Project Board

Minutes

March 6, 2001    Greater London Authority

1. Present: James Farrell (GLA … chair), Ralph Gaines (LWT), Peter Massini (EN), Andy Tomczynski (Thames Water), Esther Collis (Project Officer), Steve Gilbert (RSPB). Apologies: Alister Hayes (LB Bromley and London Borough Biodiversity Forum).

 

    2.    Project Officer funding.

Bridge House Funding for the Project Officer runs out 31 December 2001. The Steering Group asked the board to consider options for further funding. Various suggestions were made and individuals asked to follow them up asap.

	Esm½e Fairburn Trust. Action: EC to follow up and speak to RSPB.
	London Borough Grant Scheme. Action: JF to follow up with Chris Lee at Association of London Government (ALG).
	GLA grants. Action: JF to investigate.
	Environmental Action Fund. Action: EC to investigate.
	Other grants. Action: EC to investigate via GLA and borough contacts.
	Co-funding by Partners and potential charitable status. This was a suggestion at the Steering Group on 9 October 2000. Should be explored seriously if no progress is made with the above grants. English Nature could potentially cover the bridging period (Jan … Mar 2002) between the end of Bridge House finds and the start of the next financial year. Care would have to taken that any new charity adds to, rather than competes with, funding opportunities for conservation in London. Any Partnership application that has these implications should contain a clear statement of the desire to avoid conflict … and there should be consultation with relevant partners before an application is made. The Project Board agreed to invite Caroline Davis (Thames Estuary Partnership) to talk about this issue. Action: EC to invite Caroline Davis to next Project Board.
	London First. Possibility of assisting with a bridging period or in establishing charitable status. Action: JF, EC and AT to raise with London First Sustainability Unit (7 March 2001).
	Action: All to let JF and EC know of other possibilities asap.

 

3. Structure of the Partnership.

There were no major comments on the structure of the Partnership. The Board looked at the potential membership of the various working groups and considered potential overlaps … individuals that may be involved in more than one group.

RSPB would chair the Management Working Group and set up the first meeting.

The following would be invited to the first full meeting of the Project Board:

Peter Massini (English Nature), Andy Tomczynski (Thames Water), Ralph Gaines (LWT), Steve Gilbert (RSPB), James Farrell (GLA), Chris Lee (ALG), Richard Bullock (WWT), the chairs of the Habitats, Records and Communications Working Groups, 2 representatives of the London Borough Biodiversity Forum (probably Alister Hayes and Doug Napier). This makes 12 … suggested by the maximum. Action: EC to set up meeting.

Previous Steering Group members would be reminded once more by email of the opportunity to take part. Action: EC

4.    Open Places and Protocols.

The Project Board recommends that:

	2 open places are offered at every meeting of every working group including the Project Board. These are open to anyone with an interest in a particular agenda item or the process generally.
	Chairs are responsible for getting a meeting agenda to EC 2 weeks in advance of a meeting so it can be put on the web. Action: Chairs
	Interested individuals must contact the chair in advance of a meeting and places will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.
	Chairs are responsible for arranging meeting dates will in advance so they can be advertised on the web, through the Project Officer and via other partners. A suggested meeting timetable is below. Action: Chairs.
	As suggested in the Project Board Forward Plan and agreed by the Steering Group at the last meeting, questions from interested parties may be submitted to working groups. It will be the chair’s responsibility to ensure that the group gives a full answer. Action: Chairs.

5.    Dates of Partnership meetings.

The Project Board suggests the following framework for Partnership meetings in 2001:

Project Board	6 March
MWG	March
CWG	March
HSWG	June
CWG	June
MWG	June
Project Board	19 June
Partnership Forum	July
HSWG	September
CWG	September
MWG	September
Project Board	October
AGM	December

The Partnership’s Forum meeting in July was discussed. The Board considered that a short day’s event that focussed on discussing practical and positive examples of implementation of the London Biodiversity Action Plan would be very useful. The Project Officer is to be the contact point for developing the event, and she may pull together an ‘event working group’ if necessary. Action: EC

6.    Memorandum of Agreement and Supporters’ Pledge

The Management Working Group should establish a MOA asap. A draft should be sent to previous Steering Group members for agreement before it is finalised. The Management Working Group should also draft a Supporters’ Pledge, which the Communications Working Group should finalise. Action: SG and Management Working Group, Communications Working Group

7.    A.O.B.

The Government response to the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee Report on UK Biodiversity is due in the next few days/weeks. The Report contained major recommendations relevant to London biodiversity including the funding of Local Authority biodiversity officers.

UCL’s Environment & Society Research Unit, led by Carolyn Harrison, is holding a ‘practitioners workshop’ on brownfield development and biodiversity at the end of March. She is looking for interested attendees, particularly in planning, local government, development, landscape architecture, architecture, engineering, construction etc. Please spread the word and email contacts to JF or [email protected]

Date of Next Meeting.

19 June 2001, 1030. Venue to be confirmed.

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