All protected landscapes – both National Landscapes and National Parks – are required to prepare and publish every five years a plan setting out their policy for managing the landscape and for carrying out their functions in relation to it. In practice, the plan isn’t just the Board’s plan; it’s an ambitious statement of intent and a call for action from a wide range of partners and stakeholders – including local authorities, landowners and community organisations – to help to take action to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area and promote its understanding and enjoyment by the public.

Management plans for protected landscapes are becoming increasingly important. They are a key reference for environmental organisations seeking funding to undertake conservation and enhancement projects, and for farmers and landowners looking for support for environmental activities under the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme. The plan is also an important ‘material consideration’ for planning decisions, including the preparation of strategic, local, and neighbourhood plans. Critically, since December 2023, it is crucial for all public bodies and ‘statutory undertakers’ (utilities and infrastructure providers) to refer to the management plan in order to demonstrate that they have met the strengthened duty under section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to “seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the area” of the National Landscape. We will be looking for our partners, especially our local authorities, to endorse the plan and to work with us to deliver on its aspiration that the Chilterns will be cared for, forever and for everyone.

The Board has approved a “review” of the previous plan, and a list of changes that it considers need to be made to update the plan and roll it forward to cover the period until 2030. It will take us a few weeks to put these changes into a new plan document, with illustrations and case studies and in a modern style reflecting our new branding from AONB to National Landscape. In the meantime, we will rely on the ‘schedule of amendments’ to the existing plan and an illustrative version of the revised text. Both these documents are published on our management plan page along with other materials, including a report of the review process and statutory environmental assessments.

Watch this space for further news about the management plan and what we, and our partners, are doing to make it happen on the ground.