Talks on new harbourconservation plan go global

The document covers the running of the internationally important site for five years until April 2012.

It has been developed from the achievements of previous plans and is based on the achievements of West Sussex County Council and its partners in running the site since its creation in 1964.

Compiling the latest plan saw the council consult more widely than before. An extended 17-week consultation period produced 1,303 responses which contained 1,365 separate comments.

At the time '“ during the winter of 2004/05 '“ it was the greatest response to any consultation carried out by the council. A report by Kieran Stignant, the council's director for environment and development, says: 'Responses were received from as far away as Australia but 47 per cent of people completing the survey were from West Sussex.'

A total of 24 organisations took part in the survey, though almost nine out of ten responses came from individuals.

The new management plan is set to be approved by Cllr Louise Goldsmith, the council's senior member for environment and economy.

But Mr Stignant says the decision will not end the management planning for the 1,500 acres of the reserve. About half of it is saltmarsh and mudflats, while the rest comprises farmland, copses, lagoons, reedbeds and shingle beaches.

The plan will be updated following continuous monitoring and review. The existing survey and monitoring programme will be adapted and used to develop indicators to show how well the nature reserve is faring.

'The indicators will range from the general to the specific, and will aim to provide a '˜health check' on the overall condition of the nature reserve as well as the implementation of the new management plan,' he states.

An advisory board run by the county council and meeting quarterly in public will continue to be central to the management planning of the reserve and provide the main public forum for discussion about putting the plan into effect.