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Election of the Vice-Chair for the 2020-2021 Municipal Year. Minutes: Resolved that Steve Heard be elected Vice-Chair of the Steering Group for the 2020-2021 Municipal Year. |
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Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests. Minutes: In accordance with the Code
of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared. |
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To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the
previous meeting(s). Minutes: Resolved that
the Minutes of the Steering Group Meeting held on 21 September 2020 be approved as a correct record. |
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Clyne Valley Country Park Update. PDF 288 KB Minutes: Mike Scott, AONB Officer presented a Clyne Valley Country Park Update Report.
It was outlined that following on from discussions at the previous
meeting, issues affecting the management of the Park, both in the current
COVID-19 context and into the long term, there had been a number of initiatives
and work within the area, including: - ·
Construction
of Shared Use Paths (SUP) using existing bridleways through the Country Park –
funded by an Active Travel grant; ·
Conservation
works to the Ivy Tower – part of Clyne Arsenic Works Scheduled Monument; ·
Work
with Clyne Valley Community Project and Swansea Council’s Countryside Access
Team to progress wider access improvements, interpretation and other heritage
conservation; ·
An
assessment of damage to the Clyne Valley Shaft Mounds Scheduled Monument from
unauthorised construction and use of mountain bike tracks; ·
Proposals
from other parties for the development of an ‘Urban Bike Park’. The Steering Group
were updated in respect of the ongoing projects listed above and discussions
took place regarding the following: - ·
Lack
of communication and consultation regarding the Active Travel proposals; ·
Lack
of an overall plan / control in respect of the Country Park, lack of knowledge
locally and work being done on an ad hoc basis; ·
How
the Covid 19 Pandemic had significantly increased the use of the Country Park,
how more people were aware of the facilities available and the effect of
increased usage upon the Country Park; ·
Shared
use of paths / bridal ways / cycle routes, introducing improved signage, using
the correct surfaces, communicating any changes with the appropriate people /
organisations and improving routes going forward to avoid conflict between
users; ·
Properly
maintaining the Country Park in a structured and organised manner; ·
How
various Departments / Sections within Swansea Council had responsibilities
within the Country Park / Clyne Valley and the need for more co-ordination; ·
The
areas of the Country Park that are within the AONB boundary; ·
Co-ordination
of a management plan going forward and disappointment that a plan had not been
previously organised; ·
Concern
regarding the process of undertaking works without consultation and how the
process worked in reality with money being made available by Welsh Government
to fund Council Active Travel schemes; ·
Concern
regarding the manipulation of the system by the Council in order to achieve its
aims without meaningful consultation which received an adverse reaction
regarding the Active Travel proposals at Mayals Road and the implications of a similar
approach towards projects on Gower. Resolved that the contents of the report and discussions be noted. |
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Minutes: Chris Lindley, Gower AONB Team Leader presented a Briefing
Note which had been circulated to the
relevant Community Councils, Councillor Richard Lewis and other community
contacts on Friday 20 November. The
briefing provided an update on the project work at Port Eynon which included
the background details, the considerations arising from the feasibility study
and actions being undertaken. This included the
appointment of architects - ’Rural Office for Architecture Ltd’ by Swansea
Council to develop a Concept Design for a new beach / community centre building
in Port Eynon. The commission was
supported by a Sustainable Development Fund grant and the work started on 23
November 2020 and would include the undertaking of a preliminary survey, assessment
work in and around the car park in Port Eynon and the information collected
being used in the design development. It was added that
community engagement and consultation was key to a successful design outcome
and the Council wanted to keep stakeholders / the community informed and
interested in the proposals. Given the Covid-19 restrictions, some on-line
consultation methods would be used. In
addition, site visits or small group gatherings would be arranged to discuss
the project and present proposals at key stages. These were planned to commence in early
December. The Steering Group
discussed the following: - ·
Communicating
effectively with the wider community surrounding Port Eynon and Horton and the
aims for wider consultation going forward; ·
The
feeling in the local community that the plans had already been agreed without
their input and the project was commencing; ·
How the
Council had recently engaged with Port Eynon and Penrice Community Councils
regarding progress, the need for a resource to be in place to be able to
engage, the need to hire professional architects to progress to the development
phase and the brief provided to the architect regarding the toilet block
building; ·
The
fact that the community had been aware of the proposed project for quite a
while and the positive feedback received in respect of the proposals; ·
Financing
the project through capital funding which required designs to be able to
progress, hence the engagement with the architect; ·
The
issue of traffic management in Port Eynon due to the very narrow access road
into the village and how the architect had been requested to bear access issues
in mind when designing the community building; ·
The
fact that Port Eynon had been identified for appropriate small scale
development including community facilities and this policy had been included in
both the LDP and UDP for over 20 years which the Community Council should have
been aware of and informed its residents, how Swansea Council had engaged
extensively on both plans; ·
Swansea
Council had engaged architects to improve its own building / land in Port Eynon
and required plans to enable it to engage with the community and allow local
residents / businesses to have an input. Resolved that the contents of the update report and discussions be noted. |
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Gower Society Issues. PDF 37 KB Additional documents:
Minutes: Gordon Howe, Gower Society representative presented a report
which firstly outlined the Case
for an Article 4 Direction for The Vile, Rhossili and secondly, highlighted the
need for the Protection of Trees
within the Gower AONB. · The Case for an Article 4 Direction for The
Vile, Rhossili The background surrounding the setting up of a temporary catering unit, without any planning application required in the centre of the historical area, known as The Vile, was explained, including the legal right under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 - Part 4 - Temporary Buildings and Uses - Class B to have such a unit for a total of 28 days in the calendar year. The concerns of the Gower Society and Rhossili Community Council were outlined, particularly their concern that there would be complications and damage to the landscape. It was explained that the Vile Field System in Rhossili is a Registered Historical Landscape of Outstanding Importance in Wales. A photograph of the Vile was provided at Appendix A. It was added
that the Gower Society was actively investigating with others, the possibility
of obtaining an Article 4 Direction to prevent such inappropriate future
development and sought the views of the Steering Group. There were no
objections to the proposals. Resolved that the contents of the report and discussions
be noted. ·
The Protection of Trees within the Gower AONB Further
to discussions that occurred at a previous Steering Group meeting, the Gower
Society highlighted the apparent lack of protection given to trees within the
compass of the AONB and its fringes. It
was added that within SSSI’s and National Nature Reserves protection was provided,
although very few trees were actually given protection by specific Tree
Preservation Orders. The
opinion of the Society was explained in relation to the current regulations
administered by Swansea Council and NRW and examples of tree felling during the
previous two years were provided. In
the response of the Gower Society to the Trees, Hedgerows and Woodlands on
Development Sites Consultation Draft in September 2020, the lack of protection
given to the AONB was highlighted. In
addition, it was explained that the loss of trees on Gower due to Ash Die Back
and the impact of their removal on the landscape of Gower would soon be
evident. The
Gower Society suggested that a complete survey of all trees should be made and
suitable protection given wherever appropriate.
It was added that more trees must also be planted in order to compensate for the losses of ash trees and
help to address climate change issues. The
Steering Group discussed the details contained within the report. Resolved that the Gower AONB Team Leader
highlights the issue to the National Association of AONB’s and reports back to
the next scheduled meeting. |
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Minutes: The Gower AONB Team
Leader provided an update report regarding progress on Cefn Bryn. It was explained that
following the verbal update on the parking issues at Cefn Bryn at the previous meeting
in September 2020, the Vice Chair (Steve Heard) and Gower AONB Team Leader
(Chris Lindley) had an online meeting on 8 October 2020 with Alan Ferris
(Swansea Council Highways) and Bob Griffiths (Cefn Bryn Commoners). The outcome of that
meeting was an agreed revised scheme that: · extended
the proposed highway bunding eastward from the parking area – from 50m to 200m; · included a
small and discrete repair to bunding on the south side of the highway, to deter
vehicle access onto that part of the common. It was added that grant
funding for the proposals had been confirmed.
Highways were working on the revised costs to the project and
specifications. The works were expected
to be programmed and implemented before the end of March 2021. The Gower AONB Team
had written to the landowner for their comment on the proposals. As Cefn Bryn was a Site of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI), the Gower AONB Team would also approach Natural Resources
Wales for a Notice of Assent under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as
amended). A further update would
be provided at the next AONB Steering Group meeting. Resolved that the content of the update be noted. |
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Update on Revised AONB Design Guide. PDF 105 KB Minutes: Paul Meller, Natural Environment Section
Manager presented a report which provided supplementary planning guidance
(SPG) in support of planning policies contained in the Swansea Local
Development Plan (LDP). The purpose was
to provide guidance as to how relevant policies of the LDP should be applied in
order to assist in the determination of planning applications within the
AONB. It was
added that the first Design Guide was adopted as SPG to the now superseded City
and County of Swansea Unitary Development Plan (2008). The revised Guide
takes account of the most recent changes to the legislative and strategic
planning context that had arisen at both national and local level. This
included the latest Gower Management Plan (2017) and amended versions of
Planning Policy Wales and supporting Technical Advice Notes produced by the
Welsh Government. Public
consultation was undertaken by Swansea Council through Sept-Oct 2020 which
sought views on whether the document covered an appropriate range of planning
issues and provided sufficient clarity for applicants and decision makers on
the important principles governing development in Gower. The majority of the comments received
were positive, with only relatively minor changes suggested in order to improve
clarity. In particular, the use of more appropriate photographs and
imagery had been suggested and these were being sought for the final version of
the document. As no significant amendments had been
identified from the comments received that necessitate redrafting and
re-consultation, it was proposed to report a revised version of the document to
Planning Committee early in the New Year for adoption. The Steering Group commented upon the
remarkable job by Council Officers in producing the documents in such a short
period of time. Resolved that the contents of the report be noted. |
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Cycle Access in Gower. PDF 274 KB Minutes: John France provided a report that outlined the scheme to create a cycle network across Gower,
which particularly highlighted the proposals at Mayals Road and Clyne Woods. Resolved that the report be noted due to the issues being discussed at Minute
No.4.
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Sustainable Development Fund. PDF 107 KB Minutes: The Gower AONB Officer presented the Sustainable Development
Fund (SDF) Panel Financial Summary report. It was outlined that the Welsh Government had confirmed the
SDF budget for 2020/21 as £100,000. There
were currently 12 projects approved with SDF funding for 2020/21 and 3 further
applications were anticipated shortly. Further projects would be brought forward during 2020/21, to
fully commit the funds. The Committed
Funds figure included the CCS Management Fee of £10,000 (10%).
The budget for 2021/22 had not been confirmed, but was
anticipated to be £55,000. Four projects
had been approved, with £25,650 committed and currently £29,350 remained uncommitted. |
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Future Meetings Format. Minutes: Steve Heard, Vice Chair highlighted that whilst meetings remained online during the Covid 19 Pandemic, he very much hoped that physical meetings would resume once the restrictions had been lifted. There was a consensus that Steering Group meetings should return to physical meetings when possible. The Chair sympathised with the issues raised and highlighted that the Council would follow legal and Welsh Government guidance. |