Summer 1999
The Sefton Coast Life ProjectArticle by John Houston, Project Manager
The Sefton Coast Life Project came to an end in June 1999. This short article gives a summary of the achievements of the project over the three years and shows how the gains of the project will be carried forward as part of the core work of the Sefton Coast Management Scheme. What is Life?
Not a deep philosophical question this! LIFE is an acronym for the European Community's financial instrument for the environment. This means that Life-Nature funding is the main source of European funds to support nature conservation work across the 15 Member States. The overall fund is comparatively small and competition is steep. In 1995 Sefton Council, English Nature and the National Trust put forward a successful bid for the Sefton Coast. The grant of about £350,000 over three and a half years has enabled the Sefton Coast Management Scheme to develop long-term plans for nature conservation and develop new partnerships.
Where has all the money gone?
The grant is 50% of the total project which relies on 'match-funding' from the three partners. The match-funding is the work that partners carry out for nature conservation. There has been no major shift in working practice; the everyday actions of the partners is sufficient to draw down the funding. The biggest expenditure was on short-term appointments. A team of four people were employed to prepare management plans, develop computerised mapping systems, carry out surveys, coordinate practical work and develop partnerships. In addition Life-Nature funds were used to assist the purchase of land, to grant-aid management work, to train staff and to produce a range of publications including the Sands of Time book.
What happens when the funding runs out?
This was always at the back of our minds as the project drew to a close. The news is good, however. All the staff involved in the project have either found employment or been taken on by Sefton Council; there have been no redundancies. The gains for nature conservation made by the project will maintained and developed by the Sefton Coast Management Scheme. A small team comprising the current Coast Management Officer , an Information Officer and part-time administative support will be relocated to new offices at Ainsdale to continue the work developed by the project.
What did the project do?
Money is always tight and nature conservation, more than most activities, suffers from a lack of funding. The additional support from the European Commission reflected a level of funding, that in an ideal world, would be available every year to support the management of the Sefton Coast. An extra £50,000 a year, however, would be required to achieve this. The most important achievement of the project was to give the managers of the Sefton Coast a vision; to show what could be achieved given the commitment. It is important that this vision is not lost and that the Sefton Coast Management Scheme takes up the challenge set by the Life project.
Achievements have included;
The purchase of the Ravenmeols dunes in 1995 by Sefton Council.
The preparation of management plans for all golf courses on the Sefton Coast.
Practical work to conserve some of the most important dune habitats.
An extension of the population and range of the rare Natterjack Toad.
The mapping or rare species on the coast.
Survey and mapping of the dune system.
Publication of reports and books.
Setting up an Internet site for the coast and co-ordinating research work.
Co-ordination of research work.
A review of Sites of Special Scientific Interest
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