SAVWP AIMS 2003-2006

The Partnership’s vision is: To achieve the planned recovery and enhancement of the wetland resource of the Severn and Avon Vales by the wise use of land and water, in ways that are economically sound, socially responsive and environmentally sensitive.

To realise this vision the Partnership aims to:

THEME

The Partners

To achieve its aims the Partnership draws on the support and resources of statutory and voluntary organisations from the environmental and agricultural sectors including: the Environment Agency, English Nature, The Wildlife Trusts, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Groups (FWAG), Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), National Farmers Union (NFU), the Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA), County and Local Councils, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (W&WT) and Severn Trent Water.

The Wetlands Partnership Officer

To co-ordinate and support the work of the Partnership a full-time Wetlands Partnership Officer (Brian Smith) was appointed in August 2000. The post is based at the Environment Agency’s Lower Severn Area office in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. The Partnership Officer provides a focal point for SAVWP, ensuring cohesion of action amongst partner organisations and consistency of advice to landowners. SAVWP has secured additional income to secure the employment of the Partnership Officer, until 2006. Click here for Breeding Wader Survey 2002

A comprehensive understanding of the status and distribution of breeding waders within the Severn and Avon Vales is essential in enabling the Partnership to monitor its long-term success. In 2001 the Partnership commissioned the British Trust for Ornithology to carry out a survey covering the eighteen wetland restoration zones and other floodplain sites. The Foot and Mouth crisis forced a postponement from 2001 to 2002, the report was published in March 2003.

The survey data highlights the plight of breeding waders in the region:

A total of 196 pairs of waders were recorded at these sites. Lapwing were the most numerous species with 109 pairs noted, followed by Redshank (45 pairs), Oystercatcher (7), Curlew (34) and Snipe (1 pair). Four sites on the lower reaches of the Severn Plain accounted for 71% of all pairs of waders located. More than half (20 out of 39) of the sites held no breeding waders during 2002. All species showed a marked decline; Lapwing numbers have fallen markedly, by 43% between 1982 and 2002 and 22% in the 7 years from 1995 to 2002. Click here for Creating Wetlands

The re-creation of wet grassland habitats is a key target within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP), which stems from the international commitment to conserving global biodiversity ( Rio Convention 1995). The UK BAP and constituent county BAPs set clear targets for habitat restoration, against which the Partnership can measure its own successes:

The UK BAP target is to restore or recreate 10,000ha by 2010 Within Gloucestershire and Worcestershire the target is 600ha by 2010. In the first two years (2000 & 2001) the Partnership has supported the restoration, through Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreements, of 327ha of wet grassland. This represents 3.27% of the UK BAP target and 54.5% of the combined county targets.

In developing site specific schemes the Partnership must work within the constraints of the Environment Agency’s current flood defence and development control policies, most especially in demonstrating that any proposed schemes do not increase the flood risk to third parties. All schemes must also comply with statutory planning policy, most especially in relation to the protection of archaeological resources and local landscape character. The Partnership’s goal is to work with a broad network of interested parties to achieve wetland restoration that provides positive environmental and socio-economic benefits for other interests.

Click here for Farming Partnerships

The vast majority of floodplain along the Severn and Avon is farmland, and wet grassland habitats are the result of historic agricultural management. It therefore follows that wetland habitat restoration on the extensive scale envisaged by the Partnership will depend upon generating widespread support and commitment of the farming community.

In engaging with the farming community SAVWP has focused on offering three key services:

Viable economic incentives Realistic objectives Sound management guidance The promotion of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme to farmers in the key wetland restoration zones has achieved significant gains in wet grassland re-creation. CSS provides significant economic benefits for farm enterprises, achieving environmental and habitat benefits and providing a basis for developing further diversification initiatives such as tourism and quality food products. The county Farming and Wildlife Advisory Groups (FWAGs) have been key partners in promoting awareness of the scheme and in preparing Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) applications for farmers.

Influencing future policy and practice

The major flood events in 1998 and 2000 have stimulated political and public interest in the future of flood defence and provided a forum for the promotion of sustainable floodplain management, in which habitat restoration and agriculture are key factors.

SAVWP works closely with the Environment Agency’s Strategic Planning teams on key policy documents including:

River Severn Catchment Flood Management Plan River Severn Tidal and Fluvial Strategies Gloucester Flood Risk Management Strategy. SAVWP is also an active consultee to the Defra Agri-environment review, including the Higher Level Scheme Objectives and Options (to be introduced in 2005).

The future development of the Wetlands Partnership

The Wetlands Partnership has achieved significant gains in its first three years of activity and has demonstrated the benefits of co-ordinating and supporting individual actions through a full-time project officer. To ensure the long-term viability of wetland restoration in the Severn and Avon Vales, the Partnership is committed to a series of key actions:

• SAVWP has been established as “an unincorporated association”, effective from the 4 March 2003. Enabling the Partnership to attract and manage funding from a wide variety of sources, in addition to existing contributors, to support core and project costs.
  
• Establishing an “Executive Committee” comprising wider representation form Partnership organisations, to direct and manage the Partnership’s resources and actions.
  
• Reviewing the Partnership’s objectives for the next three years (2003-06) to reflect the opportunities for wetland restoration that have been stimulated by changes in agricultural and flood defence policy and which optimise the potential for wider socio-economic gains.
  
• Developing the Partnership’s profile through increased publicity, both locally and nationally.

Back to the Top