Contact: David Carman, ext 5967 email:[email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That the draft Management Plan for the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty be approved, subject to the strategic comments set out in paragraphs 4.1 to 4.6 of this report and the detailed comments in Appendix 3.

(ii) That the draft Management Plan for the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty be approved, subject to the strategic amendments set out in paragraphs 6.1 to 6.10 of this report and the detailed comments in Appendix 4.

2. Reason

2.1 The North Wessex Downs and Chichester Harbour are landscapes of national and international importance. The production and adoption of the Management Plans is a statutory duty on the local authorities. The plans have the potential to improve the quality of life for residents of Hampshire living and working in the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty through the conservation and enhancement of their landscapes.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 Not to produce Management Plans. Not to produce drafts for consultation.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

Councillor J K Glen

Councillor J Waddington

1. Summary

1.1 This report has been prepared jointly by the Environment Department and Recreation and Heritage Department, and recommends approval of the draft Management Plans for North Wessex Downs and Chichester Harbour Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), subject to the strategic comments set out in paragraphs 4.1 to 4.6 and 6.1 to 6.10 of the report, and the detailed comments set out in Appendices 3 and 4.

1.2 Under the terms of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000, constituent local authorities have a statutory duty to publish Management Plans for AONBs. Four AONBs with a requirement for Management Plans lie within the boundaries of Hampshire:

(i) the North Wessex Downs;

(ii) Chichester Harbour;

(iii) East Hampshire; and

(iv) Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs.

1.3 This report comments on the first drafts of the plans for North Wessex Downs and Chichester Harbour. A report on the remaining two AONB Management Plans will be submitted in October. Following revision of the drafts after public consultation, the final plans will be submitted to the local authorities for adoption in March 2004.

2. Introduction

2.1 The North Wessex Downs and Chichester Harbour are landscapes of national and international importance. The production and adoption of the Management Plans is a statutory duty on the local authorities. The plans have the potential to improve the quality of life for residents of Hampshire living and working in the AONBs through the conservation and enhancement of their landscapes.

Background to AONB Management Plans

2.2 This report considers the consultation drafts of the Management Plans for the North Wessex Downs and the Chichester Harbour AONBs. AONBs are designated by Government under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, for the primary purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the landscape. Their legal status and importance are on a par with National Parks, although they do not have the same administrative powers as National Parks. The Government has made extra funding available for the management of AONBs (refer to paragraph 2.8).

2.3 Part IV of the CROW Act places a statutory duty on constituent local authorities of AONBs to publish Management Plans for AONBs by 1 April 2004 and to review them at five-yearly intervals. The Act also:

(i) places a duty on all public bodies and statutory undertakers to `have regard' to the purposes of AONBs;

(ii) establishes a process for creating AONB Conservation Boards, where this is locally supported; and

(iii) reaffirms the original purposes of designation and confirms the powers of local authorities to take appropriate action to conserve or enhance the natural beauty of AONBs.

2.4 A secondary purpose of designation is to "take account of the needs of agriculture, forestry and other rural industries and of the economic and social needs of local communities. Particular regard should be paid to promoting sustainable forms of economic development that in themselves conserve and enhance the environment". Whilst recreation is not an objective of designation, "the demand for recreation should be met so far as this is consistent with the conservation of natural beauty...". Guidance for the production of Management Plans for AONBs is provided by the Countryside Agency in its publication `AONB Management Plans: A Guide'.

2.5 Four AONBs lie within the boundaries of Hampshire: North Wessex Downs; Chichester Harbour; East Hampshire; and Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONBs. Their locations are shown on the map attached as Appendix 1. A revocation order for the South Hampshire Coast AONB was issued in January 2002, and will take effect in the event of the New Forest becoming a National Park. The local authorities are not required to produce a Management Plan for this AONB.

2.6 The Management Plans are a key decision for the County Council's Forward Plan because of their significance for communities living and working in the AONBs.

2.7 The County Council has committed resources to the production of all the Management Plans, including Member participation and officer involvement in executive, steering and stakeholder groups, and funding.

2.8 Funding for the Management Plans is being shared between the Government and local authorities, with the detail of the arrangements varying according to local circumstances. In North Wessex Downs, the Government, through the Countryside Agency, provides 75% of the core costs of plan production, including staff, office, publication and other overheads, and 50% for projects. The balance is met by the local authorities on an area pro-rata basis.

2.9 In Chichester Harbour a precept is paid by Hampshire and West Sussex County Councils to fund the Chichester Harbour Conservancy. No additional local authority funding goes towards the Management Plan.

3. North Wessex Downs

Background to North Wessex Downs AONB

3.1 The Countryside Agency's Management Plan Guidance strongly recommends the establishment of partnerships between local authorities and stakeholders in the production of Management Plans. In total 23 local authorities are involved in the process across all the AONBs, of which 11, across two regions, are responsible for the North Wessex Downs, where Member representation is on a Council of Partners. In addition, 24 non-local authority partners sit on the Council of Partners, including Government agencies, environmental trusts, landowners and community associations. Full details of the local authority partnerships for each AONB are given in Appendix 2.

3.2 The local authorities delegated the responsibility for producing the Management Plan to the Council of Partners in July 2001. As a result, the content of the plan reflects local circumstances, which is central to achieving success in its implementation. Officers across the County Council have been involved in the process of producing the Management Plan.

The North Wessex Downs AONB Management Plan

3.3 North Wessex Downs was designated as an AONB because of its exceptional chalk landscape and rich cultural heritage. With an area of 1,730 square kilometres, North Wessex Downs is the third largest AONB in the country. To date there has been no existing Management Plan or partnership upon which to build the statutory plan and its implementation. Paradoxically, this has proved to be one of the strengths of the AONB over the last two years, enabling a new, forward-looking and enthusiastic partnership to look afresh at this important and highly valued landscape.

3.4 In line with current thinking about sustainability, the integration of environmental, economic and social interests characterises the Management Plan. It is based on a shared 20 year vision for the AONB as a whole, and for 14 themes that encompass the life of the North Wessex Downs. The plan is in three parts:

(i) Part 1 sets out the Ambition for the Future;

(ii) Part 2 sets out the Policies for Delivery over the next five years; and

(iii) Part 3 forms the Action Plan for a three year period.

Copies of the Management Plan and a summary document are available for inspection in the Members' Room.

3.5 In Part 1, the plan identifies what is important about the AONB in terms of its environmental and socio-economic characteristics. This builds on the landscape character assessment published in 2001 and is further informed by the outputs from the working groups. It also covers the legislative background to AONBs, the administrative structure for the North Wessex Downs and the national, regional and local policy context of the AONB. Critically, it acknowledges the relationship between the Management Plan, land use planning and community strategies. In both these cases the Management Plan is a vehicle for communicating stakeholder aspirations for the future of the AONB and how their achievement can deliver the national purposes of designation, thereby ensuring that it informs and influences policy both locally and nationally. It is not intended to duplicate or repeat land use planning and other policies.

3.6 The 14 themes covered by the plan are:

Environment

(i) conserving and enhancing landscape character;

(ii) celebrating the past;

(iii) conserving remoteness and tranquillity;

(iv) increasing biodiversity;

(v) sustaining natural resources; and

(vi) meeting the challenges of climate change.

Economy

(vii) the land-based economy as custodian of the landscape;

(viii) enjoyment as an economic driver; and

(ix) diversifying economic opportunities.

Community

(x) developing appropriate skills for the future;

(xi) supporting vibrant communities; and

(xii) encouraging sustainable travel.

Rising to the Challenge

(xiii) establishing common understanding; and

(xiv) maintaining productive partnerships.

3.7 Each of the themes is examined in terms of its background, the threats to the achievement of the vision, the way forward and the objectives to be met in achieving the vision. It is the objectives that are the key to the plan, establishing what the plan wants to achieve over the next 20 years, and setting the remit for the policies and the actions that will start the process of implementing the plan.

3.8 Part 2 of the plan sets out a five-year perspective on the delivery of the objectives. It is in this section that the plan seeks to establish the integration of the environmental and socio-economic objectives through policies. These are not policies in the sense of land use policies, but are the range of mechanisms for delivering the objectives, grouped under the means of delivery, as follows:

(i) improving understanding;

(ii) sharing knowledge;

(iii) raising awareness;

(iv) development planning;

(v) parish planning;

(vi) providing incentives for sustainable land management;

(vii) implementing sustainable land management;

(viii) biodiversity planning;

(ix) catchment planning;

(x) encouraging a sustainable rural economy;

(xi) providing integrated advice;

(xii) tourism planning;

(xiii) improving recreational access;

(xiv) highway and transport planning; and

(xv) training skills and provision.

3.9 The policies are grouped under means of delivery to ensure that actions will deliver objectives across multiple themes, for example policies on transport planning should address both sustainable travel objectives and those relating to the retention of tranquillity. This is particularly important for those implementing the plan, enabling like activities to be grouped together with the appropriate range of partners.

3.10 Part 3, the Action Plan, has been restricted to what can reasonably be achieved or started over a three year period, with those actions for the next 18 months highlighted. The Action Plan has been based both upon those activities that are already under way and are meeting the purposes of AONB designation, and those additional activities that the partnership and the AONB team can achieve. The actions seek to encourage a better understanding of the AONB, influence national and regional policy, enable coordination across local authority and regional boundaries, empower local communities in deciding how the area should develop, and coordinate the activities of a wide range of individuals and organisations.

3.11 The Management Plan sets out a wide range of actions which will require input from the County Council. Many of these are already undertaken as part of the Council's day to day responsibilities, but several key areas of new work are identified. These mainly involve contributing knowledge, expertise and data to new studies to be undertaken by others, including analysis of cultural strategies, an historic landscape character assessment, tranquil areas study, biodiversity surveys and promotion of the AONB's aims and objectives. Particular emphasis is placed on cross-authority coordination of land use planning policies for the AONB through officer working groups. In terms of highways issues, the plan proposes that local authorities contribute to the development of a Quiet Lanes strategy and area speed limits, as well as addressing the growing problem of off-road vehicles, all of which would require a review of existing County Council priorities and resource needs.

4. Comments of the Director of Environment and the Director of Recreation and Heritage

4.1 The approach of this draft AONB Management Plan is innovative, taking a complex and multi-functional landscape, drawing out what is important about it at both a national and local level and ensuring that any future actions are integrated with each other and add value to single actions. It is a very comprehensive, well researched set of documents with a real attempt to split the content into workable documents. When trying to engage local communities there will be a challenge to simplify the content if wide ownership and involvement is to be achieved.

4.2 The draft legislation for reform of the planning system emphasises the community role in the preparation of Local Development Frameworks. AONB Management Plans have the potential to inform and influence those frameworks, both through the partnership and through the Community Strategies. How the Management Plan will relate to these other plans should be explained.

4.3 Contact with local communities and businesses during preparation of the plan has been limited. It is essential that the draft plan is disseminated widely and that a programme of awareness-raising is undertaken once the plan is adopted.

4.4 Separating out the policies into distinct groupings has meant that the potential for improving countryside access does not feature in policy areas such as `Parish Planning', `Encouraging a Sustainable Economy' or `Providing Integrated Advice'. It would be good to see the benefits of providing and promoting improved access to the area featuring across the management of the land and local economy. While supporting the basic legislative framework for the plans the emerging national countryside access agenda is such that its impact, and in some cases potential, may need a higher profile in these plans. In particular it is surprising that the issue of Open Access Land does not feature in the documents. The County Council is heavily involved, and indeed statutorily required, to manage issues relating to Open Access Land, including those areas in the AONBs. In that context a clear link can be made between these plans and the Rights of Way Improvement Plan process.

4.5 The plan offers opportunities to achieve holistic management of the area and from that perspective there may be greater opportunities to link access to other issues such as whole farm planning and agri-environment schemes. From this perspective it may be productive to involve a wider selection of land managers and recreation providers/users when considering implementation of the plan.

4.6 It is important that a balance is struck between the need to protect and enhance the AONB and the imposition of over-restrictive policies on development, which may affect the credibility of the plan at a national level.

5. Chichester Harbour

Background to Chichester Harbour AONB

5.1 Chichester Harbour Conservancy was formed in 1971 under the Chichester Harbour Act, with the primary role of managing the harbour, as well as the surrounding land identified by Parliament as "being significant to the integrated management of the land and water", which approximately coincided with the boundary of the AONB as designated in 1964. Since its formation the Conservancy has taken on the role of a Joint Action Committee for the AONB, as well as having duties relating to the management of the harbour, as the harbour authority. The Conservancy Board consists of 15 appointed members from the constituent local authorities.

5.2 Within the Conservancy there is a high level of knowledge and expertise in a wide range of disciplines relevant to AONB and harbour management. As it had drawn up previous management plans for the harbour, the Conservancy was asked by the local authority partners to prepare the AONB Management Plan on their behalf.

The Chichester Harbour AONB Management Plan

5.3 Chichester Harbour is the smallest AONB in the south-east region, totalling 74 square kilometres and with 40% of its area comprising water at high tide. Its inter-tidal area extends to 24 square kilometres, and it is an internationally important area for wintering birds and its marine and coastal habitats and species. With nationally and locally important designated sites for nature conservation and a rich archaeology, both marine and terrestrial, as well as attracting a million visitors each year, the AONB presents many challenges in the balancing of different interests and demands.

5.4 The Management Plan has been informed by workshops covering eight themes:

(i) Harbour Management;

(ii) Culture and Heritage;

(iii) Recreation;

(iv) Education;

(v) Natural Environment;

(vi) Community;

(vii) Commercial Uses; and

(viii) Farming and Landscape.

5.5 Production of the new Management Plan is built on the Chichester Harbour Management Plan (1999-2004). However, wider stakeholder and public involvement was required for the AONB Management Plan and the workshops were the vehicle for this, resulting in new issues being identified and new policies and actions formulated to address them. As well as being the policy document for the AONB, the Management Plan is a framework that informs other key documents, such as the AONB Planning Guidelines and the Conservancy Business Plan and Annual Action Plan.

5.6 The Management Plan has an introduction and six sections with appendices. Sections 1 and 2 summarise the special qualities of the AONB and set out the vision for the next 20 years. This is an aspiration for how the AONB will be used, how it will function and what it will look like, based upon a principle of sustainable management of the resources it offers.

5.7 Section 3, Policies and Actions, forms the bulk of the Management Plan. This section is divided into 16 themed sub-sections, as follows:

(i) Managing Chichester Harbour AONB;

(ii) The Role of the Harbour Authority;

(iii) The Land and Seascape;

(iv) Nature Conservation;

(v) Farming and the Farmed Landscape;

(vi) The Historic Environment;

(vii) Buildings and Development;

(viii) Running a Business in the AONB;

(ix) The Working Water - Fishing, Angling and Bait Digging;

(x) Water Quality and Waste Disposal;

(xi) Coastal Defence and Sea Level Rise;

(xii) Enjoying Chichester Harbour on the Water;

(xiii) Enjoying Chichester Harbour from the Land - the need for sustainable transport;

(xiv) Activities and Information;

(xv) Schools and Colleges; and

(xvi) Community Involvement.

5.8 Each theme has a brief descriptive background section that sets the scene for the issues that follow. Basic statistics and facts illustrate the present position within each of the themes and the historical changes that brought them about. The main issues raised in the workshops are listed, providing the basis for the policies needed to address them. Actions needed to implement the policies then follow.

5.9 Section 4 addresses the implementation of the Management Plan, summarising the key means of delivery by the Conservancy and the partners through the Conservancy Business Plan and partners' own annual work programmes. The actions set out in the body of the Management Plan do not appear to place many additional demands on the County Council's resources, being concerned mainly with contributing knowledge, expertise and data to further research studies.

5.10 Section 5 concerns monitoring, research and review. It focuses on monitoring the delivery of the Management Plan and on the condition of the AONB, building on existing monitoring programmes.

5.11 A landscape character assessment of the AONB is currently under way and will help to inform the final plan. The programme for the assessment will allow key aspects of concern for the landscape to be incorporated into the plan before the second round of consultation.

6. Comments of the Director of Environment and the Director of Recreation and Heritage

6.1 The Management Plan is an attractively published document that provides information on the state of the AONB's environment, economy and social structure. The thread that links the descriptions to the actions for each theme are generally clear.

6.2 Section 3: Land and Seascape. This section should highlight some of the `key characteristics' of the AONB, drawn from the emerging landscape character assessment, as a basis for the issues. This would convey the essence of the AONB's landscape and reinforce what it is that the plan seeks to protect and enhance. More information about some of the changes that have taken place should be incorporated, even if they are covered in later sections. The landscape section should provide the context and framework for all the other themes, so some reference to those other themes is necessary. The policies are not reflecting the vision - a policy to promote enhancement of the special qualities should be included.

6.3 Running throughout the document there appears to be a major concern that greater access would be to the detriment of the Harbour and its Management Principles. Clearly increased access and greater promotion of the area if not managed or targeted could have a damaging impact upon the special qualities of the area which people come to enjoy and would appear to be contrary to the existing Management Principles numbers 8 and 9. By the same token, improving access to the Harbour sympathetically and in a well managed way ought to contribute to the principles of supporting sustainable rural industry and the economic and social needs of the local communities.

6.4 Those policies and actions which are cross-cutting in nature and so deliver multiple objectives need to be identified. This would help to ensure that the plan and the activities arising from it are fully integrated.

6.5 The definition that has been applied to `policies' and `actions' is unclear, as many of the actions are general in nature, without an identified output or target. Partners will find difficulty in assessing their own resource needs for meeting the implementation of the plan, without details of the Conservancy Business Plan and Annual Action Plan.

6.6 The way the AONB and the Harbour are managed is important, but themes 1 and 2 relating to the management of the AONB and the role of the Harbour Authority should be incorporated into the introductory section of the Management Plan. The remaining themes have resonance in the vision, and are critical to the character and qualities of the AONB.

6.7 The emphasis throughout the draft plan upon public awareness of the area's nature conservation and cultural heritage is welcomed and should contribute towards improving people's enjoyment and appreciation of the area.

6.8 It would be appropriate to see a link to the Countryside Access Plans (Rights of Way Improvement Plans) for the area referred to in both `Enjoying Chichester Harbour from the Land' and `Activities and Information' sections of the draft plan, as the Improvement Plans will be the main drivers as to how access to the area should be managed and resources prioritised in the future. As a general comment it will be important to ensure that access issues/proposals merging from this plan, just as for all AONB plans, are brought to the early attention of the Hampshire Local Access Forum as the key statutory body involved.

6.9 The future of farming and the farmed landscape could benefit from giving support to initiatives which seek to improve people's opportunities to enjoy the area. This could be specifically referred to under Policy F3.

6.10 References to Hampshire County Council as a lead partner against some actions and in the sections on lead organisations and partners should be removed and covered by the general term `local authorities'.

8155/DC

APPENDIX 2

LOCAL AUTHORITY PARTNERS IN AONBs

North Wessex Downs

Hampshire County Council

Oxfordshire County Council

West Berkshire Council

Wiltshire County Council

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Kennet District Council

North Wiltshire District Council

South Oxfordshire District Council

Swindon Borough Council

Test Valley District Council

Vale of White Horse District Council

Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs

Dorset County Council

Hampshire County Council

Somerset County Council

Wiltshire County Council

East Dorset District Council

New Forest District Council

North Dorset District Council

South Somerset District Council

Salisbury Borough Council

Chichester Harbour

Hampshire County Council

West Sussex County Council

Havant Borough Council

Chichester District Council

East Hampshire

Hampshire County Council

East Hampshire District Council

Winchester City Council

South Hampshire Coast

Hampshire County Council

New Forest District Council

APPENDIX 3

DETAILED COMMENTS ON THE NORTH WESSEX DOWNS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN

1. The Action Plan needs to identify lead partners where this can be done. A brief summary of the roles and responsibilities of the key partner organisations would assist in an understanding of the activities that partners are likely to be undertaking.

2. Specific reference to historic landscape should be added to the paragraph `A landscape imbued with history' (page 9, volume 1).

3. Page 26, volume 1, Vision, should stress the vulnerability rather than the indelibility of the historic fabric.

4. Page 28, volume 1, first threat, add to end of paragraph `...and applied to management objectives.'

5. Page 35, volume 2, should include a reference to the diversified rural economy as a target for advice.

6. Page 38, volume 2, map. Replace reference to South East Tourist Board with `Tourism South East'.

7. Policies RA4 and RA 5 are not addressed in the Action Plan.

8. Page 44, volume 2, policy TR6 needs to include training the provider to sell the benefits of being in the AONB.

9. Action Plan, A33, will be informed by a study currently being undertaken by Tourism South East into branding.

10. Action Plan, A43b, suggests supplying information packs to only 100 tourism providers. Why not all of them?

11. Action Plan, A64, should include the Chambers of Commerce.

12. Page 11, Biodiversity, should set out a policy for research into climate change impacts.

13. Page 12, IU14, should refer to future viable land use options.

14. Page 20, refer to planning agreements as well as planning conditions.

15. Pages 24 and 33 should refer to the two Regional Delivery Plans for Sustainable Farming and Food.

16. Page 34, SRE11, should include a reference to high-speed internet connections needing to be affordable- the costs for this in rural areas is very high.

17. The issue of livestock grazing as a management tool is becoming more complex as the extensive, species rich grassland is becoming less attractive to graziers. In establishing the information set out in Action A19, account must be taken of the continuing decline in the sector.

APPENDIX 4

DETAILED COMMENTS ON THE CHICHESTER HARBOUR AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN

1. Section 4: Nature Conservation. The section is strongly focused on special habitats and species, at the expense of biodiversity. The relationship between biodiversity, farming, disturbance and other land and water uses should be brought out. Policy NC2, will be difficult to achieve, given the threats of sea level rise and coastal squeeze. Change to: `To respond to the threat to habitats and species from the effects of climate change, sea level rise and coastal squeeze and seek to minimise their impacts.'

2. Section 5: Farming and the Farmed Landscape. The entry level scheme is in its pilot stage and may change before it is launched. It would be preferable to state that `the entry-level scheme will make a fixed per hectare payment to land managers for continuing or implementing basic environmental management measures.' Issue 7 should be reflecting the concern of the cost to land owners of the maintenance of traditional farm buildings where there are no suitable agricultural or alternative uses. Reference in the background and in the actions should be made to integrated whole farm planning, not just to FWAG conservation plans.

3. Section 6: The Historic Environment. An historic landscape assessment would be valuable in understanding the landscape context of the archaeological and historic building resource and the evidence of time depth in the landscape. This will not be achieved solely through the new landscape character assessment, as implied in Action 1. The importance of historic landscape character could be brought out by reference to `a need to identify and record the historic landscape character of the AONB.' Policy HE3 should refer to the recreation and tourism potential, as well as learning.

4. Section 7: Buildings and Development. Policy BD2 is too general in the context of a section on buildings and development. The policy should be to ensure that any development enhances the landscape of the AONB.

5. Sections 12 and 13: Enjoying Chichester Harbour. These sections could be combined. The role of the regional tourist board or its successor should be brought out in both the background and as a leader or partner in the actions.

6. Section 16: Community Involvement. The Conservancy and its partners have a major role to play in the development of Community Strategies. The role of the Local Strategic Partnerships is of increasing importance in relation to the proposed changes in the planning system and the way that areas develop in the future, and this is not addressed.