the results of all the consultations, will be posted on the SECG website at www.severnestuary.net/secg/review.html. All the draft documents are still available on the website.
The SECG and SEP will continue to keep you updated on the progress of the SMP2.
Flood Risk Management Strategy
With the closure of formal consultation for the Severn Estuary and North Devon and Somerset Shoreline Management Plans, the Environment Agency Flood Risk Management team are busy turning the policies agreed within the SMPs into workable solutions for flood risk management.
An update on this process can be found here, with further information on the Severn Estuary Flood Risk Management available from www.severnestuary.net/frms.
River Basin Management Plan
The Severn Estuary Partnership would like to draw your attention to the publication of the Severn River Basin Management Plan on 22 December 2009. Full details of the Severn River Basin Management Plan can be found on the Environment Agencies Website. (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wfd).