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Staffordshire RIGS Group
Draft Minutes of the committee meeting held at Keele University,
Wednesday 3rd September 2009 at 7.00pm
Present: Richard Waller (chair), Rosie Duncan, Sarah Taylor, Simon Hargreaves, Vicky Tunstall, Pat Cossey, Don Steward, Ian Stimpson, Peter Floyd, Craig Slawson.
1.Apologies: Tom Howell. Tim Harris, John Reynolds, Sue Lawley, Christine Blackmore
2.Minutes of the last meeting, 20/05/09
These were approved subject to two minor amendments.
3.Matters arising:
a.Item 4b - Insurance cover.
RIW reported that he had still not managed to contact Sarah Stafford in spite of repeated attempts. He will continue to attempt to contact her to establish if cover for field meetings can be arranged through the Geological Associations' insurance policy.
b.Item 7b – Site monitoring work.
RIW reported that condition monitoring forms for 14 SRIGS sites have now been completed as requested by the WMGP. These will be passed to CS shortly to be archived on the Geoconservation database.
c.Item 10a – WMGP website.
IGS to put link to WMGP website from Staffs RIGS site. Please forward any comments on the site to CS.
Action - IGS
d.Item 13b – Costing members' time.
RIW reported that he'd forgotten to raise the issue at the last WMGP meeting. He will do so at the next meeting in October and report back in December.
Action - RIW
e.Item 15 – Warwickshire LGAP – letter of support.
RIW reported that he had not yet sent a letter of support but will do so shortly if it's still relevant.
4.Recent meetings:
a.WMGP partnership, 8/07/09.
RIW reported on the following issues that were discussed at the meeting :
•Site management: There has been some discussion on how geoconservation groups can best get involved with the management of local sites in the context of LIA 197. It was agreed that this is best achieved through the membership of local site partnerships. Consequently RIW has contacted Dave Cadman who will arrange for RIW to be co-opted onto partnership that is organised by SWT.
•WMGP website: Alan Cutler reported that there have been over 3000 hits on the website since its launch that suggests it is being well used already. He invited members of local groups to look through the site and comment on the current content.
•Widening the partnership: There was some discussion about widening the WMGP. In the first instance it was agreed to invite English Heritage and the National Trust to join.
•Funding from Natural England: NE has contributed £25k to the WMGP which will be dispersed to the local groups. The mutually-agreed priorities are to monitor the condition of an additional 10 sites (at £100 per site) with a view to reviewing all RIGS sites within the West Midlands by 2013. In addition, NE has allocated £5k for the development of a landscape character map that will be based on their existing "natural areas" and illustrate the ways in which geology has contributed to the appearance of the regions physical landscape. Finally, NE was keen for the SRIGS group to revisit and revise their SGAP (see item 5).
•Future funding: Alan Cutler discussed future funding opportunities related in particular to the EU via their "life plus" and "interreg" schemes. He also reported that NE had been awarded £2M from AWM for a project related to the sustainable use of the region's natural assets that may lead to some funding opportunities for local groups.
5.Revising the SGAP (RIW).
Natural England has been reviewing the nature and success of LGAPs around the country. As a result, it is keen for the SGAP to be revised and reformatted to match style of recent LGAPs & UKGAP. In advance of this, RIW has asked Tom Howells to examine the content of recently-published LGAPS and consider how a revised SGAP can incorporate elements of these whilst dovetailing with the UKGAP. In the meantime, RIW will hold a meeting with Antony Radcliffe at NE to find out more about how they would like the SGAP to be revised and how this will be funded.
ACTION - RIW
6.Group membership.
There was a discussion about the future size and composition of the group. The committee agreed that their needed to be a balance between having enough group members to get work done but not too many such that the group becomes unwieldy. Numerous options were discussed including making more use of volunteers and students to assist with activities like site clearance and guided geotrail walks. It was agreed that the group should continue to strength its links with NSGGA whose membership has been supportive of our activities in the past. RIW agreed to write a discussion document for the next meeting that would consider the future composition of the group.
ACTION - RIW
7.Geotrails:
a.Hamps & Manifold:
i.PJC reported that site clearance needs to be undertaken, initially at two main localities along the trail route (Ladyside Wood locality 19 and locality 6). Permission has been obtained from the landowner. PJC has suggested two provisional dates (November 14 & February 6) and will email members with arrangements shortly.
ACTION - PJC
ii.VT raised a problem regarding the availability of leaflets at Wetton Mill. RD has subsequently contacted Paul Mortimer (NT) who will re-stock the site. Following further discussion, RD agreed to research the cost of installing interpretation boards and leaflet dispensers near Wetton Mill.
ACTION – RD
b.Churnet & Cannock Chase:
RIW reported that no progress has been made in installing the signage for these geotrails. In order to facilitate this, he suggested the group follows a similar approach to site clearance in specifying dates for "signage days". RIW will send out an email with provisional dates.
ACTION - RIW
c.Geopark Trail:
RD reported that the "Geopark trail" produced by the Herefordshire & Worcestershite Earth Heritage Trust was reviewed in Ramblers magazine. She will investigate sending our trails to them for consideration.
8.Site work:
a.Glacial erratics at Bucknall and Tunstall:
The requisite forms have now been completed and these will be designated as SRIGS and notification sent to the landowner (Stoke City Council).
b.Etching Hill:
RIW reported that he'd been invited by Simon Porter, of local trust to discuss site management, which has become a matter of local dispute relating to possible damage caused by the pressure washing of the outcrop to remove graffiti. In conversation with both parties, he recommended that the site management plan should be revised to include methods appropriate for the removal of graffiti. RIW has contacted Jonathan Larwood (NE) and has been sent details of alternatives to high pressure washing which will be forwarded on to inform the revised site management plan.
c.Keele Quarry, Madeley Heath:
Alan Cutler has contacted RIW regarding an application to restore part of quarry and to extend another part. RIW will contact quarry operators regarding opportunity for geoconservation.
ACTION - RIW
9.Strategic Stone Survey – progress report.
IGS, PAF and Brian Gibbs are compiling a SSS for Staffordshire. IGS reported that a Background report on Building Stones of Staffordshire and database of stone properties have been completed. Work is ongoing on former quarries and villages/buildings databases using these stones.
10.Possible Park Hall ALSF bid.
RIW reported that he has had initial discussions with Paul Shires at Park Hall regarding an ALSF bid to enhance the promotion and accessibility of this geological SSSI. It is easy to identify four of five themes that ALSF will fund regarding the site, which will be incorporated into a large bid incorporating geodiversity. RIW needs to check the deadline for NE ALSF bids.
ACTION - RIW
11.UKRIGS:
RIW reported that the long-awaited UK GAP has now been published. This will provide a useful frame of reference when revising the SGAP.
12.AOB:
a.RIW reported that he's been contacted by Andy Leak (Principal Environmental Officer, SCC) concerning a project to map Staffordshire in terms of its historical and natural landscapes. He is particularly interested in looking at the relationship between vegetation and glacial sediments.
b.RIW reported that he'd been contacted by Dave Cadman (SWT) regarding a SALGS bid on site management. An expression of interest has been approved that would include the development of site management plans for 3 geological sites at a cost of £1k/site. The committee was supportive of joint proposal and RIW agreed to forward the stage 2 application for comment when received.
ACTION - RIW
13.Date of next meeting
Wednesday 16th December. 7pm at Keele University.
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