MANAGEMENT STUDY FOR BRAUNTON MARSH

NEED FOR THE PROJECT:

There is considerable concern that no work on Braunton Marsh is in print, certainly for nearly a century. Our aim is, therefore, to publish a Report on the historical, social, environmental and economic development of Braunton Marsh, up to and including the present day.

It is believed that the future of Braunton Marsh is now under scrutiny, due to fears of increased pressure in the Braunton area, caused by traffic resulting from the opening in 2007 of the Barnstaple Western Bypass and the new Downstream Bridge.

Also, as many of the Marsh owners, who make up the Marsh Commissioners and members of the Internal Drainage Board, are well beyond retirement age, it is now urgent to record their factual knowledge and their reminiscences.

OBJECTIVES:

	to provide a resource for decision-makers
	to produce an educational resource for all teachers, young people and students in the local area
	to assist in the work of the Interpretive Strategy at present being produced by the Northern Devon Coast and Countryside Service
	to help the local community maintain the quality of what is seen as a vital part of the environment of North Devon
	to document for the Braunton Burrows UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve a significant element of its environmental and social database, as Braunton Marsh is contiguous with the Core Area of the Biosphere Reserve, and is situated between the Core Area and the Braunton Great Field
	to underline the importance of Braunton Marsh to the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, particularly as the likelihood is that proposed boundary changes will include Braunton Marsh within the Braunton Burrows AONB boundary
	the Report will be placed upon the appropriate websites of interested organisations, and will be included in the documentary evidence for the Library and Museum Services, together with the tourist authorities, academic institutions and local educational establishments.

OUTLINE OF PROJECT:

· The Taw Torridge Estuary Forum will employ a Project Officer on a six-month contract.

· The work of the Project Officer will be divided between interviewing relevant people, and the search for appropriate archives, both in the local area but, if need be, in Exeter and London.

· The Officer will produce the Report, which will be both intelligible and direct, in order to make it accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

BENEFITS TO COMMUNITY:

The Study will be of significant value and interest to all sections of the community, and to all age groups, both within Braunton and beyond. It will complement the environmental, social and historical education of local schoolchildren and students, and will record for posterity the historical, economic and social perspective of the older generations, before this is lost to us forever.

We have already received a great deal of support from the local community, including an enthusiastic letter of support from Braunton School and Community College. We have given a presentation on the Project to the Braunton Marsh Commissioners and the Internal Drainage Board, and we have received their full support. Similarly, Braunton Parish Council has given us their backing. We have also received offers of practical help and information from local people.

THE NATURE OF THE STUDY:

This is a full-time position, but the appointee will understand that s/he will respond to the demands of the Study, and that working hours will, of necessity, be flexible.

The appointee will work with a small management team.

This Study is seen as a pioneer project, and the published report will set out the quality framework for any future commissioned research.