Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report

1. Executive Summary

1.1. The purpose of this report is to approve the adoption of the 2009-2014 Management Plan for the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); it is required for Hampshire County Council to meet its legal requirement. Policies and objectives within the plan will help the County Council meet aims under two of the three Corporate priorities, and also contains measures to help the area adapt to future climate change. The decision will be made jointly by the Executive Members for Environment and for Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs as the plan covers countryside and rights of way as well as wider environmental issues. The report also seeks approval to the County Council being party to the drawing up of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the partners in the North Wessex Downs AONB.

1.2. This paper:

(i) sets out contextual information on Hampshire's AONBs, and the Management Plan process;

(ii) sets out the County Council's financial contributions to the AONB; and

(iii) highlights the impact the previous plan has made on the performance of the County Council; and looks at other key issues.

2. Contextual information

2.1. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty 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. The Government provides up to 75% funding for AONB partnerships, with local authority partners sharing responsibility for the remaining 25%. Natural England has recently announced that AONB funding for the next three years at least has been secured.

2.2. Part IV of the CRoW Act 2000 places a statutory duty on constituent local authorities of AONBs to publish Management Plans and to review them at five yearly intervals. Management Plans were originally prepared in 2004 for a five year period 2004-2009. These plans have undergone a 'light touch' review to update them for 2009-2014.

2.3. The North Wessex Downs AONB Management Plan is required to be with the Secretary of State by 1 September 2009.

2.4. With regard to Hampshire's other AONBs, the decision was made by Hampshire County Council to adopt the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB and the Chichester Harbour AONB Management Plans in March 2009. East Hampshire AONB is part of the proposed South Downs National Park and working on a different timetable.

2.5. Since the adoption of the Management Plans in March 2004, the AONB teams and wider partnerships have been undertaking activities to deliver actions set out in the plans. Delivery against the plans is reviewed and evaluated by the wider partnership annually though Management Plan Reviews and has been satisfactory in the North Wessex Downs.

2.6. Hampshire County Council has been involved in the AONB and Management Plan via:

(i) Member and officer steering of the AONB via the Management Working Group and Council of Partners;

(ii) officer guidance and advice into the Management Plan review;

(iii) steering initial priorities via two workshops;

(iv) officer consultation on the first draft of the revised 2009-2014 Management Plan; and

(v) formal adoption (this part of the process).

3. Finance

3.1. The County Council's contribution to the North Wessex Downs AONB in 2009/10 will be £12,837, and is projected to be £13,200 in 2010/11 for which budgets have been allocated. Natural England contributes 75% of the core costs of the AONB partnership, and Local Authorities the other 25%, on a pro-rata basis depending on the area of the AONB within the boundary of the authority.

3.2. This arrangement is currently set out in a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the partners and Natural England which runs out in March 2010. The MoA will be replaced by a new `Memorandum of Understanding' (MoU) to be agreed by partners before March 2010. This report also seeks Members' approval to the County Council being party to the drawing up of the new MoU.

3.3. These funding arrangements will allow the AONB to implement priority actions within the management plan and to secure resources and match funding. The Sustainable Development Fund, provided by Natural England, also helps fund external bodies to deliver against the plan.

3.4. The current MoA between the partners and Natural England runs out in 2010. It was signed in 2005 to run for a period of five years. Natural England has recently agreed new funding arrangements with the National Association of AONBs which enables AONBs to receive funding on a more stable three yearly basis rather than annually. This arrangement commenced in April 2009 to fit with the start of new management plans. As part of this national review Natural England has requested that all AONB partnership agreements be replaced by new Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) when existing arrangements run out. These MoUs will be subject to review every three years to fit with Natural England's three year funding cycles. Local Authorities will not have to commit funding for more than one year at a time.

4. Performance

4.1. The AONB partnership is a good example of Environment Department Aim 6, "to maintain and enhance effective partnerships to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of our services". There are nine partners - two Counties, four Districts and three Unitary Authorities. The primary purpose of the partnership is to `enhance and protect the natural beauty of the AONB' and to

(i) promote sustainable development and appropriate enjoyment of the AONB;

(ii) promote public and political awareness and support for the AONB both locally and nationally;

(iii) make the AONB relevant to the people who live and work in and around the North Wessex Downs and to visitors to the area; and

(iv) prepare, produce and review the AONB Management Plan on behalf of and with permission from the local authorities within the AONB and for the local authorities to adopt, and to oversee its implementation.

4.2. Hampshire's £12,837 helps the AONB team to draw down around 20 times that amount in other funding sources for core and project costs. The AONB team has also recently won £2.5 million in LEADER funding for the AONB area.

4.3. The 2004-2009 Management Plan was deliberately ambitious to attract funding from a wide variety of external organisations, and it sets out a wide range of objectives and actions for the partnership to deliver against. However, beyond the agreed budget, partners are not committed to deliver additional funding unless there is an opportunity to deliver against their own programmes, priorities and resource availability.

4.4. The AONB partnership has achieved a number of projects over the past five years against the plan, including investigating improved ways of delivering integrated rural advice to land managers under the Defra Rural Pathfinder Project, developing chalk grassland and woodland strategies to help direct funding and enhance biodiversity, a woodland archaeology project and numerous practical projects of environmental, economic and community benefit.

5. Other issues

5.1. Approval to adopt the Management Plan is required from both the Executive Members for Environment and for Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs, as the Plan covers countryside and rights of way as well as wider environmental issues.

5.2. There is a statutory duty on the AONB partnerships to review the plans, although the advice from Natural England is to undertake a `light touch' review only, so as not to divert too many resources away from delivery.

5.3. The North Wessex Downs AONB partnership has chosen to re-structure the Management Plan rather than conduct a `light touch review', which does make the plan easier to use. The initial review of the draft plan by the partnership however showed that there were some areas of weakness. In particular the delivery plan needed some improvement, and some sections needed updating to better reflect achievements of the past five years. The plan has undergone further modification to ensure that these comments have been reflected, and the AONB will also facilitate some subject-specific workshops for partners to help further refine priorities. These will be reflected in the annual Business Plan. With these changes, the Management Plan is considered fit for purpose.

6. Other options considered and rejected

6.1. Option 1: Do not adopt the Management Plan. Rejected as this would leave the County Council in breach of the CRoW Act legislation, and with a high risk of damaging its reputation and leadership in this field.

6.2. Option 2: Further substantial amendment of the Plan. Rejected as substantial amendments are not required by Natural England, and with the modifications recommended by officers, the Plan is considered fit for purpose.

7. Recommendations

7.1. That the 2009-2014 Management Plan for the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty be adopted.

7.2. That the County Council is party to the drawing up of a Memorandum of Understanding with partners in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty before March 2010.

2082Rpt/819/DC/VF

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION:

Links to the Corporate Strategy

Other Significant Links

IMPACT ASSESSMENTS:

1. Equalities Impact Assessment:

1.1. An initial Equalities Impact Assessment Scoping Report has been prepared, and shows that there will be no negative impact of policies on particular groups of people or disadvantaged groups. Some objectives and policies will have a positive impact, eg through aiming to retain services within rural communities, encouraging all groups of people to celebrate and share their cultural heritage, and improving accessibility of rights of way for those with limited mobility or sensory impairments.

2. Impact on Crime and Disorder:

2.1. The proposals have no impact on crime and disorder.

3. Climate Change:

a) How does what is being proposed impact on our carbon footprint / energy consumption?

Climate change has been identified as one of the key forces for change that will affect the AONB in the future, as has the need to affect positive change through more sustainable lifestyles. Policies contained in the plan help to promote sustainability, and none of them will lead to an increase in carbon footprint.

b) How does what is being proposed consider the need to adapt to climate change, and be resilient to its longer term impacts?

Climate change is considered through each of the sections and will be taken into account in the relevant policies and actions.