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Archive | September, 2018

Presentments to Verderers — September

By on 19/09/2018 in Habitat, News

Here we welcome guest posts on night cycling and signs to educate the public.  These presentments were made by individuals to the Verderers, not on behalf of the Friends of the New Forest, and which they have kindly given us permission to share here.  The first is from Alison Tilbury, Vice chairman of Denny Lodge Parish Council, who spoke as a representative of the Parish.

We wish to ask whether the Verderers can initiate some control over the increasing numbers of nightime cyclists that are riding over the open forest in groups.  Most of these cyclists wear a very bright headlight which although may be effective for their riding causes disturbance to forest stock.

With the clocks going back in October we feel that now is the time that education is put in place to put a stop to this nightime activity.   This would ensure  that the forest has a time to rest and recover from the increasing pressures of all the daytime activities that take place.

Last November we made a presentment stating our concerns and objections to a medium sized night time cycling recreation event which was sponsored by a head lamp manufacturer.  We were concerned about the effect on wildlife and livestock, and want the Forest to have, as Alison Tilbury has said, “a time to rest and recover.”

Our second guest post today is from local resident Susan Johnson, speaking on the subject of Visitors and Ponies and Signs

I am fully aware of the reluctance to put more signs on the Forest and the reasons given.  However, this year has convinced me, more than ever, that there is an urgent need for new signs at entrances to the Forest stating:

PLEASE DO NOT FEED, TOUCH OR COAX PONIES TO THE ROADSIDE

The information notices in the car parks and leaflets at various venues are not sufficiently effective. Many people do not bother to read them. They are not seen by the large number of visitors passing through, who stop on the verges and in lay-bys to look at the ponies and encourage them over to their cars to photograph, touch and feed them. I frequently encounter this behaviour as I drive across the Forest – in particular on the B3055 Sway to Brockenhurst road on which I drive twice a day, every day.  It is getting worse every year as visitor numbers increase. This year has been particularly bad.

On advising them, politely, that what they are doing is not a good idea and why, I receive mixed responses but invariably I am told that “they did not know that it was wrong” and asked “where are the signs to tell them this”? With – appropriate, instructional signs at Forest entrances they would have no excuse for their ignorance and could not justifiably claim that they “did not know” .

It may be mainly locals who kill the ponies but it is certainly, without doubt, visitors who entice them to the roads.

In conclusion, in my opinion such signs are vital and there is no valid reason for refusal to erect them. Without them livestock is being put at increased risk I which I find inexcusable! Please, let common sense prevail.

I really to not have the time or inclination to have to keep stopping and talking to these people.

We should note that these views do not necessarily reflect the positions taken by the Friends of the New Forest.  We share them here to stimulate debate, and to acknowledge the passion, care and time taken by the presenters, and thank them for their efforts.

Our policies against too much urbanizing of the Forest, often puts us in the position of arguing against too many signs, but certainly the nuances of content, effectiveness, and situation are part of that as an ongoing discussion.  We are not against effective efforts to educate the public about how to care for and respect the Forest.

 

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Verderer’s Announcements and Decisions September 2018

By on 19/09/2018 in Habitat, News

This month’s announcements include warnings about dumping apples and garden waste on the Forest as a hazard to the livestock, the upcoming Verderers Election, positive changes to the HLS Verderers Grazing Scheme subsidy, and the continuing appointment of the NFNPA Verderer.

19th September 2018

APPLES & OTHER WINDFALL FRUITS

The Verderers regularly draw attention to the problems that result from the public feeding ponies on the Forest.  At this time of year, there is often a glut of apples.  I would like to draw people’s attention to the particular dangers associated with dumping apples on the Forest. Apples in quantity, such as a bag of windfalls, can cause colic in horses. A whole apple can cause choking.  Leaving apples close to the roadside attracts animals onto the public highway and into danger from passing vehicles.

GARDEN WASTE

Dumping garden waste on the Open Forest also presents a hazard to stock as many garden plants are toxic.  In addition, it constitutes fly tipping.  We ask residents and those undertaking gardening and landscaping to please dispose of their waste responsibly – at the local tip please, not the Forest.

VERDERERS’ ELECTION

The Election of two Verderers, will be held on Friday, 30th November, when the terms of office of Dionis Macnair and David Readhead come to an end.

The deadline for registering to vote at our election was Monday, the day before yesterday.  However, as we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to vote, registration forms will continue to be accepted until this Friday 21st September.  The Draft Electoral Register has to be finalised in time for it to be sent out to the public offices for public viewing from Monday 1st October.  The fact that you may have been registered for previous elections does not count, and therefore, to be able to vote this year, you must register now.  There are some spare registration forms on the table at the front of the Court.

I hope we will see a strong turnout at the election and I ask all those present to help spread the word so that as many people as possible are able to vote.  I very much hope the press will also help by giving publicity to this important event.

For anyone wishing to stand for election, the deadline for the delivery of nomination papers is Noon on Tuesday 6th November and I will issue a reminder at the October Court.  Anyone requiring further information, should contact the Verderers’ Office, or the Office of the Returning Officer, Mrs Rachel Brooks at the Under Sheriff’s Office in Romsey.

CHANGES TO CURRENT VGS RATES 2019

The VGS Committee & the Court of Verderers have agreed to amend the Verderers Grazing Scheme Livestock Unit rates payable in December 2019.  As the 2018 application forms have already been returned for payments due this December, these changes cannot be implemented until 2019.  Application forms will be sent out next February.  The Court felt it is important to let VGS members know of these changes before the coming winter as it may impact on their stocking level decisions.

The change to Livestock Unit (LU) rates allows the VGS to increase the incentive for Registered New Forest Mares and reduce the incentive for large numbers of cattle and non-registered equines.  The overall pot of money remains the same and the result will be that more members will gain than lose.

The following changes are to apply;

Registered New Forest Mare or Stallion from 0.8 to 1 LU (livestock unit)

No Marking Fee return for any other female equines (including donkeys).  Geldings are already excluded.

Cattle to remain at 1 LU but a payment limit introduced of 40 head of cattle per individual commoner

Copies of the amended VGS terms and conditions are available on the table at the front of the Court.

EDWARD HERON

We are pleased to announce that Cllr Edward Heron’s term of office as the New Forest National Park’s Appointed Verderer, has been extended for a further year.

We particularly welcome renewed statements on perennial issues such as mostly well meaning but entirely misguided dumping of green waste on the Forest in the mistaken notion that it helps feed the Forest livestock.  There is no positive in this, rotting greenwaste can poison livestock, and drawing livestock to roadside and other amenity locations endangers them and disrupts natural feeding patterns.  Regulated supplementary feeding is agreed at locations away from public interaction, and even this practice is questionably and may soon be phased out or reduced. The livestock are there to graze the Forest, and the habitat produced by their grazing and trampling patterns is a key part of the biodiversity of the Forest.

Along side this we also welcome changes to Commoners subsidy which should reward the stewardship provided by their livestock, but not be entirely based on headcount. capping the cattle subsidy may go some way to address areas which have possibly been over poached.

We thank the Verderers for their kind permission to occasionally include their announcements as guest posts here, as we hope we can help highlight the vital role they play on the Forest.

 

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Gasp! NFDC and Southampton Clean Air Zone Consultation

By on 16/09/2018 in Habitat, News

The World Health Organization named Southampton amongst the worst cities for air pollution in UK. Here’s our response to the consultation run by NFDC and Southampton on Southampton’s Clean Air Zone.  From 1 June – 13 September 2018 NFDC and Southampton have run a consultation on Southampton’s Clean Air Zone.

As is often the case, we’ve sidestepped the constraints of the online survey, which narrowly addressed a congestion charge type proposal, and prompted levels of agree / disagree to various elements. To its credit, the survey did take pains to explain its proposals within the survey (unlike the two recent National Park Recreation surveys). We did feel the need to comment beyond the proposals in the survey, particularly on the role of the New Forest District Council.

Our Response

Consultation Limitations  

Whilst clearly the policies and conditions which have triggered this Clean Air Zone consultation demand a pro forma consideration of options which include the DEFRA Charging Clean Air Zone classes and how measures related to the proposed options could be implemented – this unhelpfully limits discussion of the clean air issue to vehicle journeys that may be limited or mined for potential mitigation by a congestion charging model.  By structuring this consultation almost entirely around these narrow solutions, and there circumscribing response to levels of approval or disapproval, the consultation is skewed towards a rubber stamping exercise.

Southampton should also be considering how other industrial sources of pollution, including port activities and cruise liners running engines for generation in dock.  Broadly speaking we’d favour measures that Southampton might take, including the charging options in the consultation, but we’d consider further comment on this outside our remit.

However, New Forest District Council should have a broader scope in this, as many of their plans to allow development in the District will negatively impact air quality by increasing housing provision with its influx of cars, and allowing growth and creation of ports with an obvious uptick of HGV traffic.  Neither the NFDC, nor Southampton are taking into account their duties to the National Park, which should garner higher levels of protection.

Wider View of Clean Air for the District 

There needs to be joined up thinking here.  To have this consultation about air quality at the local city and district level, and a Government launching its 25 Year Environment Plan, promising greater protection to National Parks and both designated and undesignated habitats, is well and good, BUT to have that same Government dictating housing targets to the District and Park where more strategic planning should abide to achieve the Park’s Statutory aims, is senseless and inconsistent.

NFDC plans for housing targets set to 10,500 homes in the next ten years, including the Fawley Development proposed to provide 1500 homes (within NFDC and the National Park) at the bottom of the A326, as well as the ongoing developments at the ports at Eling, Marchwood Military, and the ABP proposal for a deepwater container port at Dibden Bay, all of which the NFDC local plan welcomes with no quibbles for impacts.

10,500 new homes will produce a minimum of 13,650 more cars in the district, each making daily journeys.  The growth and establishment of a new port will have a significant impact on HGV movements.  All of this severely compromising the A326, with knock ons to the A35 and other local trunk roads. The additional traffic on the already congested A326 would lead to demand for extending dual carriage way for much of its length, however, as NFDC have allowed a hard edge of development against the road from Marchwood to Blackfield, the only room for widening would encroach onto the Crown Lands and the New Forest SSSI which should be unacceptable.

NFDC should not duck their responsibilities for clean air by limiting, as this consultation does, their part in it to merely improving the stretch from Rushington to Redbridge.  Their responsibility and remit is wider, and they should ensure their plans do not damage or undo any strides made in the narrow tranche of congestion charge consideration within this initiative.

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