Issue - meetings

The Economy and Delivery Manager introduced this report and associated Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve Trampling and Nutrient Assessment 2023. 

The Assessment had been commissioned in 2010 by Teignbridge District Council, to consider the impacts of recreation on Dawlish Warren and to identify the extent to which access was impacting the site.  The Assessment suggested that the impact of trampling (people treading on plants) was somewhat nuanced, in some places contributing to maintaining the preferred habitat conditions, but in other places leading to significant erosion problems.

Comments from the Committee included:

·        Concern was expressed that whilst informative, the reports do not set out what is being done to respond to the changes that are happening.  Moreover, they do not consider the wider context including foreseeable changes such as rising sea levels, the impact of planned work by Network Rail, and the Environment Agency’s intention to remove the geotube from the back of the Dawlish Warren, now planned for 2050.

·        Whilst recognising the aforementioned concerns, it was not possible to know what changes will have occurred decades from now.

RESOLVED that the Executive Committee:

1.     Notes the results of the trampling and nutrient enrichment assessment relating to impacts associated with human activity at Dawlish Warren NNR.

2.     Receives an updated trampling and nutrient enrichment survey report as part of the ongoing monitoring programme in 2026.