River Wey & Navigations : FWAG Conserving the Wey Valley Landscape

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Conserving
the Wey Valley Landscape

The Wey Valley Landscape Partnership has been set up to help conserve the heritage of the valley by working towards a £2 million bid to the National Lottery’s Heritage Lottery Fund which, if successful, will be used to conserve and enhance the heritage and enjoyment of the valley.

Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) is one of the partners of the Wey Valley Landscape Partnership which includes Surrey and Hampshire local councils and other agencies who are committed to conservation in the valley.

Background

The Wey Valley Partnership Scheme (1) were awarded a grant of £50,000 in 2006 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The grant is to fund a study of the Wey Valley in order to devise programmes to help and enhance its unique and valuable landscape.

The study is intended to form the basis of a full application to HLF in March 2007 under the Landscape partnerships Scheme. The Wey Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme is one of 15 in the country under development to study the landscape character of an area with a key aim in identifying items of heritage that are under particular threat. A further 15 are in full operation and delivering projects and programmes.

The Scheme for the Wey has four main priorities to provide long-term social, economic and environmental benefits by:

Conserving the historic character of the landscape - for example the historic site of Henry VIII’s Woking Palace or the old water meadow systems on the southern Wey in Hampshire.
Celebrating the cultural traditions of the area - for example the canal art of the Wey Navigation.
Encouraging more people to visit and gain access and learn about their heritage, and for more people to be involved in making decisions about their local landscape. For example, programmes to sensitively improve and repair paths,
Improving understanding of local countryside management skills by providing training and learning opportunities. This could include for example the teaching of alder coppicing or countryside management skills. The development and support of volunteering opportunities is also important

Geoff Cumbers, Guildford-based Planning Officer for the Scheme, said “We have been given a great opportunity by the Heritage Lottery Fund to work up a plan to bid to £2 million in funding which will help us to give the Wey Valley a greater identity and help to sustain this unique landscape for future generations.”

(1) During the Planning Stage, The Wey Valley Partnership has as its lead partner the Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) with the other partners being Surrey County Council; Woking, Waverley and Guildford Borough Councils in Surrey and East Hampshire District Council in Hampshire; Natural England), English Heritage, Surrey and Hampshire Wildlife Trusts, Business Link, the South East Economic Development Agency, Guildford and Sparsholt Colleges and the Environment Agency.

How You Can Help

The Partnership is looking for ideas and projects from interested groups and local communities along the Wey to help them conserve this wonderful landscape. Your project could be funded if it fits the HLF criteria.

These could include for example:

Projects which restore and enhance historic buildings or archaeology.
Restoring or enhancing the historic water meadows or other landscape features.
Increasing biodiversity, for example otter conservation.
Interpretation and education about the landscape.
Celebrating local events and cultural traditions.
Training in local craft and other skills.
Involving the community in making decisions about the landscape.
Better access to the Wey Valley landscape which do not compromise its qualities.
And much more…..

Consultations have taken place with interested organisations and residents in Woking on the 19th October and Godalming on 24th October 2006. These workshops provide an opportunity to say what is special about the Wey Valley landscape and what needs protecting, and to hear what benefits the Partnership's Project will bring to the valley.

Towards the end of the year there will be more consultation workshops along the valley on access and visitor enjoyment and how we can give more identity to the valley landscape. Obviously we want to develop access in a sensitive way, so as not to compromise the environment.

How do I find out more?

For more information or an application form for putting in a bid please get in touch with Geoff Cumbers: email: geoff.cumbers@fwag.org.uk or phone 01483 404378.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SURREY & HANTS FWAG WEBSITE

WEY VALLEY LANDSCAPE PARTNERSHIP
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