Minutes of RAW meeting 8 June 2016

Present: Peter Dreghorn (Chair), Tony Donnelly & Chris Stones (RAT), Peter Norman (DGC), Jackie Galley (SEPA).
Apologies: Steven Gillespie (Univ of Glasgow)
NB Items discussed in different order to agenda.

1 Meeting of 27/04/2016
• Milnbie Caul. Tony will attend public meeting in Annan on 10/06 regarding Chapelcross decommissioning. Magnox applied to SEPA for licence to abstract water under Controlled Activities Regulations in 2006, thereby conceding some level of involvement with the caul. RAW to send representation to NDA/Magnox in near future, requesting that they take responsibility for removal of the caul.
• Website. Thanks to Chris for website updates. PeterD circulated text inviting public participation in RAW. Agreed to add to website with minor amendments.
• Carrifran/Corehead. Hugh presented RAW project to Steering Group. BFT will not run RAW-badged projects at these sites but will continue with projects in line with RAW ethos. Carrifran/Corehead available for use as demonstration sites/case studies for RAW project.
2. Project Assistant
• Sarah King successful at interview. High standard of applicants including 3 exceptional candidates. Start date: 4
th July.
3 Kirtle Water
• SEPA may be commissioning small-scale improvement works in the future – initially looking at site on Kirtle Water. Potential for RAT/RAW to fulfil a supervisory role as part of these projects. Tony to contact SEPA to discuss.
4 Stakeholder Survey
• Agreed to concentrate effort to get questionnaires completed in Evan, Moffat and Annan Waters, but also to put questionnaire on
website for any others to complete if they wish.
5 Chair of RAW
• All agreed that PeterD should continue to act as RAW chair.
6 Leader Funding
• Tony had submitted expression of interest and responded to initial queries.
• Full application to be submitted; details to be worked up and match funding still required.
• Focus would be on schools, youth groups, education, citizen science and community engagement.
7 Heritage Lottery Funding
• Agreed that RAW is not in a position with regard to fully agreed and costed habitat improvement projects in order to submit an application to HLF in the short-medium term, but may submit application for educational/awareness projects.
8 Environmental Co-operation Action Fund
• Potential to submit ECAF application in Jan 2017 to work with landowners on potential projects.
9 RAW Launch
• Tony/Chris to launch RAW with photo opportunity/press release at RAT stand at Moffat Show, end of August.
• PeterD to add RAW info to Moffat Online.
• PeterD volunteered to give RAW presentations to interested local groups.
10 Landowner & other committee members
• Representation on Steering Group from interested landowner required.
• Sarah King to meet with Matthew White regarding management of his land.
11 AOB
• Successful community buy-out completed for Gallow Hill Woodland.
Next meeting: End of July.

Funding Option	Advantages	Disadvantages	Conclusion
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)	✓ Single application can cover 3-4 years’ work. ✓ Substantial sums available (£100,000+). ✓ Opportunity to employ project dedicated staff. ✓ Will fund survey, design and implementation of practical work on the ground. ✓ Funds up to 60- 75% of eligible costs	* Requires lead body (eg RAT) to take on employer, administration & financial management roles. * Significant, unfunded, time requirement for application preparation. * Match funding required. * Grant paid in arrears – potential major cash flow issues for lead body.	Significant long-term commitment (and risk) required by lead body. Agreed (08/06/16) not to proceed at present time.
Leader (part of SRDP)	✓ Not currently available but applications expected to open soon. ✓ Applications in name of lead organisation, to which grant is paid. ✓ Potentially covers wide range of habitat management work. ✓ Can include appointment of project officer.	* Requires lead organisation (eg RAT) to take on administration & financial management roles (& if necessary, act as employer).	Application to be submitted for project to follow after internship
Agri-environment Climate Scheme (AECS)(part of SRDP)	✓ Covers wide range of habitat management work. ✓ High probability of application success for woodland	* Applications need to be in name of each individual landholder. * Grant is paid direct to each landholder ie not to RAW/RAT * Limited recovery of time/costs required to prepare applications. * Competition from specialist agents working with landholders.	Likely to be possible only for small-scale applications with ‘friendly’ landholders.
Environmental Co-operation Action Fund (ECAF)(part of SRDP)	✓ Designed to cover multiple landholders over landscape-scale. ✓ Applications in name of central facilitator/organisation, to which grant is paid. ✓ Grant covers time input of facilitator.	* Does not fund any practical work on the ground. * Requires at least 2 landholders to be signed up prior to application. * Not currently available – next application deadline Jan 2017.	Agreed (8/6/16) to look at submitting application in Jan 2017.
SNH Green Infrastructure Grant	✓ Substantial sums available. ✓ Outcomes closely aligned with RAW – biodiversity & ecosystems; environmental quality, flooding & climate change; communities; place attractiveness & competitiveness; health & wellbeing. ✓ Project examples include restoring water courses, e.g. re-naturalise river corridors to improve the physical habitat, amenity and biodiversity value	*Emphasis on disadvantaged communities in towns and cities. * Funds only up to 40% of eligible costs. * Voluntary and charitable organisations not eligible to receive direct funding.	Very unlikely for much of RAW area.
SEPA Water Environment Fund	✓ Restricted to measures contained in River Basin Management Plan, but many are closely aligned with RAW. ✓ Available as small (less than £10k) or large (10k+) grants. ✓ External match funding preferred, but can use in-kind funding.	* Requires agreement of landowner(s) prior to application.
Woodland Trust	✓ Verbal agreement that Woodland Trust would supply trees and possibly funding for small-scale riparian woodland projects.		Need to confirm if funding still available.
Private funding	✓ Opportunity to influence routine or privately funded work of landholders eg Crown Estate, Annandale Estates, windfarms		As opportunities arise.
Existing funding	✓ Use existing funds of partner organisations to further aims of RAW.	* Limited funds available	Agreed (27/01/16) that RAT funds intern in order to develop RAW Strategic Plan.