Cuerden Valley Park


     
 

 

Newsletter

Autumn 2009

Welcome to the Autumn Newsletter.  The main news this time the Trust’s long term strategy and financial viability.  As mentioned in the last newsletter the Park’s future strategy is now available and for those of you who have not yet seen a copy it is available either online at www.cuerdenvalleypark.org.uk or pick up a paper copy from the Barn.  The long term financial problems facing the Park are raised in the final section but boil down to the basic problem that the initial endowment that the Trust received was inadequate.  Despite careful investment the returns from the investments has not kept pace with increases in costs leading to a large underlying deficit in the last few years.  Unless the deficit can be eliminated the Trust will run out of funds in the next 5 - 10 years with an uncertain future for the Park.

We are talking to various statutory authorities about funding in the longer term they all have equally tight budgets in for the next few years at least.  Measures are being taken to reduce the deficit with measures to reduce costs and increase income whilst at the same time trying to minimise the effect on park maintenance and ranger presence.  To help reduce costs Louise Cluett one of the estate workers was made redundant at the end of September and replacement for one of the landrovers deferred.   Increasing income is more difficult as we do not charge admission and have very little to sell.  We already put quite a bit of time into raising money from grants but these are generally only available for capital works and not day to day maintenance which is where most of the costs lie.

With reluctance therefore the Trustees have decided to introduce car parking charge with pay and display machines being installed in the three main car parks.  Whilst the Trust does not expect people to welcome the machines it hopes that park users will understand the need for the machines in order to raise extra income to help secure the future of the park.

Park Maintenance

After all the summer rain we eventually managed to get the hay off the meadows in August, about a month later than usual.  It has however severely affected our programme of footpath repairs.  As mentioned in the last newsletter work to improve drainage and rebuild the path by ASDA was scheduled for the summer but the ground conditions proved too wet.  This also applied to the footpath behind Rowancroft and the bridge over the pond.  Both these jobs will have to be carried over until next year.  Instead we spent quite a bit of time revisiting areas of Himalayan Balsam that we has pulled or cut earlier in the year removing any that we had missed or new plants that had germinated and grown.  Hopefully these areas will be a bit clearer next year.

We have also been busy with fencing repairs mainly on the agricultural fields.  Many of these are life expired with a large number of posts having broken off at ground level.  I think some of them were standing up more due to goodwill than anything else.  Fences have been replaced around Ice House Wood, behind Gravel Hole Wood and Cam Wood.  Fencing has also been replaced in a couple of places at the south end of the park.  The problems here have been exacipated by the tenant farmer changing from dairy to beef.  Young beef cattle are far more interested in trying to find the way out of a field than older cows.

Repairs have been taking place to the stone wall along the A49 Wigan Road.  The pointing had gone in some areas and a few of the coping stones had become loose.  An attempt was made to steal some of the coping stones but thankfully we discovered where the thieves had stockpiled the copings and managed to return them to the wall.

A new fence has also been constructed around an alder tree by the bridge below the Pinetum.  This tree is well into old age with the centre rotting out and other signs of decay.  However it is an interesting looking tree, full of holes for nesting birds and insects that help break down the rotting wood.  It was therefore decided to retain the tree but for safety to fence the tree off to reduce the chances of anyone being hurt should the tree shed branches or fall over.  We have also undertaken safety work on an Algerian Oak in the Pinetum.  This tree is believed to be the largest Algerian Oak in the county but had developed a large split up one side.  In order to stop the split opening further and encourage it to heal a metal strap has been fitted around the tree.  The top of the tree has also been reduced by about 4 metres in order to reduce the stress placed on the trunk in high winds.

The Trust has received a grant from Lancashire Environmental Fund and the Friends to help improve bio-diversity in some of its woodlands and meadows.  The first stage was to plant over 8,000 wildflower bulbs during the autumn.  These included native bluebells, wood anemone, wood sorrel, ransoms, snowdrop and in the Pinetum lily of the valley.  The planting was carried out by the Watch group, Conservation volunteers, staff from Rocha UK, British Aerospace and park users.  The bulbs may take a year or two to settle in but hopefully will increase the colour in the woodlands in the spring.  During 2010 more wildflowers will be added to some of the meadows and rhododendrons to the Pinetum.

Whilst mentioning grants the Trust has also been successful in applying for money for structural repairs to Dovecote Barn from Natural England.  The Barn is an early Victorian building on the agricultural estate which due to poor foundations and deterioration of the mortar is in an unsafe condition and is really just being held up by scaffolding.  It has been in this state for a few years but while the Trust was reluctant to let it fall down or be demolished it couldn’t justify spending a large amount of money on it.  The Trust did look at selling it for development but there were a number of legal problems surrounding this.  Drawings are currently being prepared and work should start early next year.

The ongoing task of replacing old rotting steps around the Park continues but is nearly complete.  The latest flight to receive attention is on the hillside behind Clayton le Woods Primary School.  This leaves a flight behind Greenwood leading onto the Greenwood estate as the only one outstanding.

Work has now commenced on woodland thinning of which there is a fair amount to undertake this winter.  This is mainly areas of trees near the M65 which were planted in the mid 1990s to help hide and reduce the sound coming from the motorway.  They are now ready for the first thin and a large area at Stag Lodge was completed last year.  This year we have Stag Lodge to complete and an area near the A49 car park and bridge over the motorway.
Jim Longbottom, Park Manager

Education

Once again the education programme has been a great success this autumn term. The most popular being river studies and pond dipping. We are now at the end of November and schools are still coming out on the park.

I have been very pleased with the success of the new school holiday activities, we ran for the first time this year. So pleased that we will be doing them again next year! Every school break we will be doing one activity, starting in February with ‘Birds, Bats and Bugs’, making homes and feeders.

We are busy organising the ‘Children’s Christmas Fair’ on Sunday 6th December, this will be our usual mix of crafts, games, refreshments and visiting Santa. Last year we had a fantastic Tombola stand, so many of you sent in gifts for the stand (thank you), so could you please do it again this year, we appreciate anything you would like to donate, unwanted gifts, toiletries, alcohol or any item you think suitable.

We are hoping to start regular ‘Health Walks’ on the park. These will be short (one hour max.) walks looking at wildlife and work taking place. They will be aimed at retired folk, any one with health issues or if you just need to get out of the house for an hour. If you are interested in taking part, or you would consider training as a leader, let me know. Once again a big thank you to all the volunteers that help with the education programme, I really couldn’t do it all without you!
Pauline Taylor, Education Officer

 

WATCH Group

 

The Watch group is an activity group for 8-12 year olds and a partnership between CVP, RSPB and Lancs WT. Variety and quality are the themes for our Watch group. Variety because not only have we pulled up balsam on the Park, but also helped plant some of the bluebell and snowdrop bulbs recently delivered to the Park.

Quality because we have a new leader and when I gave the LWT coordinator her application he said "Where do you get such high quality volunteers?" Then in November because of my work with the Watch/Wex group I had the pleasure of being awarded "Most Inspirational Volunteer" for 2009 at the Lancs WT volunteer conference. Also I had a supervisory visit from RSPB and had the following remarks “The group is extremely well organised and very well led, with an interesting and varied programme. The bulb planting showed the children can have fun whilst saving the wildlife at the same time." Our programme can be seen on the CVP website.
David Beattie, Watch Group Leader

 

Friends of Cuerden Valley Park

During our ever popular fungal foray in September we found a Red Data species which excited our leader for the day.  For the rest of us it was another very enjoyable afternoon. Our first evening meeting was a talk by Duncan Thomas. He showed us the wide variety of his work which made us both laugh and in some places cringe at the exploits of wildlife criminals. Much of his intelligence comes from the members of the public through schemes like "Open Spaces Watch" in which the Friends will be actively involved. Our most recent event was an excellent talk by Kath Tanner from the Environment Agency who shared what the role of the Agency was, and her particular role within that. Another very enjoyable evening.

 

The Friends have continued to support the Trust with a grant towards bulb planting as mentioned elsewhere in the newsletter.  They have also purchased a new chainsaw to replace an old machine that was no longer economic to repair.  The chainsaw will help with the winter thinning work.

 

There has been the welcome development of a fundraising group connected to the Friends who are looking at ways to increase funds. If you feel you can help in any way, please get in touch through the Park office.

David Beattie, Chairman

 

Conservation Volunteers 

During the summer the conservation volunteers have been busy mainly helping to clear Himalayan Balsam from Walton Banks Wood where the area it covers has doubled in recent years.  This was followed by raking and clearing grass on one of the hay meadows that we cannot access with a tractor and machinery.

Like everyone else the conservation volunteers got roped into helping with the bulb planting.  Other autumn work has included woodland thinning behind the lake and on the old motorbike scramble track and further woodland work will take place over the winter months.
Jim Longbottom, Park Manager

Trustees and Members

Unfortunately we had two more resignations from the board in September, Terry Jolly, who we welcomed earlier in the year has decided he would rather be a ‘Friend of the Park’ and John Kay, after five years of supporting us through the development of our financial controls and governance, who has now joined our Honorary Life Members. Cuerden Valley Park Trustees met for their Annual General Meeting in October and Ian Dibben was elected as the Chairman for another year. Life Member and former Chairman, Colin Ovenden, gave the vote of thanks and praised the Park Manager and his staff for all their hard work.
Lesley Russell, Company Secretary

Nov 2009

 
     

     
 

Park Office, The Barn, Berkeley Drive, Bamber Bridge, Preston PR5 6BY.  Telephone 01772 324436

Cuerden Valley Park Trust is a registered Charity (number 1002888) and a Company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1994107. Registered office: 4 Southport Road, Chorley, Lancs. PR7 1LD. VAT number 636 2831 36

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