Partnership

Telephone: 01895 833 375

Fax: 01895 833552

Email: colnevalley@groundwork.org.uk

Web: www.colnevalleypark.org.uk

Colne Valley Park Visitor Centre

Denham Court Drive

Denham

UB9 5PG

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Partnership Working in the Colne Valley Park

Colne Valley Partnership contributes financially through the Colne Valley Levy. In total this comprises approximately £40,000 annually. This is used to contribute towards basic marketing and publicity for the park including the running of the Colne Valley Park Visitor Centre.

The Colne Valley Partnership is supported by the Colne Valley Executive, consisting of officers from the Local Authorities and Groundwork. This group provides the technical advice and support that enables the Park to function (particularly on planning matters).

Groundwork is tasked with being the main body for developing and implementing Colne Valley projects. Groundwork employs several staff to work on Colne Valley projects and is able to draw on staff from different disciplines such as Landscape Architecture, Community Development, Education and Marketing. These staff are funded through projects undertaken in the Colne Valley Park.

Groundwork, as a charity operating across all the Local Authorities in the Colne Valley Partnership can bring in funding for projects not normally available to Local Authorities. Groundwork, with the support of other Colne Valley Partners, brings in approximately £400,000 of project funding annually – a tenfold increase on the Colne Valley Levy.

The project work involves a much wider group of organisations. This includes government agencies, private companies and local groups. Many private companies support projects, either through making land available, allowing routes across their land or through project funding.

Two of the Park's most popular features are its stretches of the Grand Union Canal - an eight mile section of the main London to Birmingham route and four miles of the Arm leading to Slough. British Waterways care for and manage the country's canals and the two offices which cover this area are both active in improving access to the canal.

Natural England is involved with conserving and enhancing the natural environment. They have four strategic outcomes all of which relate very strongly to the Colne Valley Park

· A healthy natural environment - England's natural environment will be conserved and enhanced.

· People are inspired to value and conserve the natural environment - more people inspired to enjoy, understand and act for the natural environment.

· Sustainable use of the natural environment - the use and management of the environment is more sustainable.

· A secure environmental future - decisions which collectively secure the future of the natural environment.

They administer Environmental Stewardship, oversee SSSI’s and also are distributors of several grants.

The Environment Agency is active on several fronts in this area, most notably through major flood alleviation works along the length of the River Colne and support for water-based recreation and biodiversity projects.

As well as specialist advice, the Forestry Commission's main input into the area has been through the Woodland Grant Scheme, which has helped bring woodlands back into management and contributed towards new planting.

One of the Park’s great assets is the diverse range of groups that live in, use and work to improve the area. These range from the Friends of the Colne Valley Park, who work to promote and improve the Park, through site-based groups (such as sailing clubs) to special interest groups who travel to use the Park.

The Rural Development Forum is a partnership of farmers, foresters and other organisations that focuses on supporting the rural economy of the Colne Valley Park and adjacent areas of rural urban fringe through 5 key issues:

· Viability of farming

· Local Food to local markets

· Woodland management

· Links between local people and the countryside on their doorstep

· Tourism & day visits

The Recreation Forum and Wildlife Forum meet regularly as a means of facilitating cooperation between the different user groups and organisations working in the Colne Valley Regional Park. These forums are made up of local people, voluntary groups, local authorities, government agencies, farmers and other landowners, they provide an ideal opportunity for people to meet and discuss ideas and issues in this area of countryside to the west of London.

Larger projects often require co-ordination between different organisations and can involve several different departments within the partners. Action Groups are set up when required to develop and deliver these projects and only meet for the duration of the project.

Funding

In addition to the annual Colne Valley Levy from the local authorities project funding has come from a variety of local, regional and national sources and includes both public and private money.

There is a need to maintain and build on funding sources that come into the park such as the Lottery Fund, The Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund and funding from private companies.

The continuance of core funding through the Colne Valley Levy is essential if opportunities to deliver cross boundary projects in the Colne Valley Park are to be continually realised.