Management Plan 3.4

8/6/2019 Management Plan 3.4

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The Downs - Management Plan 1 of 28

The Downs

Management Plan

Management Plan 3.4 - May 2011


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PURPOSE OF THE PLAN .............................................................................. 3

WHERE ARE WE NOW? ................................................................................ 4

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 4

The history of the Downs ................................................................................................................... 5

Wider policy context .......................................................................................................................... 6

Site description .................................................................................................................................. 9

The cultivated western end of the Downs ....................................................................................... 9

The majority of the Downs natural scrub and grassland .............................................................. 11

The promenade - the link to the beach.......................................................................................... 11

The beach ..................................................................................................................................... 12Use of the Downs ......................................................................................................................... 12

Access .......................................................................................................................................... 12

The value of the Downs ................................................................................................................ 14

Current management of the Downs .............................................................................................. 14

Site assessment................................................................................................................................ 15

Natural landscape and geology ..................................................................................................... 15

Man-made landscape ................................................................................................................... 15

Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 16

RAMSAR site: ................................................................................................................................ 17

Site Use ........................................................................................................................................ 19Site Management ......................................................................................................................... 21

Summary of Sites Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats .......................................... 22

VISION ........................................................................................................... 23

Ecology ............................................................................................................................................ 24

Hard Landscape................................................................................................................................ 24

Management ................................................................................................................................... 26

Future Use of the Downs ................................................................................................................. 27

Recognition ...................................................................................................................................... 28


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PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

This Management Plan has been written to guide the efficient and

effective management of the green space known as the Downs inHerne Bay. The Management Plan is written for:

Elected Members and officers whose decisions affect the site

Those who are responsible for planning and delivering maintenancefor the site

The local community and visitors who use and care about the site

Any volunteer who might be working on the site

The sites most immediate neighbours such as residents, businessesand clubs whose quality of life is impacted by what happens on thesite.

The intention is that this Management Plan will be an integral part of theday-to-day running of the Downs, as well as guiding the long termmanagement of the sites future. It will be used to:

Develop work programmes

Support the annual budget-setting process

Identify any requirements for additional financial resources

Inform the local community, visitors and decision-makers ofmanagement plans and priorities

Guide long term initiatives

Draw in local people to take an active part in managing the site anddeveloping its future

Monitor success and progress.

If we use it properly, the Management Plan will help us to:

Prioritise effort and resources

Identify and gain support for new initiatives

Secure new resources

Establish standards of maintenance and care

Protect against poorly considered development and changes Protect against long term decline

Ensure that the Downs continues to be loved and used by the localcommunity and by visitors as an informal and semi-wild green spaceforever

Ensure that improvement and maintenance work is in keeping withthe aims of maintaining the area in the best interests of good publicuse.


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WHERE ARE WE NOW?

INTRODUCTION

This is a draft of the first community-led Management Plan for theDowns. This Plan is drawn from:

Meetings of the Friends of the Downs

Email suggestions made to the Friends of the Downs

Ideas generated during the quarterly Bounds of the Downs walks

The many comments made by the 1,181 people who completedevidence questionnaires as part of the application to have the Downsregistered as a Village Green

Ideas and comments generated by the PACT group whose patch

covers the western end of the Downs Conversations with Herne Bay in Bloom

Public input received during the Herne Bay Exhibition in 2011.

The aim of the Plan is to develop a coherent framework within which tocare for the Downs today and to secure the long term future of the landas a much-loved and well-used, semi-wild open space. The Plan willbring together the landowners, Canterbury City Council, and the localcommunity to do this. The Friends of the Downs, as a local communitygroup, will take the lead in writing the Plan and will work with

Canterbury City Council to achieve the aspirations in it.

The Plan uses the structure suggested by CABE (Commission forArchitecture and the Built Environment) and draws heavily on CABEsexcellent document A guide to producing parks and green spacemanagement plans. The draft Plan is a long way from being the finaldocument but it represents the thinking so far on how we might care forand enhance the Downs going forward. Part of the work of the Friendswill be to encourage more local people to express their views on andaspirations for the Downs, so that later drafts of the Plan represent an

even wider community view.

So, please tell us what you like about this draft, what you dont like; andwhat you think weve missed. Please let us have your ideas for thefuture of this piece of natural land that is so important to our town. Ascommon themes develop well build them into the next drafts of thePlan.


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THE HISTORY OF THE DOWNS

Herne Bay is lucky enough to have the Downs because, from 1881 onwards, a seriesof local people gifted plots of land to the town. About half of the site was gifted to the

town in this way. There are long-standing covenants between these benefactors andthe Council to keep the Downs as a public open space for the recreation andenjoyment of local people and the wider public forever. The Herne Bay Urban DistrictCouncil, in receiving these gifts of land on behalf of the town, recognised at the timewhat a great resource and asset the Downs would be to Herne Bay.

Tithe map from about 1840

The other half of the site has come into the hands of the Council for a number ofdifferent reasons. Some plots of land were acquired under the powers of the CoastProtection Act. Others have been acquired on the basis of adverse possession.

It is important to the Friends of the Downs to stay true to the original intentions of thetowns benefactors, and to keep the Downs open for everyone to use for lawfulrecreation, freely and free of charge, forever without undue hindrance.

In the towns Victorian heyday, the Downs was used extensively for that popularpastime promenading. A Visitors Guide to Herne Baypublished in 1859, has thefollowing description:

It is a pleasant change from the stroll along the beach to ascend the risingground at either extremity of the Parade. At the eastern end, you comeimmediately on The Downs, which though narrow, extend for miles along thecoast. Gradually ascending, they form at first an easy slope of greensward,dotted with brakes of furze and heath, and falling away to the level of thebeach. Seats planted on the green turf are liberally provided, and no healthierspot can be imagined for exercise and recreation. Here children gambol infreedom an safety in the sea breeze; and after the plunge of bath or bathingmachine, of which there are stations just below, nothing can better help tocirculate the blood than a bracing walk on The Downs.


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The New Guide to Herne Baypublished in 1875, describes the Downs as follows:

The East Cliff, situated beyond the confines of the old town, a parade of analtogether wilder character, is not inappropriately styled The Down. Hereinvalids who cannot make excursions inland may take advantage of the manyrustic seats dotted in every direction on these grassy slopes, and enjoy atleisure the exhilarating sea breezes, and the expansive view across the baybelow.

Edwardian postcard

An undated painting, earlier than 1831, shows a crop of what looks like corn beingharvested on the Downs and a story going as far back as 1818 tells of two soldiersfrom the military signalling station at Herne Bay fighting a duel on the Downs.

W IDER POLICY CONTEXT

The Downs stretches from Canterbury Road in the west to the border with ReculverCountry Park in the east, and extends from the roads and back gardens that border it

in the south to the mean high tide line in the north, covering about 72 acres (29hectares).

For the most part, the Downs is owned by Canterbury City Council. The Downs isrecognised by Canterbury City Council as both Protected Open Space andundeveloped coast, where development will not be permitted if it detracts from theunspoilt quality or scientific value of the land. It is also recognised as internationallyand nationally important and carries a number of protective designations.


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Aerial view of the Downs in relation to Herne Bay

The Downs is: Part of the Thanet Coast and Sandwich Bay Ramsar site (3UK078). This is an

international designation and means that the site is subject to the same strictlegal protection as European designated nature conservation sites

In a Special Protection Area (SPA). This is an international designation. Pollutionor deterioration of SPAs must be avoided and the Plan will reflect the fact that wemust do nothing that could result in significant disturbances for the wild birds thatuse this site

In the protected buffer zone of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). This is aninternational designation and recognises the importance of the site for wildlifeother than birds. An SAC has the full protection of the Habitats Directive

Thanet Coast SSSI (Unit 4) 80.05 hectares; OS Map Ref - TR208689

Part of the Thanet Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This is anational designation and recognises the importance of the lands flora, faun a,geological and physiographical features. Natural England is the guardian of theUKs SSSIs and will be an important decision maker and partner for us.


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The Herne Bay Area Action Plan recognises the importance of the Downs. Theboundaries of the Plan were specifically redrawn to exclude land near the Kings Hall,thus avoiding a negative impact on the Downs and on the protective designationsthat it carries.

Showing original and modified outlines

The Downs falls almost entirely in Reculver ward and borders the residential area ofBeltinge. This area is recognised in Canterbury City Councils ward -by-wardassessment of open space provision as an area that is distinctly under-provided forwhen it comes to open space. The Downs therefore plays a critical role in localresidents informal outdoor recreation as the largest piece of open space in a wardthat has less open space than it needs.

Aerial view of Ward boundary at the western end of the Downs

In the Herne Bay and Whitstable Landscape Appraisal of 2000, the Downs was listedas a highly sensitive and distinctive landscape. The guideline given was that theDowns should be conserved. Specifically, the guidance was that this meant keepingthe number of introduced elements to a minimum and that the focus should be toprotect and enhance their wildlife potential and reflect the nature conservationdesignations.


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The Downs is home to plants listed as notable in the Kent Biodiversity Action Plansuch as Spiny Restharrow and Dyers Greenweed. It is also home to slow worms andcommon lizards, skylarks, and hedgehogs all of which are listed as priority speciesin the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Once up to date ecological surveys have beencompleted, we will have a much better idea of what other important species are livinghappily on the Downs.

The Herne Bay Conservation Area Appraisal describes the Downs as havinga special sense of place.

The Downs is a steep clay slope that borders the coast. It is an important part of thesea defences for eastern Herne Bay. Previously vulnerable to landslip, the Downs isnow honeycombed with a network of drains and is surveyed and monitored by theCouncil for movement.

An application to register most of the Downs as a Village Green was submitted inSeptember 2009. That application is currently being considered by Kent County

Council and will stand or fall on a legal interpretation of the status of the land. Thefact that that application has yet to be determined has no impact on this ManagementPlan. Whether the Downs is registered as a Village Green or not, the Plan focuses onthe landowner (Canterbury City Council) and the community working together to carefor the Downs. This partnership will be a critical resource for managing the Downsgoing forward, whether or not the land is registered as a Village Green.

It is clear from all of the above that sensitive and knowledgeable management of theDowns is critical to maintain and enhance its current status as a special andecologically important place. We will want to keep artificial and introduced elementsto a minimum whilst ensuring that we pay attention to the role that the Downs plays inthe local ecological environment. At the same time we want to keep the Downs as an

accessible and informal green space for local people and for visitors alike. Finally, wecan do nothing that will in any way prejudice the underground engineering works thatkeep the Downs stable.

SITE DESCRIPTION

The cultivated western end of the Downs

The Downs measures 2.5 km from tip to tip and is roughly 165 metres from road to

high tide line at its widest part. The western end of the Downs is very different incharacter to the rest of the Downs. It accounts for around 6 acres of the total landarea of the Downs which is about 9% of the total area of the Downs.

At this very western end of the Downs, the land has well-maintained short grass,flower beds and the Barnes Wallis statue. It also has the roof of the Kings Hall,which was once used as a popular bandstand. Until recently, a small Victorian openshelter existed at this end of the Downs. This was burnt down in April 2011 and nodecision has yet been taken as to its reinstatement. This western end of the Downshas little of ecological interest, but it is a popular place for people to picnic on thegrass, fly kites, toboggan or simply sit down to admire the view.


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Serco's mowing regime for the western end of the Downs

Dividing the grassy slopes of the Downs from the concrete promenade nearCanterbury Road is a row of private houses, each with a small, fenced off or walledoff, piece of outdoor space bordering the Downs.


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The majority of the Downs natural scrub and grassland

Red=Manicured. Orange=Mown. Green=Minimal maintenance.

Moving east from a line roughly in line with Belle Vue Road, the vegetated slopes ofthe Downs become much more natural. Grass cutting takes place here much lessfrequently and small areas of mixed scrub have developed. Further to the east still,as the Downs runs up to the border of Reculver Country Park, the vegetationbecomes more like open grassland, with a few small trees establishing themselves tothe south. This more natural land accounts for 62 acres of the Downs total land area

around 91%.

The promenade - the link to the beach

A long concrete promenade runs from Bishopstone Glen in the east, past the end ofthe western boundary of the Downs and into Herne Bay central seafront and beyond.In the summer of 2010 the promenade was designated as a cycle track, part of theOyster Bay Trail which aims to link the Viking Coastal Trail in Thanet and NationalCycle Route 1 in Whitstable.

People have long made use of the promenade for walking, dog walking, cycling andfor accessing the beach. Occasionally, as part of a major event at the Sailing Club,people camp on the promenade overnight. The promenade is also used by theForeshore Service and by Serco to access the beach and to empty rubbish from thebins. There is no public right to drive motorised vehicles along the promenadeexcept for vehicles accessing the Sailing Club. Rosemary, whats the legalstatus here and how should we describe it?

Moving from the western end of the promenade, the first building on the Downs is theKing's Hall. The King's Hall is an architectural gem, with original Edwardian features,seafront views, and a rooftop bandstand. It was originally named the King Edward VIIMemorial Hall, and was opened on 10 July 1913 by Her Royal Highness, PrincessHenry of Battenberg, on behalf of Queen Alexandra. It is now owned by CanterburyCity Council. There is a small caf just inside the main entrance, which is openinfrequently during the winter but more often in the summer months. The only publictoilets available anywhere on the Downs are at the Kings Hall.

Moving eastwards, the next building on the Downs on the promenade is the PumpingStation. There is no public access to the inside of the station. However, the steepslope of the land behind the building means that the roof of the station is easilyaccessed from the Downs.The next building is the Sailing Club. Again, this building is not accessible to thegeneral public. The Clubs built structures include a clubhouse, a small decked

garden, a boat store and the slipway. The Club also makes use of the promenade for


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storing, cleaning and manoeuvring boats, mainly during the Spring, Summer andAutumn.

East of the Sailing Club, also fronting the promenade, is the Coast Watch Lookout a small, two storey structure. The ground floor comprises what was once publictoilets, now closed. The first floor currently houses the Coast Watch and was soldinto private hands on a 99 year lease. Its future is unknown. Apart from the fewoccasions when the Coast Watch opens its doors to the public, there is no publicaccess to any part of this building.

To the east of the Coast Watch Lookout, there is a raised concrete area, going overwhat was the roof of a number of concrete beach huts built into the slope. This is afar from beautiful area, but it offers great opportunities for improvement and forgeneral community use, being both flat and raised above the beach.

The beach

The beach that runs alongside the promenade and the Downs is largely shingle. Asthe only public toilets anywhere on the Downs are at the very westernmost end of thesite, at the Kings Hall, this stretch of beach is lightly used and very peaceful. Peopleuse it for picnicking and sunbathing and also for fishing both as individuals and aspart of occasional organised competitions. Rosemary: Whats the status of whendogs are allowed on the beach?

Use of the Downs

The Village Green application gives us 1,181 individual written accounts of the use

that people make of this part of the Downs and have been making for at least the lasttwenty years. People use the land for walking, dog walking, running, cycling, intervaltraining, watching the sea and the boats, kite flying, painting, photography, foraging,educating children, bird watching, bat watching, drawing, cricket, tobogganing, skiing,family celebrations, picnicking, nature walks, watching fireworks, and, charmingly,courting.

The Downs is a great place to sit and watch the view. From the busier Kings Hallarea in the west the land gradually becomes more remote with splendid views of theremnants of Herne Bay pier, the Kentish Flats wind farm, the Maunsell sea forts,Reculver Towers, the Isle of Sheppey and, on clear days, the Essex coast and theLondon Array and Ramsgate wind farms.

Access

There are no fences anywhere on the Downs and so people are free to access theland at any point. There are no recognised public rights of way across the Downs.However, a variety of paths criss-cross the land. These include man-made pathssurfaced with tarmac or concrete, and informal, beaten earth paths and tracks whichhave developed with use over time.

Access for people using a wheelchair or mobility scooter is possible from thepavement at Canterbury Road, from the junction of Sea View Road with Beacon Hill,


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and from a couple of places along the promenade. However, this is far from ideal.The main paths sometimes become overgrown. There are barriers preventing vehicleaccess on the promenade, at Sea View Road and at Reculver Drive that would alsocause a problem for someone reliant on a wheelchair, although a separate roughpath does exist coming out of the western end of the Reculver Drive car park. Accessat most points of the sites open perimeter entails mounting a curb and/or travellingacross grass that may be muddy.

Access to a flat, grassy area to the north of Reculver Drive is currently denied to thepublic as a result of the Council having leased this land to private householders.

The following pictures are a first draft at mapping the "wheel-friendly" areas, and the"no access" parts of the network of paths and pavements. We need to do morechecking on this.


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The value of the Downs

The Downs owes its special sense of place to a couple of things. It is extremely rareto find a piece of natural and untamed land between residential housing and the sea.The Downs is undeveloped, unspoilt and immediately next to the urban landscape.To illustrate how unusual this is, one only has to look at Herne Bays West Bay. Herethe slopes are closely mowed, fringed with beach huts and offer little in the way ofecological interest. Most coastal land this close to a town is developed land. The

Downs is not. In a ward in which there is a recognised under-provision of public openspace, the Downs offers residents and visitors a peaceful strip of semi-natural landbeside the sea to which they can escape briefly from urban living.

The Downs is also rare because it is a north-facing clay slope, next to the sea, whichis not suffering constant erosion. The geography of the UK means we have relativelyfew north facing coastal slopes. We have fewer still that are stable. The Downs,bound as it is by the concrete promenade, is not constantly eaten away by the seaand offers a habitat that is unusual in the UK because of this.

The Downs is special because there has been so little interference with it over thepast few decades. It is gently unkempt and far from being manicured or primped.

People and their dogs feel free to roam the site at will and to enjoy being out in thefresh air, right next to the sea, away from the noise and visual intrusion of much ofurban life.

Current management of the Downs

Canterbury City Council is the landowner and caretaker of the land. Maintenance ofthe Downs is currently outsourced to the Councils chosen contractor, Serco. Serco isresponsible for:

Mowing the very western end of the Downs and the strip of grass nearest toBeacon Hill and The Lees on the southern border of the ground. This grass ismowed frequently


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Intermittent mowing of grass alongside paths and steps Intermittent radical cutting back of areas of untamed grass Upkeep of paths and steps Provision and emptying of litter and dog waste bins Rosemary: Anything else? Shingle clearance? Signage: is it all CCC's

responsibility?

There is currently no long term management plan for the Downs and no clearecological or recreational strategy. The maintenance work undertaken aims simply tokeep the land in hand rather than to enhance it. Key to the successful managementof the Downs going forward will be to find ways to protect and enhance its ecologicalvalue while continuing to encourage free and informal use of the whole site forrecreation. It is the pursuit of this long term balance between nature and peoplewhich will guide the priorities of this Management Plan.

SITE ASSESSMENT

Natural landscape and geology

The Downs represents a natural rarity for the UK a north-facing coastal slope ofLondon clay and soft sandstone that, because of the sea defence works, is unusuallystable. At its peak, the Downs rises to a height of 37m above sea level. The landslopes from south to north, down to the sea, and also from its peak on Beacon Hillwestwards down to Canterbury Road. The Downs enjoys lower rainfall than the UKaverage and more hours of sunshine.

Man-made landscape

As can be seen from the Site Description, the Downs is not a complex site from thepoint of view of man-made structures. There was just one man-made structure on theland open for full-time public use, and that was the small shelter near the Kings Hall.However, this was regularly vandalised and a challenge to keep in good condition. Ithas now (April 2011) been burnt down. When re-instated, the challenge of copingwith the vandalism will remain.

Most of the other buildings the houses on East Cliff Parade, the pumping station,the Sailing Club and the Coast Watch Lookout are either privately owned or owned

by the Council and leased to private groups or bodies. The maintenance of theseproperties is therefore not within the scope of this Management Plan. This is apositive from the point of view of managing resources, but sometimes a negativewhen owners decide to do something unappealing with their property that detractsfrom the appearance of the Downs. For example, Southern Water is currently fencingoff a stretch of promenade for some purpose. The fencing is mainly hardboard andlooks extremely unattractive and in no way contributes to the efforts of people in thetown to make Herne Bay an attractive visitor spot.

The Kings Hall is a publicly-owned building. The Kings Hall is outside the scope ofthis Management Plan. However, if we are successful in encouraging more people touse and enjoy the Downs, this could bring more custom to the Kings Hall which the

Council recognises is currently an underused asset. Similarly, a vibrant and well-used Kings Hall would boost the attractiveness of the Downs.


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The concrete and asphalt paths and steps described in the Site Description are ofvarying age and quality. It is fair to say that none of them has been built with an eyeto possible aesthetic appeal. A range of materials and finishes has been used andsome paths are now cracked and decaying. Others, especially the steps, areovergrown. This lends an air of neglect to the site which jars with the otherwisenatural look of the land.

Apart from the original railings along the concrete upstands near the promenade,most of the handrails alongside steps and paths are modern concrete pillars withmetal rails. Whilst functional they are visually unappealing and do not add to thelandscape.

There is a sprinkling of benches along the top of the Downs near its southern border.A broken remnant of a long bench exists on the main path leading from CanterburyRoad towards the top of the Downs.

The Downs suffers from a proliferation of bins and signs that are not very thoughtfullyplaced. From key vantage points dog poo bins and interpretation boards break up thenatural skyline and clutter the vista. It would be a simple matter to position some ofthese physical intrusions in places that are still functional, but which are more visuallysensitive and which do not make it difficult for Serco to carry out regular maintenancein an efficient manner.

The concrete upstands mentioned in the Site Description to the east of the CoastWatch Lookout are far from lovely. Once the site of a few small buildings whichcomplemented the once booming beach-based tourist industry of Herne Bay, all thatis left are the concrete bases. A large variety of materials and surfaces has beenused in a relatively small space, contributing to an incoherent and messy look. The

floor here is uneven. On the upside, small children enjoy using the concrete slopeshere for bike riding. This area offers significant potential to involve the community indesigning a sustainable and ecologically sound solution to mask the ugliness of thissite without marring the semi-wild appearance of the Downs that local people love.

Ecology

The Downs borders Reculver Country Park in the east and is a vital oasis for wildlifeand an important buffer zone between the town and the open natural land ofReculver Country Park. A variety of wildlife inhabits the grassland and scrub of the

Downs including a range of bird species, reptiles, small mammals and importantcommunities of coastal plant and marine life.

As part of the RAMSAR listing for the Downs, the following species are noted asimportant:


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RAMSAR site:

Over winter, the site regularly supports internationally important numbers of:Arenaria interpres- turnstone

British Red Data Book invertebrates, including:Lixus vilis- a weevil; Stigmella repentiella- a rare moth; Bagous nodulosus- aweevil; Deltote bankiana- the Silver Barred moth; Poecilobothrus ducalis- adancefly; Emblethis verbasci- a rare hemipteran bug; Pionosomus varius- a smallLygaeid beetle.

Bird species occurring at the level of national importance include:Sterna albifrons- little tern; Phalacrocorax carbo- great cormorant; Podicepscristatus- great crested grebe; Pluvialis squatarola- grey plover; Charadrius hiaticula- ringed plover; Calidris alba- sanderling.

Nationally important higher plants include:Juncus acutus- spiny rush, sharp rush or sharp-pointed rush; Potamogeton coloratus- fen pondweed; Ceratophyllum submersum- soft hornwort; Myriophyllumverticillatum- whorled water milfoil; Carex divisa- divided sedge; Althaea officinalis-common marshmallow.

Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group (KRAG) has carried out survey work to recordreptile populations on the Downs. Good populations of Common Lizards and SlowWorms were recorded here in 2010. An adder was spotted in 2009. Residents havealso reported to KRAG sightings of grass snakes..

Similarly, Kent Wildlife Trust is currently surveying the Downs to record the flora andfauna. A report is expected in September 2011. This report will feed into thisManagement Plan, both as a record of what already exists on the Downs, and asvaluable information in helping us to determine the best maintenance strategy for theland going forward. We already know that a number of nationally important plantsexist on the Downs such as Spiny Restharrow and Dyers Greenweed. In addition, theDowns supports a wide range of plants such as Colts Foot, Goats Rue, GrassVetchling, Meadow Vetchling, Agrimony, Tufted Vetch and Alexander.

As for birds regularly spotted on the Downs, one of the biggest groups is turnstonesas the area is an internationally important overwintering site for them. Kestrels huntover the Downs daily. Oyster catchers patrol the shore. Linnets nest in the scrub nearthe Coast Watch lookout. We are fortunate to have the records kept by a localresident of his observations of birds over the last few years. The list below captureshis sightings as well as sightings submitted to BirdTrack. For clarity, all these specieshave been spotted on the Downs rather than just flying over:

Grey Partridge Sparrowhawk

Kestrel

Jack Snipe

Woodcock

Turnstone

Black-headed Gull Common Gull


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Herring Gull

Feral Pigeon

Stock Dove Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Hoopoe Green Woodpecker

Meadow Pipit Yellow Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Wren

Dunnock Robin Stonechat Wheatear

Ring Ouzel Blackbird

Song Thrush

Redwing

Mistle Thrush

Grasshopper Warbler Blackcap Lesser Whitethroat Whitethroat Chiffchaff Willow Warbler

Goldcrest Long-tailed Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit Jay Magpie

Jackdaw Carrion Crow Starling House Sparrow Chaffinch Brambling

Greenfinch

Goldfinch Linnet

Lesser Redpoll Skylark.

The Downs also supports a number of small mammals. The following species haveall been spotted and recorded in the last few years: Red Fox Hedgehog European Rabbit

Brown Rat Wood Mouse


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Harvest Mouse Common Shrew Weasel.

In addition, bats can be seen feeding over the Downs on summer nights.

19 species of butterfly have been recorded on the Downs: Small Skipper Essex Skipper

Large Skipper

Clouded Yellow Large White

Small White Green-veined White Orange Tip Small Copper Common Blue Holly Blue Red Admiral Painted Lady Small Tortoiseshell

Peacock

Comma

Speckled Wood Gatekeeper Meadow Brown.

Whilst the wildlife surveys may uncover still more natural gems living on the Downs,

our own records already demonstrate that there is a rich and varied ecology here andthat the Downs offers us a real opportunity to care for and enhance anenvironmentally important piece of land. Insensitive development and intrusion mustbe resisted.We now have the list of species recorded at the Kent and Medway BiologicalRecords Centre and will add this later.

Site Use

The Downs is a low profile site from the point of view of marketing. The evidence

questionnaires for the Village Green application demonstrate that over 95%of thepeople who use the Downs are from Herne Bay. There are no signposts or noticeboards to direct visitors towards the Downs from the town or the Seafront. Moreover,the two main areas of visitor parking in the town - the seafront and the off street carparks are all a good walk from the Downs. The Downs is also a good walk from thetrain station. Even those visitors who get as far as the Kings Hall, right at the westernedge of the Downs, will see no information board to tempt them to walk up the slopeand enjoy the full sweep of the Downs.

We know from the 1,181 evidence questionnaires completed to support the VillageGreen application that people use the Downs for informal recreation. There are veryfew flat surfaces on the Downs and so there is no space for full-scale team games

that would require a dedicated pitch. Similarly there are no dedicated running or cycletracks on the land and few hard standing paths across it. The land therefore lends


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itself best to informal activities such as walking, dog walking, running, cross-countrycycling, interval training, watching the sea and the boats, kite flying, painting,photography, foraging, educating children, bird watching, bat watching, drawing,cricket, tobogganing, skiing, family celebrations, picnicking and nature walks.

The Village Green evidence questionnaires tell us that there is a very broad agegroup that uses the Downs both the very young and the very old use the land.Some of the regular and more elderly users have been using the land since theywere brought here as children by their parents. Now, they use it for walking, watchingthe view, or for playing with their grandchildren. Probably the biggest group of usersis the regular dog walkers as this is the only place in the area where a dog can bewalked off the lead.

Many users visit the land twice daily. Some, no longer mobile, come as infrequentlyas once or twice a year when someone else brings them. The 1,181 users have beenusing the land for an averageof 24 years each.This demonstrates great loyalty tothis rather unglamorous but much-loved stretch of land.

In completing their evidence questionnaire, many people volunteered additionalcomments about the future of the land. What they want is clear. They want it to bekept as it is. There is no local mandate here for turning the Downs into a neat andmanicured space. It is the semi-natural appearance of the land and the freedom thatthis gives people to use it as they wish that appeals to the people who use it.


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Site Management

The site is owned and managed by Canterbury City Council, and maintained by theCouncils contractor, Serco.

Serco's mowing regime for the western end of the Downs

We can add all the maps we have now seen and add a comment that the contract isbeing renewed now for 2013.


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Summary of Sites Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunitiesand Threats

Strengths

Large piece of semi-wild land right next to thetown and the coast

History of low interference in themanagement of the land

Something unusual stable, north-facing,coastal clay slope

Role as sea defence and fragility of the landmakes it unsuitable for major development

Wide range of flora and fauna

Much loved and well-used by local people

Frequent users (dog walkers) who areprepared to keep an eye on the site

Great views out to sea and along the coast,including views of three wind farms

Perfect for informal recreation

Many access points

Runs alongside the sea

Cycle path along the promenade

Robust vegetation current use levels dont

make a visible impactAll year round appeal used in sun andsnow alike

Low maintenance to keep the land in itscurrent state

Apart from the previous Victorian shelter, nobuildings to maintain

Weaknesses

No long term vision for care and maintenanceof the land

Role as part of the sea defence might limitsome planting options

Incomplete knowledge of existing flora andfauna on site

Less than ideal access for people withdisabilities

Dog fouling can be a problem

Unthinking destruction by some adjacent

landowners (Miramar)

Only one set of public toilets

Under-marketed and ill-signposted

Concrete upstand is an eyesore

Vandalism of the shelter near the Kings Hall

Ageing and unlovely paths and steps

A few highly visible properties whose ownerssometimes do things that detract from theDowns

Ad hoc introductions of signs and plantingthat are not in keeping with the LandscapeAppraisal, nor in keeping with our ecologicalaims

Opportunities

Surveys of flora and fauna will lead to aninformed long term management plan

Community involvement in someimprovement projects such as beautifying theconcrete upstand

Schoolchildren becoming more ecologicallyaware and keen to get involved in relevantprojects

Possibility of becoming a Hogs Fennelbreeding ground

Proximity to wind farms gives us a realopportunity to position the site as part of agreen, sustainable, ecologically-aware future

Threats

Possibility of brambles taking over the wholesite if left unchecked

Potential loss of habitats if the currentinfrequent but radical mowing programmecontinues

Private leisure development could ruin thenatural beauty of the Downs and stop peoplefrom being able to use the whole site

Landslip

If we are too successful in marketing the site,overuse could damage the sites ecology andgently wild appearance

Inappropriate maintenance plans could causelonger term damage to the environment andthe habitats it supports


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VISION

Our vision for the Downs is that it should be a valued breathing space for peopleand a thriving haven for wildlife. We want the Downs to be protected as a slice ofhealthy nature, right on the towns doorstep.

Our key guiding themes for the Downs are:

Public, not private

Open and free Unspoilt, but not unkempt A valuable breathing space for the town A thriving haven for wildlife Ecologically sensitive and sustainable.

Our supporting aims are to:

Work with the landowners, Canterbury City Council, to protect, conserve andenhance the Downs as a natural and informal green open space, neithercompromising its natural integrity nor losing what makes it special its semi-wildnature

Keep the land open and free for local people and visitors to use just as theoriginal donors intended

Understand, recognise and protect the ecological diversity of the Downs

Be responsible neighbours to the sites bordered by the Downs, particularly thosethat are designated as SSSI, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites

Understand what will be the best policy for the long term maintenance of thevegetation of the Downs so that it continues to be a sustainable place for people

to enjoy and wildlife to live Use the Downs to promote ecological and environmental understanding and

responsibility Encourage people to make use of and enjoy the Downs for lawful recreation and

for education, provided that what they are doing has no detrimental effect oneither the environment or on the enjoyment of other lawful users

Encourage people to take pride in the Downs as the gem that it is - a piece ofland that is nationally and internationally recognised as important for the wildlifethat it supports

Resist any development of the Downs that would threaten the peace andnaturalness of the land or that would give a small number of individuals privaterights over public land

Work closely with a range of local stakeholders including Canterbury CityCouncil, Natural England, Kent Wildlife Trust, Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group,Kent Mammal Group, the local PACT, Herne Bay in Bloom, relevant localcommunity groups, and people who use the Downs.

Clear objectives to guide us in delivering against this long term vision will bedeveloped over the coming year. What is already clear, though, is that our plans willbe influenced by: Knowledge gained from the ecological surveys currently being undertaken by

Kent Wildlife Trust and the Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group

The interest that Natural England has in the Downs

Expert input as to the best way to care for and enhance the existing semi-wildparts of the Downs


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An understanding of any practical limitations laid upon us by the role of theDowns as a sea defence

The views of existing users

The views of interested community groups

The views of the landowner and our partner, Canterbury City Council.

ECOLOGY

Most of all, we want to take informed action to care for the green spaces on theDowns so that this land continues to strike a sustainable balance between the longterm needs of local wildlife and the enjoyment of the people who use it. Decisions asto how we manage the vegetation on the Downs longer term will be informed byecological surveys so that we neither do damage to existing natural indigenouswildlife, nor allow current habitats for indigenous and valued wildlife to disappearbecause we fail to stop the spread of an invasive plant or a potential monoculture.

We will work closely with experts such as Kent Wildlife Trust and Natural England tohelp us to devise a long term care plan that is ecologically sound.

It occurs to us that the Downs would be a perfect site for a small, unfenced andcompletely open, Hogs Fennel nursery. We would seek Natural Englands view onthis. Hogs Fennel is rare, protected, and hard to grow. It grows successfully onTankerton Slopes and at Reculver, and the Downs shares the same aspect andgeology. This could be a great project for a local school or college. A similar projecthas already been completed successfully in Essex, and the expert leading thatproject is very keen to explore how we could work together to use a small part of theDowns to support this ecologically fragile plant and the rare moth that it supports.

Immediate priorities for the land itself while awaiting the results of the surveys Litter picking. Keeping the paths and steps clear of weeds.

Weed the flower beds at the cultivated end of the Downs. Resist further planting of garden plants or flowers

HARD LANDSCAPE

Our objective this Spring is to walk the man-made paths and flights of steps andassess them all for fitness for purpose. We will then need to talk with CCC and

decide what (if anything) needs to be done and what can be done to ensure that thehard landscape stays safe to use and becomes more aesthetically pleasing overtime.

An immediate priority for us is to engage the community in a series of projects toimprove the concrete upstands at the foot of the Hundred Steps. Later we will expandthis to look at the other raised and stepped area that border the promenade.

We have already approached Herne Bay in Bloom to work with us to improve theconcrete upstand at the foot of the Hundred Steps. Our outline plan is to:

Adapt the existing bulwarks of hard core and rubble to use them as plantingtroughs. We might be able to enhance this with recycled material such as woodfrom replaced groynes, driftwood or railway sleepers. These planters will then beplanted with native shingle dwellers and/or grasses


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Cloak the concrete walls at the rear of the upstand by:o Planting creepers or trailing plants (we would need guidance here from

the Engineers and from Kent Wildlife trust as to what is sensible to do, ifanything)

o Painting a mural in neutral tones that depicts existing wildlife on theDowns

o Using mosaics of natural materials such as pebbleso Painting the walls in a variety of wholly natural materials to see which one

best produces coverage and withstands the elements.

We plan to involve the community by: Launching a competition for local schools to design a mural or mosaic that

describes what they love about the Downs and the associated beach Inviting local artists and schools to design robust, stand-alone art installations out

of recycled materials or out of jetsam

Inviting local people to get involved in undertaking the work

Launching a competition to name the area once the initial work is completed

Involving Herne Bay in Bloom so that we offer the committee the chance to dosomething new, ecologically sensitive, and natural that will enhance the townsalready strong entry for the annual In Bloom competition.

Longer term we want to use this area, once prettied up, for: Fund raising sales of goods made from food foraged sustainably on the Downs;

membership drives; competitions. Any funds so raised would be re-invested infurther improving the Downs

Small scale ecological experiments we could introduce mini eco-powerinstallations (would need Engineers guidance here).

We have been amazed by how many ideas people have generated immediately forthis rather neglected part of the Downs, and the enthusiasm they have displayed indoing so. This is a superb opportunity for a launch event to local schools to designsomething both visually appealing and appropriate for the natural surroundings thatwill still allow us to use the area for planned events in the coming years.

It occurs to us that we would have an opportunity to bid for some of the S106 moneythat might be available to the town if the extension to the Kentish Flats Wind Farm isapproved. Alternatively, we might be able to persuade Vattenfall to contributeseparately to something appropriate and suitable such as a telescope to standalongside the Jubilee seat on The Leas. Either way, there is a potential opportunityhere for the Friends to secure money to help us to improve the built infrastructure of

the Downs.

Lastly, we want to make intelligent use of existing notice boards to let people knowmore about the Downs and to tell them more about what we are doing and how theycan get involved. We do not want to introduce new visual clutter into the landscapeby adding new signposts and notice boards. We agree completely with the guidancein the Herne Bay and Whitstable Landscape Appraisal of 2000, to keep the numberof introduced elements to a minimum, and to focus instead on protecting andenhancing the wildlife potential of the Downs to reflect and support the various natureconservation designations.


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MANAGEMENT

If we are to achieve what we intend in terms of delivering an enhanced andecologically sustainable future for the Downs, we need to be able to influence the

maintenance contract that exists currently between CCC and Serco. This needs tohappen before this years nesting season begins as we have already observed somemaintenance work which is not particularly sensitive to our local wildlife.

In an ideal world, we would already know exactly what we have on the Downs fromthe point of view of plants and animals. We will have a much better idea about this bythe end of this year. However, the Friends feel strongly that we should not need towait another year before we start to refine the maintenance schedules. We need to: Understand what is in the current outsourced maintenance contract(s) what

services are delivered; when; how frequently and the issues the contractors mayhave with delivering contracted services

Talk to Kent Wildlife Trust and get outline guidance as to what the maintenanceschedule should look like. We can already do this using our existing knowledgeand experience of what plants and animals live on the Downs

Talk to the local PACT about their recent work on litter bins Talk to people living near or on the Downs and/or running a business here about

their needs

Discuss what is possible with CCC. In the current climate of straitened budgets,we are working on the assumption that we will need to keep within the existingmaintenance budget for the Downs

Explore what changes are possible for 2011.

While we do not yet know what we would like the maintenance plan to look like, we

know from previous Friends meetings that we want grass cutting on the rougher,semi-wild, areas to be done at the optimum time of year for wildlife. We also knowthat we do not want to see either pesticides or herbicides being used. Furthermore,we feel strongly that it is important to improve access to the Downs by clearing thepaths and steps of encroaching plants. Our aim will be to have an outline plan inplace for this Summer, and for a final and detailed maintenance plan, which fullyreflects the results of the planned ecological surveys, to be ready for 2012.

We also need to work with our partners at CCC to develop a statement ofunderstanding between the Friends of the Downs and CCC. That statement shouldset out how frequently the two parties will meet; what CCC will provide in terms ofmaintenance etc.; and what action the Friends can take in looking after the Downswithout referring to the Council.

We also need a clear link to an advisor in the Councils Engineering team (PeterBrook?) so that we can get guidance quickly and clearly on anything that we mightwant to do that could have an impact on the infrastructure that currently stabilises theslopes.

Similarly, another important working link for us will be to the Foreshore team at CCC(Tom?).

Finally, and critically, we need to ensure that the Friends of the Downs is recognised

by Canterbury City Council as a key stakeholder and consultee for any projects,initiatives and decisions that might have an impact on the Downs. Currently we arefinding out about these after the event.


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FUTURE USE OF THE DOWNS

We have no grand plans to change the use that people make of the Downs. We want

people to be able to continue to use the Downs just as they do today: For walking, cycling, running and getting fit For walking the dog For picnicking and just sitting and watching the view For bird watching For painting, drawing and photography

For responsible foraging

For kite flying when its windy and tobogganing when there is snow

For passing the time chatting to other users of the Downs Taking part in the new tradition of the quarterly Bounds of the Downs and its

occasional Downs Quiz.

In addition, we would like to see the Downs more fully used. We want to exploreways in which we can: Use the Downs to help children to learn about and care for their natural

environment. We are acutely aware that some local children live in homes with noaccess to a garden

Use the Downs for a range of suitable organised activities foraging with anexpert; species spotting; surveying the ebb and flow of different wildlife acrossthe year

Contribute to knowledge about the ecological health of Kent and the UK

Link to the superb work that the Herne Bay In Bloom Committee does for thetown, using small areas of the Downs to contribute to the environmentalawareness part of the In Bloom brief.

We want to encourage local people to get involved, to get active, and to takeresponsibility for caring for the Downs so that it continues to be a joy for all of us touse.

An early priority for the Friends will be to establish ways of communicating with awider local audience. We already have around 250 people on our mailing list. Wealso get around 100 people visiting www.HerneBayMatters.com daily, many of whomcheck in to the stories about the Downs. We want to add to this number withoutresorting to leaflet drops. Apart from the fact that this is a not a very environmentally

sensitive approach to communication, we know from experience that leafleting is atime-consuming and expensive way of spreading the word and we can think of betteruses to which we can put our slender resources.

As soon as possible, we want to explore what use we can also make of existing CCCnotice boards to keep people informed. We also would love to have a corner ofCCC's website where we can tell people what we are up to. Lastly, we want to useour contacts with the local Press to publicise events, meetings, and to encouragepeople to get in touch and get involved.


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RECOGNITION

We want to explore the possibility of pursuing Green Flag or Green Flag CommunityAward status for the Downs. Assuming that we decide that one of these would be

appropriate (and we do not yet know enough to have a clear view), we will use thisas a spur to help us to get the Downs to a nationally accepted quality standard forgreen spaces and to encourage local people to be proud of and to cherish their land.

Assuming we decide to go this way, here is where we will describe our actionplan to get us there.

Documents

Management Plan 3.4