Understanding Conservation Management PlansHistoric Landscape Project – Southeast

NOTES AND GUIDANCE FOR CGT TRAINERS

With:Appendix 1 – Example flyerAppendix 2 – Example risk assessment formAppendix 3 – Blank risk assessment formAppendix 4 – Example joining instructions

1. INTRODUCTIONCongratulations on undertaking delivery of this important training course! These notes are designed to assist you in setting up and delivering this training day, specifically aimed at CGT volunteers, to increase their understanding of the structure and use of conservation management plans (CMPs) and develop skills to enable them to participate in consultation on these plans or make use of them as part of the approach to the process of planning development. The course concentrates on three major aspects of creating and using CMPs:

Understanding why CMPs can be useful The importance of understanding and identifying significance Format of, and approach to, the development of a CMP

These notes are intended to give you as much support as possible so that you feel fully prepared on the day and can concentrate on delivery of the materials and enjoy working with your CGT volunteers. Some of this guidance might seem ever so obvious and simple, but it is amazing how easy it is to overlook fundamental issues when trying to organise events. The more focused preparation you carry out, the more likely it is that the day will run smoothly, volunteers will enjoy the day and indeed get a lot out of it. They are of course volunteers and their time is given to CGTs on this basis – we have a responsibility to use it wisely!

2. COURSE MATERIALS PACKAGEThis course has been put together to be ‘off the shelf’. There are 7 Powerpoint presentations to be delivered although some are just single slides:Presentation 1: IntroductionPresentation 2 [on same file as PP4]: Why they are UsefulPresentation 3: Conserving SignificancePresentation 4 [on same file as PP2]: How they are structuredPresentation 5: Site Visit PromptPresentation 6: Character Areas ExercisePresentation 7: Final Action – What you can now do

The presentation slides are accompanied by notes for the trainer underneath each image. The content of the slide is designed to be verbally added to, and talked through, by the trainer. Do not feel that you have to read every line on every slide. Some will speak for themselves if you pause and let people read them; others you can highlight particular aspects. Some slide content indicates that content should

1

be added by the trainer to be ‘site specific’. Notes for the trainer that are explanatory to help in delivery are shown in square brackets [xxxx]. The ‘script’ for each slide is below the slide when in ‘normal’ view ie before the slideshow is played. In order to have the speaker’s notes in front of you when you deliver the training you will need to print them out: PRINT PRINT WHAT: choose NOTES from the drop-down list of optionsPRINT.This will produce each slide on a page with notes underneath. You can, of course, alter the presentation notes on screen or annotate them in any way that you think will suit your CGT group better. There are also some additional notes as Word documents for PP2 and PP6 to offer further explanation of the slides.

The slides have ‘transitions’ put on them ie they have been formatted as to how much text appears on each click of the mouse, press of the key on the computer keyboard, or, better still, press of the ‘forward’ button on a remote control type presenter tool that can be plugged into your computer USB point (eg made by Kensington, Targus etc).

Reference is made to the handouts in the notes against the slides so that volunteers can follow the related content and make notes as they wish. The handouts are written in such a way that volunteers need not make notes as a matter of course.

There are 7 accompanying handouts for volunteers:Handout 1: CMP Jargon BusterHandout 2: Introduction – why have a CMP?Handout 3: Conserving Significance - Introduction to Identifying ValuesHandout 4: Structure and Content of a CMPHandout 5: Commenting on CMPs - What to look out for!Handout 6: Further Reading and Resources Handout 7: Relating Understanding of CMPs to the Work of CGTs

Whilst these are available via the AGT website, Historic Landscape Project Web Forum, they are saved as ‘Read Only’. If you want to make alterations, you can download them and then save them to your computer with a different filename. You might want to alter the examples used, add something you think would be helpful to your group, and indeed make sure that the links in Handout 6 work and are still relevant. Using your own examples will make this course a lot more interesting and user-friendly as you will be able to elaborate on your examples and draw out discussion points. Our examples are offered as ‘back-up’.

It might seem very obvious but do read through the slides, notes and handouts and make sure you are fully familiar with their content prior to delivering this course.

3. CHOOSING YOUR SITEBearing in mind that there is relatively limited time in a one-day training course, it is helpful to consider the following in selecting a suitable site: Accessibility – a site which can be reasonably easily reached by volunteers from

across the county, either by car or public transport Comfort – ensuring toilet facilities are available, and there is somewhere for

muddy boots etc.

2

Training room – fundamental and essential! Preferably a room with good natural light, and certainly heated in winter. It must be possible to use a projector (onto screen or wall), with flip chart – either on the wall or easel. It needs to be able to accommodate your group in small clusters eg 4 people should be able to sit around a table, or part of one, to examine maps, do the afternoon exercise etc.NB: The room location and site for survey need not be in the same place, but if, for example, the room is in a village hall and the site 3 miles away, you will need to allow at least half an hour to get everyone there and another to get everyone back. This is not ideal for this course when there is so much to cover, but might be manageable if volunteers would agree to extended training hours, eg to 5pm

Refreshments – preferably there should be ready access to tea and coffee facilities, or the facility to take a kettle etc. People concentrate better with a cup of tea!

Lunch – it is perhaps more attractive to volunteers if lunch is provided or can be purchased on site and charged to the CGT, but some circumstances will warrant a request to bring a packed lunch

Features – bearing in mind the limited time for walking over the site, the furthest point you probably want your volunteers to reach in the allotted time slot is 10-15 minutes’ walk from the training room / entry point on to the site. This will ensure that volunteers will take in a good cross-section of the site and features (ie 10-15 minutes from house through garden, pleasure ground on to the start of parkland etc) – but are unlikely to cover the whole of it, or wander off for too long. A site which is not ‘pristine’ or immaculately managed can yield far more interesting discussions than one that is.

Archives – check generally that there is at least some archival information on your chosen site. It is not essential that there is a CMP already written for the site. If there is an existing CMP you will be able to use this selectively to illustrate the points that you want to make and also offer some pre-course reading for trainees. If there is no CMP, it is very helpful if you can get some background information on how the site is currently managed and what it is used for. This course has been run successfully on a site with no CMP but three staff joined the training (as delegates) who knew the site well and knew what the aspirations for its future use were. This added hugely to discussions about what the CMP needs to take into account.If it is an obscure site, little apparently known, and archive catalogues show little or nothing, it is unlikely to be a good candidate for this course! It will make your job extremely time-consuming and difficult. Use archival catalogues online or your local history library to just do a preliminary check that some materials do emerge, and not just title deeds (which can be extremely difficult to get copied, or indeed to interpret). You are looking for basic information to inform why the site might be significant and what features, if any, you and your trainees will be discussing on conservation terms.

Visit your chosen site, at least once. Do not rely on website information, phone calls and leaflets.

4. PROMOTING THE COURSEEnsure that your CGT advertises the course as widely as possible. Make sure that you describe what level of experience the course is aimed at, what it is that volunteers might get out of it, and what they might then be able to do (see course

3

aims below). An example of the flyer AGT used in 2012 is attached at Appendix 1, although of course it need not be as elaborate! As a minimum include:

Name of course Date Time Venue location Cost (if any) Overall aim Name of trainer Level of experience needed to attend How to book and by when – limited places Contact details

For manageability and effectiveness, probably do not have more than 16 places for delegates on the course. It helps enormously if the group of delegates are quite mixed in experience as they will learn from each other and contribute interestingly to discussions. You might decide not to run the course if you get less than 4 delegates book.

5. THINGS TO TAKE (including a load of things just in case…)As you are responsible for the day and the good use of people’s time in being there, you will want to be prepared for all eventualities! The following list is intended as a guide only:

Presentations on memory stick and/or CD (depending on laptop – memory sticks are a safer bet)

Set of speaker’s note pages printed off from each of the Powerpoint presentations Mobile phone – essential in case of emergencies Risk assessment (see later) First aid kit – especially if there are no staff on site at the venue/no offices Unless provided by venue:

Projector Extension lead Laptop Flip chart paper and pens (take pens anyway as they are always dried

out at venues!) Handouts Feedback forms Site archival information (see later) Example CMPs if available, for the chosen site or others Spare biros / pencils (inky pens will run in rain) Spare clipboards Plastic wallets (for maps in damp weather) Paper Folders for delegates List of delegates Name badges AGT Yearbook / CGT/relevant literature and leaflets Sticky labels Blu-tak Masking tape – can come in handy for sticking down cables etc

4

Sellotape Post-It notes Scissors Highlighter pens Paper clips Stapler Plastic carrier bags/old newspaper (to put muddy boots in to preserve venue…) Compasses – optional but especially useful on sites which can be disorientating, or

woods

6. REFRESHMENTSRemember to ask volunteers beforehand if they have special dietary needs – and indeed access needs. Of course, you need to accommodate these as far as is practically possible.

7. RISK ASSESSMENTWhilst this might seem ‘overkill’ for a small, voluntary organisation event, it is worth spending the (relatively short) time it takes to run through eventualities and make sure you know what you might need to be thinking about on site. For example, AGT ran a training course in Surrey on a site which had a tower on a steep hill – an outlying eyecatcher. We had planned for the group to visit as part of their site survey but it rained heavily nearly all day and the ground was a mire. Having walked the site previously, we knew that the hill, even with steps up it, was slippery. We took the decision to cut that bit of the survey as it was too risky to expect volunteers to climb the hill in limited time without crampons! It didn’t effect the day as we had planned for this and thought about how else we might discuss the tower – we could have had a slide of the view from the tower ready to show delegates.

Each site will have its own foibles. Speak to the owner/manager if you can about any potential hazards on site, or any works that might be carried out when you are planning to be there.

At Appendix 2 you will find an example of a completed risk assessment, and there is a blank copy at Appendix 3. The potential risk is shown in the first column and the potential impact of that risk is shown in the next. The impact is graded as to whether, if that risk becomes a reality, the resulting injury or effect would be High, Medium or Low. For example, tripping over a lead and coming crashing down on to the floor or table edge along with all the equipment could potentially be quite serious. The next column shows things you will do to mitigate that risk and the final column shows the likelihood once you have done that. For example, sticking down the lead with gaffer tape or masking tape and positioning the device sensibly could make the risk of this occurring very low, and this revised risk is shown in the final column.

Complete the form after visiting the site and training room. Take it with you on the day and just check at the beginning whether there are points that you need to include in your introductory announcements e.g. “The room is quite cramped so please make sure you tuck bags and coats carefully under the tables/at the side of

5

the room to avoid tripping.” Simple point, nothing dramatic, but can avoid a lot of distress.

Insurers will also appreciate efforts made by organisers to assess risks in the eventuality of anything going amiss. And everyone will enjoy the day safely.

8. SITE ARCHIVAL INFORMATIONFundamentally the CMP builds from an understanding of a site’s development history, thereby underpinning the features and issues that can be seen on site today, and extrapolating from this their relative significance. There is limited time on the day to trace the history of your chosen site and therefore you will need to ask delegates to prepare for the day by gaining an overall understanding of the site by reading materials and studying maps beforehand. You will therefore need to gather a selection of materials to convey this.

If your site has a CMP already, this should be fairly straightforward as you can select appropriate summary sections and illustrative maps. If your site does not have a CMP you will need to gather a selection of basic documents. You are, in effect, carrying out the archival research and materials-gathering part of the plan in order that your volunteers can then use them in interpreting the conservation issues for the site. You therefore need to understand the site development and features too – not exhaustively, but enough to guide the group through drawing out the significance and identifying features on the ground.

If you do not have a CMP, and the owners cannot provide much, a relatively easy point to start is to talk to your local history archivist to explain what you are intending to do and therefore why you need materials. This is very likely to provoke support for your efforts, and smooth the way. Having got your archivist on board, just check regarding copyright of materials. 99% of the time, archivists are very happy for copies of maps, documents etc to be used for volunteer training – you are not officially publishing them for wide public use – but you should check this with them.

Documents to gather, as a minimum, specifically of the site area: Old county maps, such as Andrews’ and Dury’s, or estate maps Tithe map and apportionment OS maps – from the OS Surveyor’s drawings to at least 1930s, if not

beyond (particularly if your site has had major changes since then) Modern OS map (for volunteers to annotate when in the field) Illustrations of some sort e.g. Country Life article, engravings from

topographical accounts English Heritage Register entry if relevant

As with any research in an archive, take photographs of documents if allowed and if you can’t get photocopies.

If you do have a CMP, you will need to select the most useful sections to give background. These could be:

Historical background – in full or in summary, depending on length and complexity

6

Chronology Summary of ecological features Issues and constraints Old OS / Estate maps Annotated maps showing views, historical features etc

Do not send the ‘statement of significance’ or map showing character areas unless you want to offer a spoiler to discussions and the exercise on the day!

9. JOINING INSTRUCTIONS AND MATERIALSAs explained, as time is limited on the day, you are strongly advised to send out archival information beforehand, possibly selected handouts, plus clear joining instructions. See Appendix 4 for a suggested basis for joining instructions.

Along with the joining instructions, also send out: Archival information / selected sections of CMP, as described Handouts…

…Feedback from CGT courses has been mixed in terms of whether delegates would have preferred to receive handouts prior to attending the course so they could familiarise themselves with them prior to the training day. Others might feel daunted by this. If you send them all out, you need to either make it clear that they need to read them all and that you will assume this, or that you will approach covering the information in the sessions as if they have not read it, risking that some will lose interest. The decision is yours.

10. PROGRAMMEThe timings through the day are fairly tight but you can of course make adjustments according to the needs of your group. The critical points are start time and finish time – these should be absolutes if at all possible. Keep an eye on the time all the way through. Some slides will need little explanation so don’t labour over those.

Allow half an hour before the start for people to arrive, settle, have a cup of tea and meet others.Have a list of delegate names and ask them to sign in; collect folder and badge. Have the title slide of presentation 1 on the screen.

10.00am IntroductionPRESENTATION 1Housekeeping – toilets; fire escape/alarm; any issues from the risk assessment; tea/coffee; waterproofs and muddy boots; lunch arrangements; programme (slide 2)Whys and wherefores of this training – why the training is being run by your CGT; what your CGT hopes volunteers will work towards after the training etc.

10.10am Session 1: Introduction to CMPs – why have a CMP?PRESENTATION 2 HANDOUT 1 & 2

7

10.40am Session 2: Conserving SignificancePRESENTATION 3HANDOUT 3Have a photocopy of the ‘Values wall display’ page blown up to A1 size if possible and have this on the wall from this presentation onwards. This means that delegates can remind themselves of it through the talk and subsequent discussions on significance. It will help in the afternoon session too.

11.20am Tea and coffee

11.30am Session 3: Structure of CMPs – content and structurePRESENTATION 4 (runs on from PP2 Slide no 44]HANDOUT 4

12.15pm Briefing followed by lunch PRESENTATION 5(Probably) before everyone goes for lunch, explain that the site visit will take place immediately after. Use the Presentation 5 to help. Volunteers will need a copy of the modern OS map marked with their route (especially helpful if you have three or four groups that you need to stagger on the route), clipboards, biros or pencils and outdoor clothing. Remind them of any safety points from the risk assessment you have carried out.

It is best if volunteers work in pairs or their ‘table’ groups of three or four. Either way, it is important that less experienced volunteers are paired or grouped with more experienced volunteers. You might decide to stagger the groups as they go off, or in different directions, in order to avoid over-crowding (as per route map).

If your site is small enough, you can ask everyone to try to walk the majority of the site in the one hour. If it is a large site, decide on the key areas that you want everyone to see and plan your route accordingly. If there are areas that delegates might not reach, have photographs ready on slides that you can show on their return.

The briefing should run through what you want delegates to be looking out for and making notes about while they are out on site. Try to be as specific as you can in order that they don’t get side-tracked – for example, while you would like them to note the general condition of main features on the site, you won’t be asking them to compose a gazetteer so think about the direction you give for the visit. Volunteers should take their modern OS map and mark features they observe in the field on the map.

LUNCH Try to have lunch as near to the training room as possible so that you don’t lose people! Ask volunteers to be ready back in the training room with jackets, clipboards, boots etc for 13.00 sharp in order to allow enough time for the site visit.

8

13.00 Site Survey visit – with tea and coffee available on returnWalk the site too and keep an eye on the groups in order to be available for queries and assisting and moving groups on if they get stuck at a particular area. Make sure they return to the training room in time to collect a hot drink and settle back. It is much easier if you have another person to help you with this who knows the site and what you are trying to achieve.

14.30 Presentation 6 – Character Areas ExerciseSee document PP6Guidance for trainers to run the afternoon exercises. It is of course best if you can also leave enough time, say 10 minutes, for final questions and points made.

16.15 Final slide: PP7 Final Action Feedback

The ‘Final Action’ slide should leave delegates with ideas for ways in which they might use their new skills – but some of them do rely on their CGT wanting to support them to make the most of this. They should feel encouraged to talk to their CGT committee members about this. You could also usefully contact local Natural England team leaders to let them know that your CGT has trained delegates who could input onto CMPs.

The feedback is important for your CGT to understand the value of the course to the development of volunteers. You might wish to develop your own form according to what would be useful for your CGT in order to develop future events.

It is also extremely useful to AGT to receive feedback on the use of the materials in order to be able to share your experience with other CGTs. Improvement is always possible! You can do this via the AGT Historic Landscape Project WebForum.

16.30 CloseTime to clear up and go home…

V McCaig and V Hinze For the Historic Landscape ProjectAssociation of Gardens Trusts May 2012

9

Appendix 1 – Example flyer

10

Appendix 2 – Example Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment – Understanding CMPs -

Area of Risk Risk Impact of Risk

Likelihood of Risk

Mitigating Actions Revised Likelihood

Equipment use Trip hazard H L Ensure that set up is carried out in such a way as to minimise trip hazards: use extension lead to give slack to leads and tape cables to the floor with masking tape

Position projector and laptop in such a way as to avoid major gangways

L

Site Visit Slippery grass and path surfaces due to mud/gravel

H M Instructions given to delegates before the course include information on possibility of slippery surfaces and advise appropriate footwear

Trainers to advise delegates again prior to the site visit to take care and point out any particularly hazardous areas

Trainers to advise frailer delegates not to attempt to climb up the hill to the mound

Abandon attempts to climb to the viewing mound in the event of heavy/continuous rain causing deteriorating conditions

Ensure that delegates carry out the survey in a minimum of twos and carry a mobile phone with the organiser’s number in case of difficulty

Ensure that floors in training room are kept water/mud free as far as possible through use of newspaper at room entrances

Organiser to check emergency procedures with Kidbrooke Park staff including identifying qualified first aiders

M

11

Over-exertion of less fit delegates in climbing hill

H L Trainers to advise frailer delegates not to attempt to climb the steps up the hill / descend from the tower

Ensure that delegates carry out the survey in a minimum of twos and carry a mobile phone with the organiser’s number in case of difficulty

Organiser to check emergency procedures with Kidbrooke Park staff including identifying qualified first aiders

L

Delegates lose their way on the site

M L All delegates will have maps and compasses and the ability to use them

Ensure that delegates carry out the survey in a minimum of twos and carry a mobile phone with the organiser’s number in case of difficulty

L

Hot Drink Provision

Scalding in use of urn/kettle or similar

H L Ensure urn/kettle area is only used for this purpose and documents etc are not in the same area

L

Signed: Organiser Date:

12

Appendix 3 – Blank Risk Assessment Form

Area of Risk Risk Impact of Risk

Likelihood of Risk

Mitigating Actions Revised Likelihood

Signed: Organiser Date:13

CGT Understanding Conservation Management Plans

Appendix 4 – Example Joining Instructions

Understanding Conservation Management PlansHistoric Landscape Project – Southeast

JOINING INSTRUCTIONS – and reminders!

Course AimTo develop CGT volunteers’ understanding of the purpose and structure of a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) and its application in designed landscape conservation.

Objectives: Participants will: Be able to recognise the key aspects of a CMP, what should be included in these sections, and what role

they play in the ongoing management and conservation of a landscape

Be equipped to contribute to CMP consultation, before, during and after the document is drafted, to ensure the maximum management protection is afforded to the site and significance made clear

Appreciate the role of CMPs in the process of managing change through the planning system.

Understand ‘significance’ and its role in conservation management

IMPORTANT: Before you attend:As the aim of the day is to consider the issues relevant to conservation management, we shall not have time to unpick the history of the park on the day. We shall be looking at its significance, landscape features and conservation issues. We are therefore asking that you read carefully the archival information we are sending you beforehand and study the maps and illustrations in order that you are familiar with the general orientation, layout and design features of the site. A chronology of the key events in the development of the site is included.

Please make sure that you allow time to carry out this important preparation so that you are able to get the most out of the day. Please do contact Verena McCaig (see below) if you have any queries about this.

Please bring all these materials with you on the day for reference.

You should also have a look at xxxx Park’s website to get an understanding of the approach to management and use of the site: www.xxx etc

If you have time: You might also want to read the Heritage Lottery Fund guidance on Conservation Management Plans which can be downloaded from http://www.hlf.org.uk/HowToApply/furtherresources/Pages/ConservationManagementPlanning.aspx

14

CGT Understanding Conservation Management Plans

Date and TimeThe training will take place on Day Date Month Year. Registration and tea and coffee are available at the venue from 9.30am. The course itself will start promptly at 10am. The day will formally finish at 4.15pm, with all participants asked to complete a course feedback form prior to leaving. Please plan to be at the venue for the whole of this time so that you get the full benefit of the day.

Programme for the DayIndicative sessions and timings are as follows:09.30 Registration; tea and coffee10.00 Introduction to the day10.10 Introduction to CMPs – why have a CMP?10.40 Understanding Significance11.20 Tea and coffee11.30 Structure of CMPs – content and structure12.15 Briefing followed by lunch and site visit13.00 Site Visit14.30 Tea and coffee to accompany Analysis: character areas; significance; issues and constraints16.15 Feedback16.30 Close

TrainersThe day will be led by xxx and with extensive experience of training in this topic, with xxx.

Things to Bring With YouPlease dress appropriately for the weather – you will need to bring additional layers as it is likely to be cold, and it might of course be wet. Please therefore bring cold/wet weather gear and strong shoes or boots. The terrain is very likely to be muddy in places and with wet grass. PLEASE BRING A CHANGE OF SHOES /BOOTS – there will be a place to leave muddy boots. Please also bring a clipboard, biros/pencils. You might also want a bottle of water to take out on the site visit, and perhaps even sunscreen.

CateringLunch will be provided, and there will be tea and coffee. If you have any particular dietary requirements, and have not already informed us on your booking form, please let us know as soon as possible.

ExpensesTravel expenses are/are not available from your local County Gardens Trust (but policy on this will differ for each CGT). Please contact xxx for information on this.

LocationMost of the day will be spent at xxx and the site visit will be to xxx. They are about x miles apart and we shall be driving between them (about x minutes’ drive). Although we shall be based at xxx, it is xxx Park that we shall be examining as our case study for the day.

If you have any particular needs regarding the venue or equipment, please contact xxx directly using the contact details below.

Travel

15

CGT Understanding Conservation Management Plans

By Car: Parking:

By Train: The nearest train station is xxx  

By Bus:

However, we may be able to arrange lifts so please do let xxx know asap if this would be helpful.

ContactsIf you have any queries about this course, please contact xxx on [e-mail] or call [telephone].

If you are delayed on your journey to the course or have problems on the day, please call xxx on [mobile].

We look forward to seeing you then!

16