Join us to ask questions, raise issues and make suggestions regarding our management of the areas of Pagham Harbour we look after.
The meetings are friendly, constructive and everyone is welcome.
Tuesday 25 April, 4.30pm - 6.30pm at RSPB Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre, Selsey Road, Sidlesham, PO20 7NE
Chair: Cllr Margaret Evans, West Sussex County Council
For further information 01243 641508
Minutes of the previous meeting are below:
Pagham Harbour Local Communities Forum, Fri 3 November 2016, St Ninian's Church
On the panel:
Chair: County Cllr Simon Oakley
Charlotte Weller (WSCC Countryside Services Manager)
Tim Callaway (RSPB Pagham Harbour Site Manager)
(Minutes) Adrian Thomas (RSPB)
RSPB Pagham Harbour team members present: Jan Atkinson (Little Tern People Engagement Officer), Ivan Lang (Warden)
Welcome
Actions from last meeting: TC is speaking to EA about setting up another meeting of the Pagham Rife working group.
RSPB Update (TC)
Staffing
A new Site Manager has been appointed, Steve Webster, who starts on 14 November.
Pete Hughes, Pagham Harbour & Medmerry Warden, is moving to Chichester Harbour Conservancy.
Winter wildfowl
Brent Goose: peak count in 2015/16 winter was 3701 (5-year average 2708). Highest numbers in last 10 years.
Pintail: peak count in 2015/16 winter was 221 (5-year average 254)
2016/17 winter to date: the mild weather means that arrivals of waterfowl have been slow so far, with 400 Brent Goose, 843 Wigeon, 297 Teal, 40 Pintail.
Breeding seabirds in 2016: excellent year:
Little Tern 13 pairs raised 11 chicks (all except one on Tern Island). Pagham Harbour is the only site on the south coast except Chesil Beach where the population is recovering.
Sandwich Tern 3 pairs raised 3 chicks (only the second successful breeding ever)
Common Tern 14 pairs raised 15 chicks (record number of chicks)
Black-headed Gull 50 pairs raised 58 chicks (the colonisation continues)
Nightingale 3 singing males (after first record of breeding in 2015)
Breeding wading birds
Poor year due to low water levels in Ferry Pool as a result of the blow-out of the bank between the Pool and Broad Rife due to natural factors. This reduced the water table across Ferry Field, so wading birds didn't have damp ground to probe to reach food.
Lapwings 4 pairs raised 2 chicks
Redshanks 3 pairs
Breeding herons
Grey Heron 17 pairs (14 in 2015)
Little Egret 25 pairs (17 in 2015)
Schools and Youth Outreach
Bookings up 75% on 2015
670 students to date
312 volunteer hours
Outreach related to Little Tern colony - 615 children and 160 adults engaged
'Birds on the Beach' - more than 1000 people engaged with
Events
Over 40 events over the summer, with 900 participants
First ever Big Wild Sleep-out - fully booked
Winter Warmer event - 40+ volunteers and Friends attended
Friends of Pagham Harbour 40th anniversary:
RSPB supported the Friends as they delivered a range of walks
'Salthouse Sundown' gathering
Big Beach Clean (led by Francis Parfrement of the Friends). SO asked how the material was disposed - CDC attended to take away the rubbish.
Friends and Volunteers BBQ - 80 attendees
Volunteers
172 roles in 2016 (162 in 2013/14)
3930 volunteer hours worked (3130 in 2015/16)
Average hours worked per volunteer 41 in 2016 (34 in 2013/14)
Wildlife Explorers (group for children) - numbers are increasing
Upgrading the facilities
Good progress on all areas
The design for the new toilet block with staff and volunteer welfare facilities is complete (below). The planning decision from Chichester District Council is due 10 November. An on-screen presentation has been running in the Visitor Centre to outline the plans for all visitors.
Plans for upgrade to the Discovery Area: The new events shelter will look similar to this
Ferry Hide: we are working with a contractor on the design, to provide a viewing facility that has all the function of a hide but is more welcoming.
Ferry Field and Meadow: After the blow-out of the bank, a temporary solution of timber shuttering was attempted, but the 'running sands' near the bank meant that it failed within hours. If Ferry Pool is retained in the same position, the only solution would be to put in 140m of steel shuttering, but even it might not be sufficient.
The RSPB has therefore come up with an alternative plan - to relocate the Ferry Pool further north into Ferry Field. RSPB is working with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Sussex Wildlife Trust to draw up these plans, which will require planning permission.
Milestones for programme of work
Funding decisions (additional to core RSPB and WSCC funding)
Veolia (landfill fund) Dec 2016
Heritage Lottery Fund July 2017
Planning permission and statutory agencies
Discovery area - granted Sep 2016
Visitor Centre works - decision due 10 Nov 2016
Ferry Hide and wetland - to be submitted early 2017
Delivery of works
Replacement toilets and visitor centre - summer 2017
Discovery shelter and pond - summer 2017
Ferry Hide and wetland - Late 2017
Q. from attendee: If the Visitor Centre is replaced at some stage, what would happen to the work done already?
A: It would not be lost - we would ensure the work done now fits into future developments.
3. Byelaws (WSCC)
WSCC has used the standard Local Nature Reserve (LNR) byelaws from Natural England as the basis for drafting a set of revised byelaws, with a few changes to make it applicable to Pagham Harbour.
The proposed wording is currently with Natural England.
WSCC will then host a drop-in session for the public on 19 January 2017 at Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre to seek feedback on the proposed byelaws. In addition, the draft byelaws will be available at County Hall on request for the period of consultation.
Q from attendee: Are the existing byelaws still in effect?
CW: Yes, but with the caveats that the byelaws do not yet apply to those areas recently included as part of the LNR re declaration, plus the previous byelaws include elements that are defunct, such as provisions to restrict the right of navigation and fishing.
Q from attendee: No-one appears to stick to the byelaws on the North Wall, especially with regard to dogs.
CW: The North Wall is not within the LNR boundary – because it is in unknown ownership - and therefore the byelaws don't apply there.
Q from attendee: Some key signage to do with dogwalking is out of date.
TC: Yes, we are now entering our second phase of replacing the signage. It will need to be tied in with the new byelaws.
SO: What is the backstop if people do not adhere to the byelaws regarding dogs on leads?
CW: The draft wording of the new byelaws is that dogs must be kept under close control. In an LNR, a District Council Dog Control Order would be required to require dogs to be on leads, and this is not being sought. Ultimately, responsibility to deal with those who break the byelaws sits with WSCC, so we encourage incidents to be reported to the RSPB to ensure there is a record of their occurrence. If the RSPB ask WSCC to enforce byelaw matters, a robust record of evidence would be required.
SO: What is the interplay between the byelaws and the English Coastal Path.
CW: The byelaws trump the rights of the English Coastal Path.
Q from attendee: Is there an issue with promotion of the Community Forum?
TC: Posters and leaflets have been distributed far and wide, including to Parish Clerks.
AT: RSPB will also seek to secure a date and venue much sooner for the next Forum.
4. Change in Chair
As part of the Service Level Agreement, the role of Chair of the Forum rotates each year among the WSCC Councillors whose divisions includes parts of Pagham Harbour. The next meeting will be chaired by Cllr Margaret Evans. This will be the final meeting before elections in May 2017 but the following meeting will still be chaired by the Cllr for Chichester South Division. SO informed the group that North Mundham will transfer to Chichester South as part of the County Council boundary review.
Next Communities Forum: Tuesday 25th April 2017, 4pm, RSPB Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre.