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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
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