White Cliffs Countryside Partnership

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White Cliffs Countryside Partnership
(Formerly) White Cliffs Countryside Project
AbbreviationWCCP
Formation1989
Legal status Non-profit company
PurposeHelp landowners care for the special coast and countryside of Dover and Folkestone and Hythe districts
in Kent
Location
  • White Cliffs Business Park, Dover, Kent CT16 3PJ
Region served
Kent
Membership
Optional
Chairman of the Partnership Board
Nick Johannsen
Parent organization
 Dover District Council
Website White Cliffs Countryside Partnership

The White Cliffs Countryside Partnership was established in 1989, to help landowners care for the special coast and countryside of Dover and Folkestone and Hythe districts. This includes the only two stretches of Heritage Coast in Kent; the Dover-Folkestone Heritage Coast and the South Foreland Heritage Coast between Dover and Kingsdown near Deal. [1]

Contents

History

The WCCP was launched with 3 staff funded by seven organisations for a limited three-year period. The WCCP has since grown into a much larger organisation with thirteen staff (although many work part-time including footpath leaders). The WCCP celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009.

In 1992/93, it was estimated that the project (and community groups) contributed to 3450 days of conservation and footpath management work. This was worked out to have cost around £170,000 or 14 local authority staff wages. [2]

In October 2010, volunteers from WCCP, and the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership went across the Channel to work with counterpart volunteers in France. As part of the 'Landscape and Nature for All' project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Then in November, the French volunteers came to the UK to help. [3]

In 2012, Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded the project with £1.64m, which they added to with funding of £800,000 from local partners. [4] [5]

In 2013, the WCCP was being funded by more than 23 organisations. We carry out long term management of land that has a high value for wildlife and landscape, making it accessible to everyone. Indeed, many of the sites managed by WCCP are on a national or even international level of importance for wildlife. It was decided to change the name to "partnership" to reflect the fact that a large number of organisations are working together to improve the local environment. [1]

The White Cliffs Countryside Partnership is a partnership between Dover District Council, Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Kent County Council, Eurotunnel, Natural England [6] and many other local organisations with financial contributions from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Also involved in the partnership are Environment Agency, British Energy, Magnox Ltd(formerly Magnox South), Affinity Water, Network Rail, Cemex, Dover Harbour Board, Dover Society (Dover Historic Society), Dungeness Estate, Kent Downs AONB, Kent Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Up on the Downs Landscape Partnership (Landscape Conservation of Dover), Pent Valley Technology College, National Farmers' Union, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Kent Police, Aylesham Parish Council, Hawkinge Town Council, St Margaret's at Cliffe Parish Council, Walmer Parish Council and Whitfield Parish Council. [1]

Major projects involved

Samphire Hoe Country Park, River Dour, Kent, East Cliff and Warren Country Park, The Undercliff, Cheriton Hill, Folkestone Downs and Miner's Way Trail

They also produce many leaflets and guides for various local walks about the area. Also they arrange volunteers to lead many guided walks throughout the year. [7]

Related Research Articles

Kent County of England

Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west. The county also shares borders with Essex along the estuary of the River Thames, and with the French department of Pas-de-Calais through the Channel Tunnel. The county town is Maidstone.

Folkestone town in Kent, England

Folkestone is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Countryside Council for Wales

The Countryside Council for Wales, a Welsh Government Sponsored Body, was, until 31 March 2013, the wildlife conservation, landscape and countryside access authority for Wales. It was merged with Forestry Commission Wales, and Environment Agency Wales to form Natural Resources Wales, a single body managing Wales's environment and natural resources, on 1 April 2013.

Hythe, Kent Human settlement in England

Hythe is a coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the district of Folkestone and Hythe on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning haven or landing place.

Folkestone and Hythe District Non-metropolitan district in England

Folkestone and Hythe is a local government district in Kent, England, in the south-east of the county. Its council is based in the town of Folkestone. The authority was renamed from Shepway in April 2018, and therefore has the same name as the Folkestone and Hythe parliamentary constituency, although a somewhat narrower area is covered by the district.

A259 road

The A259 is a road on the south coast of England passing through Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. The main part of the road connects Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Rye and Folkestone.

White Cliffs of Dover

The White Cliffs of Dover, part of the North Downs formation, is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of 350 feet (110 m), owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint. The cliffs, on both sides of the town of Dover in Kent, stretch for eight miles (13 km). A section of coastline encompassing the cliffs was purchased by the National Trust in 2016.

Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is a wildlife trust covering the county of Dorset, United Kingdom. The trust was founded in 1961 as Dorset Naturalists' Trust, to protect and conserve the wildlife and natural habitats of the county.

Kingsdown, Dover Human settlement in England

Kingsdown is a village immediately to the south of Walmer, itself south of Deal, on the English Channel coast of Kent. Parts of the village are built on or behind the shingle beach that runs north to Deal and beyond, while other parts are on the cliffs and hills inland. The village church of St John the Evangelist was built by local landowner William Curling in 1848. Curling's former residence, Kingsdown House, was acquired by the Brightstone Holiday Centre in 1934 and a holiday camp, now known as Kingsdown Holiday Park, has operated in the grounds up to the present day. It is in the civil parish of Ringwould with Kingsdown. In 2019 it had an estimated population of 1764.

Dymchurch Human settlement in England

Dymchurch is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The village is located on the coast five miles (8 km) south-west of Hythe, and on the Romney Marsh.

Cheriton, Kent Human settlement in England

Cheriton is a northern suburb of Folkestone in Kent. It is the location of the English terminal of the Channel Tunnel as well as of the major army barracks of Shorncliffe Camp.

Elham, Kent Human settlement in England

Elham is a village and civil parish in East Kent situated approximately 9 miles (14 km) south of Canterbury and 5 miles (8 km) north east of Folkestone in the Elham Valley. At the 2011 Census the population included the hamlet of Ottinge and village of Wingmore.

Geography of Kent

Kent is the south-easternmost county in England. It is bounded on the north by the River Thames and the North Sea, and on the south by the Straits of Dover and the English Channel. The continent of Europe is 21 miles across the straits.

Stelling Minnis Human settlement in England

Stelling Minnis is a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district in Kent, England. The village lies 13 kilometres (8 mi) to the south of Canterbury, and to the east of the B2068, Stone Street, the Roman road, which takes traffic between Lympne and Canterbury.

Samphire Hoe

Samphire Hoe is a country park situated 2 miles (3 km) west of Dover in Kent in southeast England. The park was created by using 4.9 million cubic metres of chalk marl from the Channel Tunnel excavations and is found at the bottom of a section of the White Cliffs of Dover. The site is owned by Getlink, and managed by the White Cliffs Countryside Project.

Folkestone White Horse

The Folkestone White Horse is a white horse hill figure, carved into Cheriton Hill, Folkestone, Kent, South East England. It overlooks the English terminal of the Channel Tunnel and was completed in June 2003.

East Cliff and Warren Country Park

East Cliff and Warren Country Park is in Folkestone, in Kent, England. This country park is formed of the East Cliffs of Folkestone, the sandy beaches of East Wear Bay and the land-slipped nature reserve land between the cliffs and the sea.

Romney Warren Country Park

Romney Warren or Romney Marsh is a 10.9-hectare (27-acre) country park and Local Nature Reserve in New Romney in Kent. It is owned by Folkestone and Hythe District Council and managed by the Romney Warren Project, which is a partnership between Folkestone and Hythe District Council, Romney Warren Charitable Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust and Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership. It is part of the Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay Ramsar internationally important wetland site and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Miners Way Trail

The Miner's Way Trail is a long-distance circular footpath in England, starting at Sholden, Kent. Linking up the coalfield parishes of East Kent. Including; the parishes of Deal, Ash, Aylesham, Chillenden, Eastry, Eythorne, Elvington, Goodnestone, Nonington, Northbourne, Coldred, Staple, Tilmanstone and Wingham.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Welcome to the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership (formerly the White Cliffs Countryside Project)". whitecliffscountryside.org.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  2. ↑ Green, Brynn (27 December 1996). Countryside Conservation: Land Ecology, Planning and Management (3rd Edition). Taylor & Francis. p. 192. ISBN   978-0419218807.
  3. ↑ "Working to conserve each others' country". thisiskent.co.uk. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  4. ↑ "Protecting our white cliffs landscape". hlf.org.uk. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Celebrating the White Cliffs countryside". dover.uk.com. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Local Nature Reserve Whinless Down". lnr.naturalengland.org.uk. 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Soleil, Maria (22 October 2010). "Foraging walk for fans of wild food to be held in Dover". doverpeople.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
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