Coombe Abbey Park Management Plan 2024 - 2028

10. Finance and resources

Part 3 - How will we get there?

10.1 Park Action Plan 2023-2028

This section provides more detail for the tasks that are programmed to take place in coming years.

This section will need reviewing on an annual basis, to enable the management team to bid for finance to carry out the tasks in the forthcoming year.

An action plan for the formal gardens and example action plans can be found in Appendix 5.

Ongoing/annual actions
Aim	Objective	Action	Responsible officer	Finance	Date	Complete
MA1 MA2 MA3 MA5	MO1	Keep signage on site current	EC	Core budget	Annual review/ in line with changes	Rebrand completed in 2021. Signage will be reviewed and updated regularly in line with identified changes or enhancements.
MA3 MA4 MA5 MA6	MO3	Meet with Natural England Attend	EC, MThack, WM	Nil cost	Annually	Been in contact with NE re HLS payments. Staff also meet with Forestry Commission to discuss felling licence.
MA3 MA4 MA5 MA6	MO3	Attend Park Forum meetings and APSE	EC, MThack	Nil cost	Annually	Midlands Park Forum annual and APSE training for Parks Management
MA3 MA4 MA5 MA6	MO3	Work to agreed HLS Agreement	All Estate Staff and EC	Grant funded	Annually (see Estate Action Plan)	Claim submitted annually - remittance received in November each year. HLS extension agreed to 2028. Reduced grazing regime - Summer 2023.
MA1 MA2 MA3 MA4 MA5 MA6	MO1 MO3 MO4	Work to restoration Action Plan	All Estate Staff and EC	Core Budget	Annually (see Estate Action Plan)	See individual Area Action Plans for dates
MA1 MA2 MA3 MA4	MO2	Carry out regular user surveys	All operational staff	Officer time	24 per month April-Sept 12 per month Oct-March	Visitors per car survey conducted annually. Updated visitor survey produced in 2023.
MA1 MA2 MA3 MA4	MO3	Collate and analyse user survey data/ benchmark	EC	Officer time	Quarterly	Data discussed at team meetings and at Park Project Board meetings (monthly). Benchmarking with Leicestershire parks October 2021.
MA1 MA2 MA3 MA4	MO1 MO2	Meet with key stakeholders	RE & wider Visitor Experience Team	Officer time	Quarterly/ Project-based	On-site and on-line promotion through face-to-face meetings and awareness. Partnership working with Coombe Abbey Hotel/No Ordinary Hospitality Management.
MA1 MA6	MO2	Continue and Extend Biodiversity Data	MThack, Estate Staff	Officer time/ Volunteers	Ongoing	Butterflies (Butterfly Conservation), hedgehogs, grassland, bat, and reptile surveys by on-site staff or by volunteers.
MA1 MA6	MO2	Continue and Extend Biodiversity Data	MThack, Estate Staff	Officer time/ Volunteers	Monthly WEBS Surveys	Site staff conduct surveys to include annual Heron census, breeding bird surveys.
MA1 MA2 MA3 MA4 MA5 MA6	MO1 MO2 MO3 MO4	Continue review and develop Commerciali- sation Strategy	EC, GMcK, Finance	Officer time	Quarterly	Go Ape continues to thrive at Coombe Abbey Park, with additional activities mini landrovers progressing. Outdoor Cinema events in May, August and October 2023. The Abbey Artisan Market and Sundae Club dessert diner opened in December 2021 located within the Visitor Centre. Annual Illuminated trail “Luminate Coombe” November to January to 2026. Play area redevelopment - new visitor centre play area opened in June 2022, followed by Hermit’s Hollow pay/play facility opened in July 2023.
MA2 MA3 MA4	MO2, MO4	Continue Staff Training and development	EC, MThack	Officer Time, Core Budget	Health and Safety/ Mandatory Training as required (see Divisional Training Matrix)	Recruitment training x2 new and refresher x2 Mandatory Training refresher; whole team 2021. Chainsaw refresher training 2021. Chipper training 2021 Water rescue training 2021.
MA2 MA3 MA4	MO2, MO4	Continue Staff Training and development	EC, MThack	Officer Time, Core Budget	Staff Induction	X3 Inductions of agency staff due to resignations. Interviews for fixed-term contracts – Estate Assistant role 2023.
MA2 MA3 MA4	MO2, MO4	Continue Staff Training and development	EC, MThack	Officer Time, Core Budget	Staff Appraisals	Completed
MA2 MA3 MA4	MO2, MO4	Continue Staff Training and development	EC, MThack	Officer Time, Core Budget	Team Meetings	Monthly as recorded
MA2 MA3 MA4	MO2, MO4	Continue Staff Training and development	EC, MThack	Officer Time, Core Budget	Staff 1 to 1s	Monthly as recorded
MA2 MA3 MA4	MO2, MO4	Continue Staff Training and development	EC, MThack	Officer Time, Core Budget	Attend Midlands Park Forum	Quarterly (with wider Park Service)
MA3 MA4	MO4	Reduce ‘first use’ only resources used to run Coombe Abbey Park	EC, MThack, all staff	Core Budget	Adhere to CCC carbon reduction strategy ongoing	On site catering provision continue to use sustainable (plastic free) take away cutlery and packing. Reduction in use of paper – electronic filing system and file sharing. Electric gator fleet progressing through negotiations.
MA3 MA4	MO4	Reduce use of chemical solutions to issues	EC, MThack, all staff	Core Budget	Adhere to CCC carbon reduction strategy ongoing	Hand pulled Ragwort as part of DLL Addition of ‘Paradise’ solution to reduce the amount of chemical treatment required.
MA3 MA4	MO4	Reduce amount of general waste and educate visitors and staff that recycling is an everyday normal activity.	All staff	Officer time Core budget	November 2020 and ongoing	Recycling unit installed near the visitor centre adjacent to Café in the Park to promote recycling in November 2020. Recycling units for offices. Paper already recycled and collected by Rugby Borough Council. These measures have reduced the spend on the waste budget significantly some of which is down to banning BBQs and recycling practices. Recycling has been reviewed with commercial waste and a more cost-effective solution to its disposal was agreed upon. Public recycling bins require improved interpretation. Glass recycling has been quite unsuccessful.
MA2	MO3	Be aware of current best practice	EC/MThack/WM			Reservoir S10 and new flood study for state directive compliance 2021/2022 and ongoing.
MA5	MO2	Undertake meetings with Historic England Work with Arboriculture team	EC/MThack			Constructive meeting with HE regards the restoration of terrace walls and parterre footpath 2021 and ongoing. Regular communication with Urban Forestry Officer for garden plan development, hazardous trees, dam wall monitoring and introduction of new play facilities 2022/2023.
MA6	MO2	Investigate Cormorant control	Estate Team		Ongoing	Cormorant numbers monitored through the winter and a laser is used as a bird scarer.
MA7	MO3	Liaise with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust	EC/MThack		Ongoing	DLL - Network for Nature projects on Heronry island and siltation study.

Finite Actions
Aim	Objective	Action	Responsible officer	Finance	Date	Complete
MA1 MA2	MO1	Rebrand and review and update maps, plans & leaflets, website	EC MThack & Comms	Comms routine budget	Summer 2018	Signage update first phase completed; second phase completed April 2021.
MO3 MO4 MA5	MO3, MO4	Dunsmore Living Landscape (DLL) Quarterly Project Board Meetings	EC, MThack	DLL	2016	2021 and ongoing.
	MO3 MO4	DLL Acid Grassland restoration	MThack, EC, WM & PH	Dunsmore Living Landscape	2016	2019, 2020, 2021
	MO3	Meet with Natural England	EC, M Thack, GMcK	Nil cost	Ongoing discussions regarding plan of events at Coombe Abbey Park.	Ongoing discussions around potential for events to ensure communication between partners.
	MO1 MO2	Form Friends of Coombe Abbey Park	RE & EC and wider Visitor Experience Team	Officer time	Summer 2018	Ongoing although proving difficult. Impacted by Covid-19.
	MO1 MO2	Incorporate Friends of Comments/Feedback in Management Plan	RE, EC	Core budgets	Autumn 2018	See above
MA1 MA2 MA3 MA4 MA5 MA6	MO1 MO2 MO3 MO4	Form Commercialisation Strategy	EC, GMcK,	Officer time	Autumn 2018	Benchmarking visits or online discussions with CCC Commercial Director ongoing.
	MO1 MO2 MO3 MO4 MO5	Set up Go Ape business venture at Coombe	EC, GMcK	Officer time, Go Ape staff, Finance officers, Natural England & Historic England	Ongoing	Project complete April 2019, however additional activities added such as axe throwing 2020. More activity suggestions being discussed although these have been impacted by Covid-19. Additional activities include mini 4 x 4 adventure for children launch anticipated 2022.

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