Somerset Wildlife Trust
Avalon Marshes
Avalon Marshes Centre Community Engagement and Design Project
Somerset Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading environmental voluntary body. We own and/or manage 79
nature reserves all over the county, managing over 4000 acres for wildlife and people. The Trust has over
21,000 committed members across the county, and around 300 active volunteers.
The Trust aims to restore our battered ecosystems by creating living landscapes for wildlife and people, now
and in the future. We will help wildlife adapt to climate change, encourage sustainable living and inspire people
to create more green space bringing environmental, social and economic benefits. This is achieved by working
to protect rare and threatened species, monitoring plans for future developments and fighting to save sites
where wildlife and habitats are threatened.
Somerset Wildlife Trust educates and inspires hundreds of children each year through school activities and
family events. We work with landowners, local government and businesses for the benefit of wildlife,
campaigning as advocates for wildlife and a sustainable natural environment in Somerset.
Background information
Introduction
The Avalon Marshes is a lowland wetland area with lush vegetation and a high level of biodiversity that sits between
the Mendip Hills to the north and the Poldens Ridge in the south, and lies within the internationally important wider
wetland of the Somerset Levels and Moors. It comprises the land of the Brue Valley beneath the 10 metre contour
and includes the higher land of Glastonbury town, the history and influence of which has played a major role in the
area. Described by many as being the most evocative area of Somerset, it has a distinct atmospheric feel and
character.
This is an area which has been significantly moulded, manipulated and managed by the intervention of man over the
last 7,000 years starting with a series of prehistoric lake villages, buried wooden trackways and a breadth of cultural
heritage since. The restoration of more recent peat extraction operations have resulted in the development of a rich
variety of wildlife and habitats.
At the heart of the Avalon Marshes, and adjacent to Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve is a brownfield site
part owned by Natural England and part owned by Somerset County Council. The site locally known as the Peat
Moors Centre is an also an operational base for a number of organisations including Somerset Wildlife Trust, the
RSPB, the Hawk and Owl Trust, all of whom own and manage nature reserves in the area. For the last few years
these organisations have increasingly worked together in a collaborative partnership to increase activity and
recognition that reflects the huge international importance of the area for wildlife, biodiversity and cultural history. The
partners recently submitted a stage 2 bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund Landscape Partnership programme for a grant
worth £1.7m towards a package of community, education, volunteering and conservation activity worth more than
£2.5m.
In addition it has been the aspiration for a number of years to provide a high quality facility, described in this proposal
as the Avalon Marshes Centre, as a focus for community, volunteer and visitor activity, while also acting as an
operational base for the NGOs and Statutory agencies who operate from the site.
There have been a number of attempts to create a centre on the site over recent years. It is clear that any
development needs to have much greater involvement of the community and this project is designed to carry out a
much stronger process of community engagement and consultation than in the past.
Somerset Wildlife Trust: Briefing for job applicants
Avalon Marshes – Project Officer – February 2012
The project has the following aim:
This project will engage local communities in order to inform and develop plans for the proposed redevelopment of
outreach facilities, office space and commercial opportunities at the old Peat Moors Visitor Centre site now called the
Avalon Marshes Centre.
The objectives of the project are to;
1. Conduct a detailed consultation exercise with community stakeholders and other interest groups to inform
the future development of an Avalon Marshes Centre
2. Engage an architect/design practice to help consult on and produce design options for an Avalon Marshes Centre.
3. Produce a Design Concept Statement, agreed by partners and stakeholders, to inform the design of an
Avalon Marshes Centre.
4. Produce a fully costed outline design for an Avalon Marshes Centre.
Project outcomes
The project will deliver the following outcomes:
1.
Engagement with the local community, visitors, users and business through the design stage, leading to the
formation of stakeholder group which represents the community in developing an Avalon Marshes Centre.
2.
Strong commitment from partners to complete detailed design, secure funding, build and operate the facility
at the site
3.
An agreed Design Concept Statement for the Avalon Marshes Centre site which accommodates both the
operational needs of the partners that already occupy the site and provides improved/new facilities for
visitors and the local residential and local business communities
4.
A fully costed outline design for the new facility at the Avalon Marshes site which can be taken forward to
planning application and development when funding secured
Project delivery
The Project will run from April 2012 – September 2012.
Project management will be through a Steering Group (of all partners) chaired by one of the partners, which will meet
to initiate the project and thereafter on a monthly basis (some meetings may be teleconferences).
A project officer will be recruited and will be in post full time for a period of 6 months. The project officer will be line
managed by Somerset Wildlife Trust on behalf of the partnership, and will report to the Steering Group. They will be
based at the Avalon Marshes site to ensure maximum availability to the various communities of interest
A stakeholder group drawn from members of local residents, community and business interests will be established to
help facilitate dialogue with interested parties and to enable the consultation process.
The project will involve the following activities:
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Intensive consultation with each community of interest to ascertain desires, aspirations and practical needs
for the site and what resources they can contribute.
Engagement of design consultant/architect practice to work with communities in order to formulate realistic
options for development
Development of an options paper balancing the various requirements from audience groups and those of
partner organisations to enable decisions to be made on a preferred option.
Deciding on preferred option, through engagement of partners and stakeholders.
Identification of options for business investment opportunities based on dialogue with local business
communities. This will provide a solid base of evidence on which to base plans for financially sustainable
development and operation of the of the Avalon Marshes Centre
Establishment of a local stakeholder group who will represent communities through the next development
stage
Close consultation with organisational partners mentioned above, partly to seek help with community liaison.
Somerset Wildlife Trust: Briefing for job applicants
Avalon Marshes – Project Officer – February 2012
The outcomes of this project will be:
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a Consultation Report informing all future plans and development of the site;
 informed by, engaging and involving community leaders who will become advocates for the project
 identifying potential business and enterprise engagement with the project
 identifying potential new occupiers of facilities
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an agreed Design Concept Statement which establishes the brief for the next design stage of the process,
including;
 an organisational plan for the site locating public-facing facilities, operational facilities, and all
necessary infrastructure
 a ‘phasing plan’ of replacement facilities, new facilities and infrastructure
 a detailed and agreed ‘palette’ of materials and build parameters
 sustainable build and operational principles
 full, anticipatory costing
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an Operational Plan that;
 is shared by all partners operating from the site
 describes and agreed governance structure for the site and facilities
 identifies how best to engage potential new occupiers of facilities, and their level of commitment to
the proposal
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a Financing Strategy, including;
 identification of funding mechanisms for the construction phase (not part of this phase of the project)
 development of an agreed sustainable financing mechanism that will deliver operational and
governance expectations
 identification of funding opportunities for the construction, fit and initial running cost of the new
facilities
Somerset Wildlife Trust: Briefing for job applicants
Avalon Marshes – Project Officer – February 2012