Environment Cabinet Member – Minutes – 21 June 2016

1 (1) ISLE OF AXHOLME AND HATFIELD CHASE LANDSCAPE PARTNERSHIP – The Director of Places submitted an urgent report seeking approval of the establishment of various posts in support of the delivery of the Isle of Axholme and Hatfield Chase Landscape Partnership.

North Lincolnshire was a key player in the Humberhead Levels Partnership. The partnership was set up in 2001. Since then it had secured several millions of pounds in funding for environmental projects.

In May 2016, the council led in securing a grant from The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) of £1.84m for a landscape partnership running over five years from 2016.  The council had committed £300,000 to this and Natural England £425,000.  In total the value of the partnership (including voluntary works) would amount to around £3.25m.

To secure the HLF funding, grant the partnership had to set up a Delivery Team. It had agreed a team of four with the HLF.  Three posts were funded by the HLF: Project Manager, Heritage Officer, a part time Admin Assistant (18 hours) and, a part time Education Officer.

The Natural England funding was critical to the partnership.  Work on its projects must start in June so that its funding can run alongside that of the HLF.  This can only happen when the partnership has a “permission to start” from the HLF.

Achieving this requires that the Delivery Team structure is put in place and progress can be shown upon securing appointments to the posts during June 2016, therefore an urgent decision was required.

Resolved – (a) That the creation of the posts of Project Manager, Heritage Officer and part time Admin Assistant, as set out in the report, be approved; (b) that recruitment to the vacant part time Education Officer post be authorised, and (c) that the Director of Places be authorised to appoint to the posts, subject to the job evaluations not exceeding the indicative grades referred to in the report.