The Friends of Pagham Harbour

 Transfer of management to the RSPB

 

On 5^th July 2011 West Sussex County Council finally confirmed that the management of Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve is set to be transferred from West Sussex County Council to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The overall management will also include the new area which is being created at Medmerry as part of the managed coastal realignment scheme.

Under the partnering agreement, the County Council will take an executive role, and will guarantee an annual financial contribution for the next 10 years towards the Reserve’s upkeep and its activities. A significant portion of the funds from the Council will be matched by the RSPB and will be allocated to capital investment, providing much-needed help to improve the buildings and infrastructure. However there are still a number of complex legal processes to be undertaken with the Environment Agency and other land-owners. The timetable for these is uncertain but the best estimate for their completion appears to be later in the autumn. The Friends welcome the news that the existing staff will be transferred to the RSPB.

At the Annual Sidlesham Parish meeting in April Adrian Thomas of the RSPB referred to changes that might people might see as a result of the new management – improved access paths, including disability; improved toilet facilities; increased educational provision for children, including RSPB Explorers; improved provision of hides; and, over time, a new Visitor Centre.

In August the Friends’ Committee met with Adrian Thomas of the RSPB and was encouraged about their future role in partnership with the new management. The RSPB have an excellent track record in working with volunteers and sees The Friends as a valuable resource with close links to local communities, capable of monitoring the future management of the harbour, as well providing additional fund-raising opportunities.

 

On 8^th September representatives of West Sussex County Council and the RSPB met with 50 volunteers at the Church Hall in Sidlesham to explain what is happening and answer questions about the transfer.

 

On 22^nd October the Friends of Pagham Harbour held their AGM at North Mundham Village Hall when Rob Carver (The reserve Warden and Adrian thomas (RSPB) gave further updates.

 

Background to the transfer of management:

 

On 24th November 2009, a press release by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) informed us of the possible transfer of management of Pagham Harbour LNR from WSCC to the RSPB. It is copied below:

West Sussex County Council has agreed to hold discussions with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) over a proposal to transfer the management of Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve to the well-respected charity. Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy Deborah Urquhart said: “We are looking into the possibility of the RSPB taking over the management of Pagham Harbour. The talks are currently in the very early stages. “It’s no secret, that with the recession and years of under-funding by the government, the County Council has got to make substantial financial savings. Possible transfer of the management of Pagham Harbour to the RSPB would safeguard the future of the nature reserve and would make a necessary financial saving for the Council. “We are looking for an organisation that can deliver long-term commitment to the wildlife and visitors at Pagham Harbour, and can take over the environmental education service there, and the RSPB has a great track record in all of those things. “Pagham Harbour is dearly loved by many residents and I want to reassure them that we would not look into anything that would jeopardise the future of the Reserve. We want to ensure the future of Pagham Harbour is safe for many years to come.” Chris Corrigan, the RSPB’s South East Regional Director, said: “Clearly we are keen that somewhere as important as Pagham Harbour has a secure future, both for its wildlife and for the many people who enjoy it. We look forward to pursuing that goal in the talks ahead.” Work will now take place over the coming months between the County Council, the RSPB and the many landowners and stakeholders in the area to explore the proposals further.

The Due Diligence Exercise, Negotiations, & The Decision Process (2010)

 

The process of WSCC and the RSPB assessing the possibility of the RSPB taking over the management of Pagham Harbour took place during 2010.  WSCC have declared that they wished to keep an interest in the Reserve; what this means in practical terms has yet to be stated. On completion of the information gathering exercise, negotiations will then take place on the terms of the transfer of management responsibilities. Assuming agreement is reached at the working level then the positive recommendation will go before the Cabinet Member and also before the RSPB’s governing body, its Council, for both their ratifications.

 

 

Harbouring High Hopes

(The following article appeared in The Chichester Observer, Thursday, February 3^rd 2011).

 

The RSPB has ambitious plans for Pagham Harbour should it be given control of the site.

 

More than a year since proposals were first put forward to transfer Pagham Nature Reserve to RSPB management, hopes remain high an agreement can finally be reached. Neill Barston meets the wildlife charity to examine its aspirations for the site..........

 

As one of the most significant protected sites for wildlife in West Sussex, Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve remains a strikingly scenic site which is close to the hearts of many.

Its value as a prime location for a wealth of migratory birds, insects and rare plants has made it perennially popular with naturalists and family visitors alike.

But with West Sussex County Council facing major budget shortfalls totalling millions of pounds, the proposals to grant management of the reserve to the RSPB appeared a logical move.

Those behind the scheme have envisaged the handover of the Environment Agency-owned harbour being part of a bid to improve visitor facilities in the wider area. This includes enhancing sea defence and pathways around nearby Medmerry.

However, the plans have not met with universal approval with Sidlesham district councillor, Tricia Tull, expressing concerns the Pagham site was in danger of becoming ‘a theme park’.

 In response, the RSPB has refuted the claims and believed positive progress has been made that will enable the transfer, if agreed, to happen by April. Its project manager Adrian Thomas welcomed the council’s proposals.

He said: “For us, this is a really important site for wildlife and for people too and our involvement is about ensuring that together with the council in these economic times there is a safeguard for the harbour.

 “We think we can give it a secure future. It takes skill and financial investment to run such a reserve and we think that together we’ve the means to achieve this,” explained the officer, who revealed the organisation was prepared to commit to the cost of running the reserve, which stands at around £200,000 a year.

Under its management, the ageing visitors’ centre at the harbour would also be replaced. The need for this was underlined in a new feasibility study by the RSPB, Environment Agency and the county council into creating a new centre fit for the 21st century. Its findings showed the present centre at Sidlesham was seriously inadequate, with only 12 per cent of the 200,000 visitors to the harbour

using its basic facilities. These were designed as temporary structures and the replacement building would feature a host of interactive elements geared around providing educational opportunities for visitors.

The scheme costing around £10m would be developed with sustainable design principles and is set to feature a cafe, small shop and reception area as the focal welcoming point for the reserve.

“There are a lot of complexities surrounding the harbour, which has included dealing with leaseholders of 26 parcels of land,” added Mr Thomas.

“We would be the ‘front of house’, working in partnership with the council and would have a capable team which consists of five staff. This includes a warden, bylaws officer and visitor services officers".

“The plans were presented to the council at a select committee in late October, but it was felt by members there was not enough detail for them to go on and it is going back to them in March".

 “With the harbour, it seems to be about finding the right balance. The local people want to see a deal arranged, but we are really keen that we do this right."

“We were quite shocked a councillor should think the RSPB would offer a theme park, as no-one who knows us would think that is

the case. That’s why we are looking at this as well as with Medmerry, which is an Environment Agency scheme that has now been running for the past three years.”

 Mr Thomas admitted there were issues including traffic management policies which the area would need to be addressed as part of the overall scheme. This included residents’ concerns over already-congested B-roads around Pagham and Selsey. Despite such fears, he believed the RSPB could make a hugely positive contribution through using its wealth of experience to manage the harbour facilities.

 

Factfile

n Thousands of wintering and migrant waterbirds use the site, especially the mudflats and saltmarsh, brackish wetlands,

freshwater habitats and surrounding wet grassland areas. It was designated a local nature reserve in 1964.

n Specialised rare plants grow on the shingle and intertidal habitats. There is also a nationally important population of water voles, and many rare insects.

n The high numbers of waterbirds, which include internationally important populations of dark-bellied Brent geese and pintails, led

to its designation as a Special Protection Area (SPA) in 1988, one of just four in West Sussex. This offers the highest levels of

international protection for nature conservation.

n It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is a national designation, nationally-scarce communities of plants and invertebrates, and is a ‘Ramsar Site’ (wetlands of international importance).

POSITIVE RESPONSE

Positive response

FEEDBACK on the Pagham Harbour plans has been largely positive following a public consultation exercise last summer. There have also been meetings scheduled with Pagham Parish Council and the Friends of Pagham Harbour, who Mr Thomas highlighted as being particularly responsive to the plans. West SussexCounty Council cabinet member

for environment and economy Deborah Urquhart said: “Pagham Harbour is a place of great natural beauty and is protected

for the internationally important populations of migratory birds and other threatened wildlife it supports. “The harbour is enjoyed by many thousands of visitors who come to walk, relax, watch the wildlife and take in the scenery. “We are continuing with work together with the RSPB to ensure we achieve our joint shared aim of safeguarding the future of Pagham Harbour for generations to come.”