2018–19

SOUTH DOWNS

NATIONAL PARK

CORPORATE PLAN

FOREWORD

This is the South Downs National Park Authority’s (SDNPA’s) third Corporate Plan. As

in previous years the focus is on the outcomes and objectives established in our ﬁrst

Partnership Management Plan. This makes it easy to track the progress of the Authority

against the ambitions we set at our ﬁrst creation. This document makes clear that we

have outperformed these expectations.

The Authority is only one of many partners

delivering the Partnership Management Plan which

was created as a vision for the entire National

Park and all those responsible for it. That vision

remains as relevant as ever and we are in the

midst of a major exercise with our partners to

refresh it for 2020 to 2025. This Corporate Plan is

a bridge to the new joint action plan for 2020/25.

It provides a quantiﬁed statement of the continuity

and consistency of approach that underlies

everything we do.

Continuity is more important than ever in the

current uncertain political and economic climate.

I am pleased to report that National Parks are at

the centre of the national debate on the future of

farming, on the shape of Brexit, the new National

Planning Policy Framework and the delivery of

the 25 year plan for the environment. We are

a key delivery mechanism for the Government’s

pledge that this will be the ﬁrst generation to

leave the environment in a better state than we

found it. SDNPA already possesses the bottom-up

partnership plans necessary to make this a reality

through our extensive network of farm clusters, our

strong partnership programme, our promotion of

neighbourhood planning and our encouragement

of Whole Estate Plans, to name but a few of the

examples that follow.

It is timely that the Glover Review of National Parks

has just been launched. Its terms of reference make

clear that it will not reduce existing protections

but it is certain to increase the pressure for the

National Park family to become more inclusive,

accessible and proactive. SDNPA relishes this

challenge and is well prepared to rise to it. In

our short lifetime we have developed a strong

reputation for innovation and this Corporate Plan

covers many examples within its tight structure.

Trevor Beattie,

Chief Executive,

South Downs National Park Authority

KEY PRIORITIES WE WILL:

Future of farming

and agri-

environment work

1. Inﬂuence national policy for future agri-environment

schemes and if successful, deliver government pilot

for lowland farmland

2. Promote a consistent approach across farm clusters

Submit and adopt

a sound local

plan that supports

the delivery

of Partnership

Management Plan

outcomes

Successfully defend our approach at examination

Develop a Natural

Capital approach

for the SDNP

Agree an integrated work programme for

ecosystems services, natural capital and green

infrastructure delivery

PROJECTS WE WILL:

1. Develop landscape scale projects which restore and manage of chalk

landscapes

2. Deliver year 2 of Woodland Trust partnership programme helping

woodland owners with support to enable sustainable management

3. Help the South Downs Forestry Champions group develop an action plan

4. Deliver Phase I of Archaeology on the Edge

5. Develop arts and cultural projects which focus on the special qualities and

promote social inclusion

CORE WORK WE WILL:

1. Complete the ChaMP project to improve the quality of groundwater in the

Brighton Chalk

2. Deliver year 3 of Heathlands Reunited creating bigger better, joined up

heathland in the South Downs National Park.

3. Deliver local environmental improvements via on the ground projects

4. Deliver priority actions from the Climate Change Adaptation Plan

5. Inﬂuence national networks by demonstrating approaches for payments for

eco-systems services

6. With Historic England undertake condition monitoring of scheduled

monuments, prioritise and carry out conservation work

Strategic priorities

Conserve wildlife, the

natural beauty of the

landscape and cultural

heritage

MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

• Local Plan adopted

• Increase in Ha of chalk

grassland

• % of chalk grassland in good

or improving condition

• Increase in Ha of Heathland

• % of Heathland in good or

improving condition

• % woodland in management

• Completion of condition

monitoring of known

scheduled monuments within

the SDNP

• Condition monitoring report

to Historic England

• Projects delivered to

programme

A THRIVING LIVING LANDSCAPE

KEY PRIORITY WE WILL:

Position National

Park as a visitor

destination

1. Increase the awareness of the South Downs

National Park, particularly in the south east of

England

2. Develop mutually beneﬁcial promotional

opportunities, including use of the shared identity

between National Park based tourism businesses

and the SDNPA

PROJECTS WE WILL:

1. Develop Centurion Way from West Dean to the South Downs Way as a

‘shovel ready project’

2. Agree approach to Health and Well-being work, establish relevant

partnerships, identify sources of funding and develop projects to promote

health and well-being

3. Develop new sustainable partnerships with the arts and culture sector

leading to development and delivery of projects

4. Implement Lewes North Street Quarter Community Heritage project

CORE WORK WE WILL:

1. Establish a maintenance programme for Access Land within the South

Downs National Park and carry out agreed proportion of maintenance for

2018-19

2. Diversify the range and types of activity supported by the South Downs

Volunteer Ranger Service

3. Facilitate our learning approach through the Our South Downs partnership

and other targeted learning activities including:

a. John Muir Award in the South Downs National Park

b. Geocaching

Strategic priorities

Promote understanding

and enjoyment through

volunteering & learning,

high quality access

management.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

• Relevant planning and other

permissions for Centurion

Way in place

• Increased awareness of

SDNP in YouGOV poll

• Proportion of agreed access

sites which were due to be

maintained annually which

were maintained

• Number of schools within the

10 k buffer that use SD for

outdoor learning

• Projects delivered to

programme

• Total number of volunteer

days delivered by the SDVRS

PEOPLE CONNECTED TO PLACES

PROJECTS WE WILL:

1. Deliver Discover England’s National Park programme to deliver increased

SDNP exposure and new South Downs bookable tourism experiences

tailored towards international markets.

2. Develop hubs and gateways to the National Park to provide visitor and

accommodation information

3. Improve the website to deliver business support for the visitor economy.

CORE WORK WE WILL:

1. Ensure infrastructure which supports the development of the National Park

is delivered in a timely fashion by:

a. Managing an effective CIL collection process

b. Using the Infrastructure Business Plan to prioritise and identify the

location of infrastructure projects

c. Managing S106 obligations effectively

2. Provide support for community planning by;

a. Facilitating the timely delivery of neighbourhood development

plans

b. Ensuring that the 5 year housing land supply of the SDNP is not

prejudiced by a lack of progress by NDPs

c. Providing timely support, advice and guidance to communities

pursuing a community led plan

d. Endorsing of Parish Plans, Village Design Statements and Local

Landscape Character Assessments

Strategic priorities

Build sustainable

communities which are

engaged and shaping

their environment and

supporting sustainable

businesses and tourism

– towards a sustainable

future.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

• At least one hub or gateway

delivered during 2018-19

• 10 Tourism sector Businesses

undergone intensive Discover

England training programme

• Deliver £1 million worth of

projects in accordance with

the priorities in the SDNPA

IDP by 2021

• Projects delivered to

programme

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

KEY PRIORITY WE WILL:

OUR SERVICES

Make correct and

high quality decisions

on development

management

proposals

1. Deliver a robust and well performing

development management service

2. Work with host authorities to improve

the quality of their decision making and

performance

KEY PRIORITIES WE WILL:

OUR ORGANISATION

Increase the income

available for projects

delivering the Partnership

Management Plan

1. Continue to work with the Trust to encourage

a culture of philanthropy for the National

Park, promoting legacy giving, donations

and visitor payback

2. Pursue commercial partnerships that help us

deliver our Purpose and Duties

Drive efﬁciencies in new

contracts

Complete retendering of the GIS contract

Lead the review of the

Partnership Management

Plan and develop an

approach to keeping the

PMP delivery framework

relevant and refreshed

1. Engage partners, key stakeholders and staff

in delivering a revised PMP delivery plan for

launch in April 2019

2. Work with partners to demonstrate how they

have delivered their responsibilities and

commitments to delivering the PMP

3. Complete thematic evidence reviews and

development of strategic priorities for the

PMP and the next corporate plan (Defra 8pp)

Keep accommodation

outside of the South

Downs Centre under

review in order to meet

changing business needs

in the longer term

Implement outcomes from the accommodation

review for area ofﬁces

KEY PRIORITY WE WILL:

OUR PEOPLE

Foster a culture

where our people

are empowered and

supported to deliver to

their potential

1. Implement key recommendations from the

culture group

2. Carry out a staff survey and deﬁne measures

and targets

3. Implement the outcomes of the member

survey

Organisational priorities

MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

• PMP delivery plan agreed

and published by April 2019

• References to the SDNP PMP

in strategic plans of other

organisations

• % of planning applications

by type dealt with in a timely

manner:

a) major applications

determined within 13

weeks

b) minor applications

determined within 8

weeks

c) other applications

determined within 8

weeks

• Customer satisfaction with the

planning service

• £X of income secured by

the South Downs National

Park Trust and transferred to

projects

A CONFIDENT, SECURE AND RESPECTED

ORGANISATION

HOW WE DELIVER OUR CORPORATE OBJECTIVES

Sustainable

communities

Duty

Understanding and enjoyment

Purpose 2

Conserve and enhance

A Thriving Living Landscape

People Connected to Places

Towards a

Sustainable Future

Purpose 1

Wildlife

Ecosystems services, climate change adaptation

Develop clear strategy and focus on work of the highest strategic impact.

Act as a centre for excellence, innovation and piloting new approaches in:

– landscape scale management and restoration;

– spatial planning policy and delivery in a National Park; and,

– practical application of ecosystems services.

Influence national, regional and local policy and practice to support delivery of the shared vision

for the South Downs National Park.

Develop and share knowledge through sound robust research and evidence based policy.

Develop projects and partnerships to deliver the shared vision for the South Downs National Park.

Promote opportunities for awareness, learning and engagement which promote positive

behaviour change.

Champion sustainable access to the National Park.

Channel inward investment to priority areas and issues.

Natural

beauty of the

landscape

Cultural

Heritage

High quality

sustainable

access

Volunteering

learning,

information

and events

Sustainable

Economic

Development

and Tourism

OUR SHARED VISION

SHARED VISION – 50 YEARS

Partnership Managment Plan

South Downs Local Plan

SDNPA Corporate Plan

SDNPA directorate and teams plans

Individual objectives

National Park Purposes and Duty

South Downs National Park Vision

South Downs National Park Special Qualities

STRATEGY 5–15 YEARS

ACTIVITY – 1 YEAR

South Downs National Park Authority

South Downs Centre

North Street

Midhurst

West Sussex

GU29 9DH

01730 814810