The North Devon Biosphere Reserve Partnership is the body responsible for coordinating, on behalf of the constituent local authorities and stakeholders, the management of the Biosphere Reserve.

The principal purpose of the Partnership is to help the relevant local authorities, to fulfil their commitments to North Devon's Biosphere Reserve. It will also engage with an appropriate range of relevant national, regional and local interests in the management of the area.

  • As required by the UNESCO Seville 95 Strategy (the statutory framework for Biosphere Reserves) the Partnership developed the vision and strategy for North Devon's Biosphere Reserve, will facilitate and coordinate the implementation of it according to an associated Action Plan, and will periodically review it.
  • Champion the interests of the North Devon's Biosphere Reserve and its communities
  • Provide guidance to the North Devon Biosphere Team about their work​
  • Partnership Meeting Minutes & reports
  • Information about the Biosphere Review

Biosphere Partnership

North Devon's Biosphere Reserve Partnership Members

Partnership Chairman:
  • Prof. Mel Austen (Plymouth Marine Laboratory)

Partnership Vice Chairmen:
  • Mark Wallace (Beaford Arts, Director)
  • Phil Byers (Barnstaple Chambers of Commerce)

Biosphere Reserve Manager:
  • Andrew Bell (North Devon Biosphere Service Manager)

Local Area Partnerships
  • North Devon AONB Partnership                      Steve Mulberry, Chairman; Jenny Carey-Wood, Manager
  • North Devon NIA Group
    Dr. Mike Moser, Chairman; Lisa Schneidau, Manager
Landowners, managers and marine
  • National Farmers Union
    Andrew Butler; Paul Cottington
  • North Devon Fisherman's Association
    John Balls
  • Christie Devon Estates
    Andrew Woolacott
  • FWAG South West
    Roland Stonex#
  • Defence Estates
    Nigel Sharpe#
Business Support
  • Barnstaple Chambers of Commerce
    Phil Byers
  • Mole Valley Farmers
    Tim Wall#
  • North Devon Plus
    Cllr Pat Barker
  • North Devon Manufacturers Association
    Godfrey Tucker#
Academic
  • Bournemouth University
    Prof. Peter Howard
  • Exeter University
    Dr. Matt Lobley#; Prof. Michael Winter
  • Petroc College
    Vacancy
  • University of Kent
    Dr. Rob Fish#
  • University of Liverpool
    Prof. Ed Maltby#
# denotes Corresponding Members
Local Authorities
  • Devon County Council
    Doug Eltham; Peter Chamberlain#
  • Devon County Council Elected Members
    Cllr. Caroline Chugg, Cllr Jeremy Yabsley#, Cllr Roger Croad#
  • North Devon Council
    Andrew Austen; Mark Saunders#
  • North Devon Council Elected Members
    Cllr. Derrick Spear
  • Torridge District Council
  • Peter Stapley
  • Torridge District Council Elected Members
    Cllr. Ken James
  • West Devon District Council
    Rob Sekular
Other Government
  • MP for Torridge and West Devon                  Rt.Hon Geoffrey Cox MP#
  • MP for North Devon                                     Rt.Hon Peter Heaton-Jones MP#
  • House of Lords                                           Baroness Sue Miller#
Charities and voluntary Sector
  • Beaford Arts
    Mark Wallace, Director
  • Devon Wildlife Trust
    Emma Richardson; Harry Barton, Director#
  • Coastwise North Devon
    Robert Down
  • North Devon Biosphere Foundation
    Pete Jollands; Tony Collier; Tim Jones
  • National Trust
    Rob Joules
  • University of the Third Age, Barnstaple
    Sue Neary
  • Taw Torridge Estuary Forum
    Tony Pratt
  • Tarka Country Trust
    Richard Prowse
  • Royal Horticultural Society
    Sarah Chesters#
  • West Country Rivers Trust
    Dr Laurence Couldrick
Statutory bodies
  • Devon and Severn IFCA
    Sarah Clark
  • Environment Agency
    Brett Grosvenor
  • Forestry Commission
    Mark Prior
  • Natural England
    Jo Traill-Thompson; Christine Goodall
  • North Devon Care Commissioning Group
    James Szmankiewicz
# denotes Corresponding Members

Terms of Reference