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From the conservation section ctd Wildlife Trust's Conservation Policy & Technical Advisory Group In my role as representative for the South West Trusts (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire) on this national group, I have continued to take matters of concern in the region to meetings and report back to the region on the responses and the decisions that are made. Cornwall Biodiversity Initiative The very positive response from all who have been consulted on the various elements of the initiative can be attributed to the excellent work done by the Project Officer, Philippa Hoskin. Volume I: Audit and Priorities is due for publication on 20th June - almost exactly five years on from the 1992 Earth Summit that led to biodiversity initiatives all over the world. Volume I contains recommendations for action and action plans, and is backed up by Volume II: Species, Habitat and Site Accounts, and by the Red Data Book for Cornwall. The initiative has set the scene for more and better action for biodiversity - "the variety of life"- now and into the next millennium. Countryside Advisory Service Sion Brackenbury has achieved an enormous amount in his first six months. Forty-six enquiries have been received, with 23 so far resulting in either a completed advisory visit or a confirmed arrangement to provide advice. The remaining 23 have yet to be followed up but will inevitably result in further advisory visits being completed. In addition, Sion has been following up contacts made as part of the RSPB LIFE Heathlands Project, having met three landowners so far with 13 yet to contact. Countryside Stewardship and Rural Action are the main grant opportunities available, and Sion has assisted a number of the people in succesfully applying for grants. Sion has also produced a leaflet about the CAS and helps out with Reserves PARC tasks at weekends. Planning The Trust's professional opinions on nature conservation and planning were put to the test on several occasions over the last few months. A proposed recycling plant at Newlyn Downs was approved by the County Council Planning Committee, despite strong objections from the Trust. The development was then stopped by a dramatic intervention by the Secretary of State after lobbying by the Trust and English Nature. He told the Council that it could not issue permission because the proposal appeared to conflict with local and national nature conservation policy. English Nature then took a close look at the site, confirmed it to be a very important site for, amongst other things, the nationally rare Dorset heath Erica ciliaris and started the process of SSSI notification. Some weeks later, the Secretary of State wrote to the parties involved in the case and said that the application would be determined by a public inquiry, at which the Trust will speak. We await the date of the inquiry with interest! The Trust was asked to help at a public inquiry about a site on the outskirts of Perranporth. The District Council had refused permission for a housing development at Ramoth Way on 1.4 hectares of dune grassland, on nature conservation and landscape grounds. The development site was within an area of county importance for wildlife (a Cornwall Nature Conservation Site). I represented the Trust at the inquiry, which involved preparing a detailed statement and facing cross-examination from the developerÕs barrister. The appeal was refused and represents an important victory for the Trust as it emphasises the role that CNC Sites play in protecting CornwallÕs most important areas for wildlife against development. The third significant case was a proposal by South West Water for a new sewage works at Seaton, on the South Coast between Rame Head and Looe. The Trust opposed the proposal, as it meant losing part of a riverine CNC Site, but permission was granted. The Trust's advice was then sought on mitigation measures and it was very pleasing that all our suggestions were taken up, including leaving a bankside zone undisturbed, rescuing plants, and securing better wildlife management of adjacent areas. This was a good example of the Trust making a strong case for wildlife, but when other factors outweighed our position we made sure, through our good relations with the local authorities and the developers, that the proposal caused the least possible damage to wildlife. These three sites illustrate very well the role the Trust plays in the planning process. We always make the strongest case that is available to us to protect wildlife. In some cases, such as Newlyn Downs, this includes going directly to a higher authority, where we believe that this is the right course to take. Dorset Heath Study 
The Trust was part-funded by English Nature to produce a report on the status and distribution of Dorset heath in Cornwall. This substantial report highlighted a number of issues and clarified the status of Newlyn Downs as one of the two most important sites for Dorset heath in the county.A particularly interesting aspect of the study was the identification of a key cluster of sites north of Truro, including the Trust's reserve at Ventongimps. These sites could form the nucleus of a project to restore lost heathland, linking up the sites and providing valuable habitat for a range of wildlife. The report will form the basis for a detailed biodiversity action plan for Dorset heath in Cornwall, which will include proposals for such a "super-site". Copies of the first volume of the report (priced at £5.00 plus postage and packing) can be purchased from the Trust. Christopher Howe Dorset Heath-a key species when it comes to conservation policy. Illustration : Sarah McCartney |