Funding

Partners demonstrated their commitment to the project by providing funding for administration costs and a Project Officer's salary, together with a wealth of local and specialised knowledge and project support in various forms.

We were also successful in securing funding from both SITA Environmental Trust (Coy Pond Gardens) and Biffaward (Bourne Valley Park) under the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

The Landfill Tax, a levy on all material disposed in landfill sites, was introduced in October 1996. The tax aims to encourage recycling and reduce waste by raising the costs of disposal.  The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) was introduced with the landfill tax and enables Landfill Operators to donate up to 6.5 per cent of their landfill tax liability to implement social and environmental projects.

Partnership Working

No one single organisation has either the regulatory powers or the resource base to address the issues of diffuse pollution effecting the Bourne Stream.  In recognition of this fact, a collaborative approach was viewed as the only way forward.

The move away from the traditional ad-hoc approach to environmental management required partner organisations to voluntarily 'do their bit'.

This integrated style of management provides access to many resources and complementary skills that might otherwise be unavailable.  It also provides the opportunity for 'joined up thinking' on environmental issues. 

In this way the Partnership provided the impetus to turn ideas into practice and tackle difficult environmental issues for the benefit of the local community and wildlife.

The Project Officer

Sarah Austin gained an MSc in Coastal Zone Management from Bournemouth University (2002) and started work as the Partnership's Project Officer on 1st April 2003 to:

• carry out the day-to-day running of Partnership projects

• develop solid links between the Partnership, local and business communities and other academic institutions

• co-ordinate and communicate the work of the Partnership to meet strategic objectives

• provide a link to other research both internal and external to the Partnership

• assist in gaining additional funding

• analyse and evaluate the approaches taken by the Partnership.

The post was funded by partners for more than three years, eventually coming to an end in June 2006. 

In September 2006 Sarah was employed as a Project Officer by partner organisation Borough of Poole Leisure Services unit, which allowed her to continue work on the Coy Pond and Bourne Valley Park projects until their completion in November 2007.