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2004 CMA Seminar & AGM
4 November 2004
The 2004 Seminar & AGM, The government is listening to what the general public feels is important.held in Milton Keynes, was designed with more than the usual business of an AGM in mind. It doubled up as a very effective briefing day for all those of us concerned about how the governments shake- up of its Departments and Agencies (following the Haskin’s report) will affect our daily working relationships. Staff in the Countryside Agency, Defra, English Nature, and the Regional Development Agencies will all be directly affected when their own delivery mechanisms are streamlined and simplified into an ‘Integrated Agency’. But what does that mean for the rest of us?
Dr Andy Clements, Director of Designated Sites for English Nature and involved in the consultation over the creation of the new Integrated Agency (IA), gave us a candid presentation that picked out the key principles of Haskins, and introduced the vision for the new IA. It seems now that the government is listening to what the general public feels is important – consultation has highlighted the fact that ‘people value landscape rather than wildlife’ and this is now one of the key building blocks of the Haskins-led changes.
‘no other organisation can blow our trumpet!’Ellie Robertson, the National Trust’s Assistant Director of Policy for Land-use and Environment, brought the practical concerns to the seminar, of realistic budgets and how the new IA would work in reality on the ground through its Regional Agencies. As an key consultee in the process - one of the largest single landowners and managers of our country’s landscape – the National Trust has so far given support and optimism to the initiative, which if ‘snagged’ thoroughly, could bring us land managers into a closer, more meaningful relationship with the governments landscape decision makers.
Two workshops followed a hearty, tasty
lunch, during which CMA members had open discussions about the reality
of Haskins, and how it would affect them on the ground. Linked to the new ‘bottom
up’ approach that the Regional Development Agencies could establish, the
second workshop sparked off some insight-ful discussions around the question
“How far is it reasonable to meet public expectations?” for land
managers. The consensus of opinion seemed to be that, because we are driven
by so many expectations (the government’s, the general public’s,
our public and private funders, and our own employers) it’s no wonder
that there is a general lack of understanding of the purpose and achievements
of our profession. 
One member drew this nicely back to the importance and purpose of the CMA – ‘no other organisation can blow our trumpet!’ If we, as professional land managers, are to be taken seriously at a national and household level, CMA has a vital role to play in both marketing and consultation. And how effective CMA is at that depends on each one of us, and the time that we can make for it.
Thanks must go to all those that contributed towards the success of this years’ event. And if you didn’t manage to get a place this year, why not make a point of coming the 2005 Losehill Hall Seminar and AGM that promises to be every bit as worthwhile for CMA members? Nic Sheerin, Editor- Members’ News