An Update:
The Tame Valley Wetlands Landscape Partnership (TVWLP) submitted its second round application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) on 10th December 2013. This application was the culmination of a year’s work developing the scheme from its original round one application in 2011 / 2012.
Twenty three supporting documents were produced for the application. This included detailed information on the timetable and budgets for the scheme, as well as job descriptions, project detail and management statements. The largest supporting document was the Landscape Conservation Action Plan (LCAP). This document is the Partnership’s narrative and mandate for the 104 km² scheme landscape area – the Tame Valley Wetlands.
The LCAP came in at 460 pages of A4 and contained a Landscape Character Assessment, a Statement of Significance, risks and opportunities, the aims and objectives, an explanation of the development work that took place, the scheme’s plan and its costs (including detailed information on all projects), evaluation and monitoring and sustainability / legacy information and plans. The LCAP also contained 23 appendices consisting of the raw data, surveys and studies carried out during the year by Barker Langham, Walk Unlimited, ECUS and Partnership organisations. This LCAP will be made available online once the scheme gets the go ahead (subject to us receiving HLF funding!).
We will hear the outcome of the bid at the end of March 2014, and all being well, the scheme will commence from April 2014 and run for 4 years (although staff will not be in post and projects will not begin for several months after this date). We will of course keep you up-to-date with developments – keep an eye on this website, Twitter feed (@thetamevalley) and the local press.
In the meantime, we will update this website over the coming weeks to give you a sneak peak of the projects and activities planned as part of the scheme. One such project will be the development of a brand and an exciting new ‘discover tame valley’ website for the delivery phase – so watch this space! There are a further 37 projects spread across the four programmes, covering conservation and restoration of built and natural heritage, community participation, access and learning, and training and skills.
Consultation:
The scheme’s projects and activities have been steered by the consultation and comments we received during the development phase, so thanks to everyone who got involved, filled in a questionnaire or sent us their ideas and suggestions. During round 1 and round 2 consultation, we had 432 questionnaire responses and more than 200 people were involved in development work and community engagement. In depth analysis was carried out with Barker Langham and this data, along with a detailed explanation of development work, can be found in the LCAP and Barker Langham’s Audience and Access Plan and report.
We also had over 1,000 visits to this website (610 unique visitors) between 18th March 2013 and 7th December 2013, and we currently have 143 followers on Twitter. We hope this momentum can carry forward into the delivery phase, particularly when we have lots to shout about and go live with a new exciting, interactive and engaging website.
Partnership Members:
The Partnership is now made up of 15 fully signed-up partner organisations – these are listed in alphabetical order below (* an asterisk indicates a TVWLP Board member):
– Birmingham and the Black Country Wildlife Trust
– Canal & River Trust*
– Curdworth Parish Council (other Parish Council’s TBC subject to signing the TVWLP Memorandum of Understanding)
– Environment Agency*
– Heart of England Community Foundation
– Natural England
– North Warwickshire Borough Council*
– North Warwickshire Volunteer Centre
– RSPB*
– Severn Trent Water
– Staffordshire County Council
– Staffordshire Wildlife Trust*
– Tamworth Borough Council
– Warwickshire County Council*
– Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (lead partner)*
– West Midland Bird Club
– Woodland Trust.
Acknowledgements (extract from the LCAP by Tim Haselden, Development Officer for the TVWLP):
There are many people to thank for their involvement and hard work during the development phase prior to the second round submission to HLF. I won’t mention people individually as I am likely to forget someone.
Firstly, I would like to thank Warwickshire Wildlife Trust for their dedication, hard work and support during the development of the scheme. They have been integral to the development and production of this Landscape Conservation Action Plan (LCAP) and it is their vision that has brought the partnership to where they are today. They will continue to be a strong lead for the partnership, line managing the TVWLP Scheme Manager during delivery.
I would also like to thank all organisations on the Tame Valley Wetlands Landscape Partnership (TVWLP) for their support – particularly the Environment Agency for leading on the River Restoration Study and for their financial support, and the RSPB and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust for their work during development, and their commitment to delivering projects and line managing TVWLP scheme staff during delivery.
The support of North Warwickshire Borough Council, Tamworth Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council has been extremely valuable, the latter two will also be providing significant levels of match funding during the scheme. Warwickshire County Council has also provided a regular meeting space at Kingsbury Water Park during the development phase, for which I am grateful. Advice on built heritage from the Canal and River Trust has also been invaluable.
Consultants Barker Langham and ECUS Ltd. have played a vital role during the development phase, carrying out consultation and feasibility work – their professional approach and commitment has been commendable and it has been a pleasure to work with them.
A big thank you should also go to our HLF advisor Harriet Carty for her support and guidance during the development phase.
The final thank you must go to the local residents, volunteers and groups within the TVWLP scheme area – without their ideas, support and enthusiasm, the informed detail within this LCAP would not have been possible.