Landscapes for Life - Conference 2017 Lead, Share, Learn, Inspire Tuesday 18th - Wednesday 19th July 2017 - Winchester, Hampshire

1. MANAGEMENT PLANNING
STEVE PRESTON
AN INTRODUCTION
Landscapes for Life Conference 2017
AONB MANAGEMENT PLANS
Support for their revision in England
Prepared by Steve Preston Associates with the NAAONB
June 2017

2. Mark Twain: “History doesn't repeat itself,
but it does rhyme.”
The document’s purpose is to
highlight any significant changes
that have occurred over the period
of extant AONB Management
Plans to assist in their revision.
It does not provide guidance on the
writing of AONB management
plans.

3. HOW TO GET THERE ?
Many of the issues facing AONBs
are universal.
Relatively few are unique.
This document sets out the context
for the Review but applies to
England only, and aside from
particular considerations, such as
coastal or upland drivers, all AONBs
will be similarly affected.

4. NATIONAL DRIVERS
Important national drivers which will require
appropriate local responses in Management
Plan Reviews
e.g. approaches to natural capital and
ecosystem services….
… also planning, health issues etc,
Document makes suggestions and
stimulates thinking.
Largest section on changes / context.
+ NAAONB responses / strategy

5. WHAT’S ACTUALLY IN IT-1?
Key elements
• an emphasis on continued partnership
working and collaboration,
• a more strategic approach to monitoring and
review,
• the importance of shared objectives
across the AONB Family,

6. WHAT’S ACTUALLY IN IT- 2?
Clarification on
• existing guidance - including AONB
designation, legislation and established
principles,
• undertaking the Review - its scale and
scope, maximising opportunities for
participation,
• changes in Land Use Planning,
• compliance with the SEA HRA.
•

7. WHAT’S ACTUALLY IN IT -3?
• PARTNERSHIP WORKING
• MONITORING AND THE REVIEW FEEDBACK LOOP
• SELF-HELP AND SHARED OBJECTIVES ACROSS THE AONB FAMILY
• EXISTING GUIDANCE
• UNDERTAKING A REVIEW
• PARTICIPATION
• LAND USE PLANNING
• COMPLIANCE WITH THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND HABITATS
REGULATIONS

8. STOCK TEXT
An opportunity to use stock text -
demonstrating a nationally coherent
approach
Thus Plans deliver
•an integrated approach
•join up of activities and partners
•place-based planning
•best thinking, drawn from national
collaboration and are appropriate for the locality

9. MONITORING AND TRENDS
Data on local trends in
condition are now available to
interpret differences in
condition in Protected
Landscapes e.g. water quality
in rivers. Relatively little
analysis has been undertaken
at a national level to interpret
differences in trends.

10. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?
AONB Management Plans
now well embedded.
moving with the times
demonstrating added value
the evidence - are we getting
there?
a plan worth investing in?

11. SOAP BOX MOMENT
Plan Reviews should avoid being
written in a way that only looks
forward, or only provides a current
snapshot, and ignores the medium
term trends which are now evident
within an AONB. The credibility of a
Plan will be weakened if such trends
are ignored and the Plan is written
from a “year one” perspective.

12. Topic areas which have seen
changes ;
improvements ;
new opportunities;
better understanding
compared to 2012
NEW CONTEXT

13. NEW CONTEXT - SINCE 2012
1. Economics of AONB
2. Planning
3. Agri Environment Support
4. State of the Environment
5. Health and Wellbeing
6. Marine
7. Renewables Climate Change Mitigation
8. Historic Environment
9. Water, Working with Water Companies and Catchment Management
10. Education
11. Sense of Place
12. Miscellaneous

14. NEW CONTEXT - ELEMENTS
Text - ordinary font gives
an informed (really)
commentary and is
occasionally questioning.
Italics - verbatim from
source documents.
Selected quotes.
Urls - added for easy
access

16. LEST WE FORGET
Annex - contains a range
of material - key guidance,
Acts, funding, have
regard, board papers etc
with urls (many now
archived).
• 1957 First English AONB, Quantock Hills, designated
• 1963 Government Circular on Coastal preservation published
• 1970s Heritage Coast defined and by 1973 pilot projects established
• 1981 The Wildlife and Countryside Act
• 1984 A Better Future for the Uplands. Geoffrey Sinclair Report
• 1991 Fit for the Future NP (Edwards) review
• 1991 Areas of Outstanding Beauty - Policy Statement, Countryside Commission CCP356
• 1995 Most recent AONB designation – Tamar Valley
• 1996 AONBs Future Direction – updated policy position by Countryside Commission
• 2000 Countryside and Rights of Way Act (created open access to moor and heath;

17. NEXT STEPS ?
save time and resources
in plan writing - a prompt
self help, sharing of set
text for national issues,
forces for change etc.
Basecamp to share
material?

18. ANY QUESTIONS….
…DISCUSSION POINTS?

19. THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION
TO CONSERVE
AND ENHANCE
NATURAL BEAUTY