An apology for absence was received from John Mellor Wanda Hollingworth and Robert Boyd.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 1 April 2014.

The minutes of the meeting held on 1 April 2014 were accepted and agreed as an accurate report of the meeting.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Chairman.

The Chairman, Phil Collins, announced to Members that he is to resign from the Torbay Local Access Forum as he will be working in Somerset from October 2014.

Members expressed their sincere thanks for all his work for the Local Access Forum and the Clerk advised Members that recruitment would be taking place for a Chairman and for additional Forum Members.

Paignton Co-ordinator – Wanda Hollingsworth

·         In the absence of Ms Hollingsworth, the Chairman knew of no new issues to report.

Brixham Co-ordinator – Mick Lear

·         Advised Members that the TCCT Coastal Path tree cutting should not affect Brixham Golf Course too much.

·         The Clerk asked Members if they had any comments on the proposed Wall Park Development which would be going to a special Development Management Committee, which had been circulated previously. 

Members could not recall the development and requested the Clerk to re-circulate.

Torquay Co-ordinator – Margaret Forbes-Hamilton

·         Advised that there was to be a change in public transport in the Town Centre.

·         That there were changes in Edginswell with housing and a lot of work being done with new roads, was not sure if this affected any pathways.  James Nicholson agreed to check.

·         Nightingale Park had gone well with Play Torbay organising 42 events throughout Torbay.

·         There was a lot of mis-information in Torwood/Wellswood over the proposed cycle tracks.

·         Advised that the 250 year Lease to Dispose of the Public Space on Cary Green had been withdrawn and as yet there had not been application submitted for the Marina Development in Torquay.

Members requested that the Clerk draft a simple letter to the Planners to inform them that LAF needed to be kept in the loop but also agreed that at the moment they had nothing substantive to consider.

James Nichols advised Members about Green Space Designation was for the community to designate and wondered should LAF be included with the Area Co-ordinators for Paignton, Brixham and Torquay being the representatives for LAF.

James envisaged there would be three meetings for each town and Members agreed that the Area Co-ordinators should receive an invitation to attend the Designation Meetings on behalf of LAF.

Hilary Winter, Regional Coordinator SW LAFs.

Hilary Winter, Regional Co-ordinator for the South West LAFs, gave a presentation to Members.  She advised that:

·         Torbay was one of 15 national coastal path trails in the United Kingdom covering a total of 633 miles with Torbay share bring 22 miles.

·         South West Coast Path (SWCP) was a Gold Winner for the Best Walking Route and at the Tourism Excellence Awards 2013-1014 the South West Coast Path had won the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award.

·         SWCP was to receive £2.1 million extra funding between 2010-2014 with tourism visits increasing from 7.9 million to 8.6 million between 2010 and 2013 with the expenditure of these walkers increasing by 15% to £436 million during this time and associated employment related to this spend growing to 9,771 full-time equivalent jobs.

·         There were significant benefits to Torbay with walkers spending on accommodation, food, drink and shopping and health benefits associated with exercise and exposure to green space with associated savings to the NHS.

·         There was a new management arrangement set out in Natural England’s New Deal for National Trails.

·         The core grant from Natural England had been reduced from 100% to 75% and was administered by the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust on Torbay’s behalf to manage the coastal paths and to monitor the National Trail quality standards known as the four ‘E’s’

1)    Experience

2)    Enhancement

3)    Engagement

4)    Economy

·         SWCP Management Structure split into four groups with James Nichols sitting on the Regional Stakeholder Group along with Councillor Ray Hill and Hilary Winter representing LAF.  There has been one meeting so far with another due in October 2014.

·         There are nine local Stakeholder Groups to cover the SW Coast Path with Torbay being in the Brixham to Starcross stretch, one of the shortest at 39 miles.

·         LAFs are invited to participate in the Stakeholder Groups as they know the local coastal paths and are able to identify problems and identify future projects.

·         Members of the Torbay Local Access Forum are invited to identify potential projects which could attract funding.

Members to send these ideas to the Clerk to compile (internal deadline 4 weeks and should consist of 5 bullet points). 

Hilary Winter will advise Members of the deadline for submission of the projects which can be done through a link which will be sent to them separately by the Clerk.

·         South West Coast Path announced at the beginning of August a £1 million Investment through the Coastal Communities Fund. This project will repair, improve and promote the South West Coast Path (SWCP).

Funds will help with 32 urgent repair works to the path, information boards and signage, and marketing. This will create and safeguard around 788 jobs from construction, management and tourism generated by the path.

·         South West Coast Path Association is a Membership organisation, established as a charity in 1973 with Esther Pearson employed as the new Business Development Manager to increase volunteers to monitor path conditions, oversee commercial partnership and sponsorship, develop fundraising bids and develop relationships with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 115.

1.    James Nicholas advised Members that South Devon Area of Outstanding Beauty (SD ANOB) was currently looking for a new Chairman and that with changes to funding next year would be in the hands of the Local Council rather than Natural England.

James Nicholas will report back in the future.

2.    Hilary Winter advised Members that Nick Clegg MP had announced that he was bringing forward the deadline to complete the building of a 3,000 mile Coastal Path around the entire English coast by 2020 instead of 2030.

3.    Hilary Winter advised Members that Nick Clegg MP had tasked Ordnance Survey to map accessible green space for England and Wales. 

Clerk to forward Members the link on green space data for them to respond.

Hilary Winter advised Members that should they wish to respond to the National England Consultation on Dogs, the closing date is 1 October 2014.

Clerk to forward Members the link for Margaret and Bob to respond.

4.    Hilary Winter advised Members that the LAF Conference possibly in the Bristol/Gloucester area, would be taking place in February 2015.  If there was no Chairman in place by then a representative will need to attend.

5.    Members gave thanks once again to Hilary Winter and Phil Collins.

Thursday 9 April 2015 at 6.00 p.m. Room 10, Paignton Library, Paignton.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday 9 April 2015 at 6.00 p.m. Room 10, Paignton Library, Paignton.