Archived decisions

ADOPTION OF MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR THE NORTH WESSEX DOWNS, EAST HAMPSHIRE, CHICHESTER HARBOUR AND CRANBORNE CHASE AND WEST WILTSHIRE DOWNS AREAS OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are landscapes of national and international importance for which the production and adoption of Management Plans is a statutory duty on the partner local authorities under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act (2000). The CROW Act requires that Management Plans are adopted by 1 April 2004 and reviewed thereafter at five-yearly intervals. Accordingly, draft Management Plans were prepared for the four AONBs that lie within the boundaries of Hampshire, namely North Wessex Downs, East Hampshire, Chichester Harbour and Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs; the East Hampshire Management Plan having been prepared jointly with the Sussex Downs Conservation Board for provision of the whole of the South Downs. The Management Plans were approved for consultation during the later part of 2003 and were revised as a result of this exercise.

A decision for the County Council to adopt them was taken jointly with the Executive Member for Spatial Strategy on 9 March 2004, and endorsed by the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage. The decision supports Aims 1-5 of the Corporate Strategy (Maximising life opportunities, Stewardship of the environment, Achieving economic prosperity, Building strong and safe communities and Improving services). With regard to East Hampshire, the Management Plan was adopted as an interim document pending further work to refine the Plan, and in response to public consultation.