Item 5

Ms Witter declared an interest in this item as Chair of Peak District Mosaic.

Item 8

Cllr Brady, who was attending the meeting in his capacity as Chair of Planning, declared an interest in this item as some members of his family lived on the Chatsworth Estate.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on the 1^st September were approved as a correct record.

There was no urgent business.

To note any questions or to receive any statements, representations, deputations and petitions which relate to the published reports on Part A of the Agenda.

No members of the public had given notice to make representations at the meeting.

The Engagement Team Manager presented the report which was to seek permission to enter into a partnership agreement with Peak District Mosaic (as lead partner), Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and North York Moors National Park Authority to co-deliver the Championing National Parks for everyone project.  A funding application was submitted in August 2023 to the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF)

The Officer informed Members that the development phase of the project was completed in August, and that this report was for the second phase of funding, the delivery phase, which if successful would begin in Spring 2024 and run for 2 years at a cost to the Authority of £140,148

The National Park element will run for 18 months with the appointment of a full-time Project Officer, a part-time Traineeship for 10 months and a Seasonal Community Champion Training Facilitator to deliver the project activities for the underserved communities from different parts of the country to connect with and enjoy the National Park.

Members welcomed the report as an important piece of work, and asked whether following the Governments recent announcement the programme could be extended?  The Officer confirmed that as yet the details of the additional funding were not known.  Members also asked whether the work would be able to be continued in some way if the NHLF application was unsuccessful?  The Officer explained that if the application was unsuccessful then by reaching out to other organisations and match funding, the Authority could continue to provide and deliver some opportunities to support diverse communities.

The recommendations, as set out in the report, were moved and seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

1.    If Peak District MOSAIC’s bid to NHLF is successful, to revise, or if applicable, enter into a new agreement with Peak District MOSAIC for the delivery of the Authority’s outputs within the Championing National Parks for Everyone Project.

2.    To recruit staff as set out in section 5 of the report i.e. one full time Project Officer, one 0.8fte traineeship and one Seasonal Community Champion Training Facilitator, in connection with the delivery of the project.

3.    Subject to compliance with procurement Standing Orders to enter into contracts for the delivery of the project.

The Head of Landscape and Engagement introduced the report and reported an amendment to recommendation 1 of the report which was to remove the reference to Head of Resources and Finance Manager and replace it with Chief Finance Officer.

The Officer informed the Members that since the report was published the Authority had received confirmation from DEFRA that the Morridge Hill Country project was one of the 34 projects that had been successful at Stage 1, so the next step was the enrolment period which was likely to take three months, and if that was successful then the whole project would be worked up into a delivery contract with DEFRA. with a project start date in early 2024/25.

Members thanked Officers for their hard work and queried why the White Peak Project failed. The Officer reported that only generic feedback had been provided so far but that she would ask DEFRA for more detailed feedback. Whilst the White Peak project application had been unsuccessful on this occasion, ways of maintaining interest and momentum with the farmers and land managers involved would be explored as all as looking at other sources for funding for the project.  The Officer also reported that a project for the High Peak Estate, which is owned by the National Trust, was also successful.

The recommendations as set out in the report, subject to the amendment in recommendation 1, were moved and seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

1.  That if one or both of the Environmental  Land  Management  Landscape   Recovery Pilot Development Phase  grants (Up to  £700,000  for “Morridge  Hill  Country” and up to £746,000 for the  “White Peak Landscape Recovery”) are  offered  then  acceptance of the funding, arrangements for  expenditure including Authority posts and any partner arrangements over a  two year period is to be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair or Vice Chair of Programmes and Resources and Chief Finance Officer, with the terms of any grant or contractual documents being approved by the Legal Team.  

2.  That the terms of any grant and contractual documents are approved by the Legal Team.

3.  That the Authority may, subject to compliance with its procurement standing orders, enter into contracts in order to deliver the actions agreed with Defra. 

The Rural Estates Manager introduced the report which was to seek approval from Members to accept an offer of a Countryside Stewardship Grant of over £200,000 from Natural England and to enter into a contract for the delivery of re-wetting, habitat work and sphagnum planting on the remaining seven moorlands on the Authority’s Warslow Moors Estate.

Members queried the wording of the report regarding the reference to the National Park Management Plan carbon emission target and whether it should have stated a decrease of 2,878 tonnes in carbon emissions and not an increase.  The Officer confirmed that this was an error in the report and it should have read a decrease not an increase.

The recommendations, as set out in the report, were moved and seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

1.    To delegate authority to the Interim Head of Assets and Enterprise or equivalent post to accept a Countryside Stewardship agreement offer by Natural England of capital grant aid of £435,200.50 for the work described in this report.

2.     To delegate authority to the Interim Head of Assets and Enterprise or equivalent post, subject to compliance with procurement standing orders, to enter into a contract of £435,200.50 for the delivery of the work.

The Head of Planning introduced the report which was to inform Members about the Chatsworth Whole Estate Plan, and requested Members to endorse the plan.

The Head of Planning informed Members that Officers had been working closely with the Estate’s consultants to ensure that the plan, which was published in September 2023, was in accordance with the National Park purposes and adequately reflected the special qualities and the PDNPA Management Plan.

12:04 Cllr B Woods left the meeting

Members welcomed the Plan, which could be an exemplar on how the Authority approached other estates, but were concerned that it had more aspirations than outputs and were concerned about endorsing the Plan as this could be interpreted as accepting everything in the Plan.

Following discussion, it was agreed to amend the recommendation to state they endorsed the approach to the Plan and that the Authority continued to work in partnership with the Chatsworth Estate.

The amended recommendation was moved and seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

1.    To endorse the approach to the Chatsworth Whole Estate Plan and to continue working in partnership with the Chatsworth Estate.

The Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP) Manager introduced the report which requested Members to confirm delegations to Officers previously made by the Committee following the recent organisational changes which had resulted in some posts being disestablished, and the job titles of other posts being changed.  This would ensure that Officers were working with the correct authority delegations previously agreed to posts at Programmes and Resources Committee, and ensure uniform and consistent delegations for the Moors for the Future projects and resilience in the event of any future changes to job titles or posts.

The recommendation, as set out in the report, was moved and seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the changes to the previously agreed delegations to Officers with regard to MFFP projects, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, are approved, namely that delegations are to the Moors for the Future Partnership Manager (or the equivalent post for the time being managing the task) in consultation with the Monitoring Officer and the Chief Finance Officer (or such other person appointed under Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972).

This report informed  Members of the items considered by the Due Diligence Panel over the last 12 months.

The recommendations as set out in the report were moved and seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

1.         To note the items considered by the Due Diligence Panel over the last 12 months, as set out in paragraph 8 of the report.

2.         To note that the Panel reviewed the financial register of sponsorships and donations, the in-kind register of sponsorships and donations and the staff/Member benefits register in May and November 2023.