2831 - Cumbria Strategic Freshwater Senior Adviser

The role of the Cumbria Strategic Freshwater Senior Adviser:

• Working with a wide range of partners, area team staff and delivery mechanisms to improve the condition of our freshwater SSSIs and SACs in support of the Government’s 25 year environment plan

• Co-ordination of improvements in the freshwater SSSI monitoring data we hold and its translation into updated site condition statuses

• Working with Natural England lead advisers, act as Senior Responsible Officer for projects agreed under United Utilities’ PR19/AMP7 programme.

• Working across both the Cumbria and Cheshire to Lancashire Teams, lead on Natural England’s contribution to the third cycle of River Basin Management Planning in the North West River Basin; and working with Scottish Natural Heritage, NE’s Solway/Eden contribution to the 3rd cycle of the Solway Tweed RBMP.

• Lead on a review of Natural England’s contribution to Catchment Partnerships and Catchment Management Groups to maximise our influence to achieve our objectives in return for the investment of our staff time.

• Convene and chair bimonthly meetings of the group of Freshwater Lead Advisers and other interested staff.

• Lead on partnership work with United Utilities and the Environment Agency across the Northwest on water resource management planning and drought planning.

• Managing risks and issues, escalating to the national team and area teams where appropriate.

• Contribute to the wider Cumbria Management Team (CMT) by bringing subject leadership to the development and delivery of local plans

• Maximising the use of our Discretionary Advice service

• Acting as SRO for contentious and complex freshwater case work

The Cumbria Area team

This is an exciting opportunity to lead our freshwater work in Cumbria forming our objectives and goals for conservation in the freshwater environment. This is a diverse role which will work across a number of our work programmes namely greener farming and fisheries, resilient landscapes and seas and sustainable development.

Cumbria has over 20 freshwater SSSI’s covering over 5000 hectares including many of the Lake District’s lakes and tarns as well as the over 150 miles of the key Cumbria Rivers, the Eden, the Kent, the Derwent and the Ehen. Many of these SSSIs are also Special Areas of Conservation and include species features such as Salmon, Lamprey, Arctic Char, Vendace, Freshwater Pearl Mussel and Whiteclawed Crayfish.