To elect a Chairman/woman for the meeting.

Councillor Doggett was elected Chairman for the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from John Mellor, Robert Boyd, Mick Lear and Alan Robinson.  The Forum welcomed a new member Bobby Singh.

- to receive the minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2014.

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2014 were accepted and agreed as an accurate report of the meeting.

Tracy Brooks – Senior Strategic Planner.

Tracy Brooks, Senior Strategic Planner for Torbay Council attend the meeting and provided a presentation on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Management Plan.  Members were advised that AONB designation is recognition that an area needs to be conserved and enhanced for the benefit of the community.  An AONB provides the context for long term management of areas, local authorities have the responsibility to manage the areas, however the management has been undertaken in different ways e.g. joint boards.  South Devon have formed a unit consisting of a partnership of local authorities and various other interested parties to steer and co-ordinate the work of the AONB.

Members were informed that there is a statutory duty to produce management plan, the South Devon management plan is a living document for 2014 to 2019 and presents a vision for the future and reflects the range of views of stakeholders.  There are several themes to the management plan such as access, recreation and tourism, transport and highways.  All the themes are supported by policies that provide a framework to guide delivery of the themes.

Members were informed of a number of initiatives in the Torbay vicinity such as working with land owners and the National Trust to secure access paths over the Brixham peninsula as well as a number of community fund raising initiatives which were vital as previously DEFRA provided significant amounts of funding however this has been withdrawn leaving the AONB to be funded solely by local authorities and the generosity of the community.