Update on our management plan review
The last few years have been a big period of change for protected landscapes, partly in response to the 2019 Glover review but also in the context of the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis – both of which have led to significant changes in environmental law and a shift in priorities for the government on both national and local levels.
These changes led the government to publish new environmental targets for protected landscapes to achieve through their management plans, alongside new guidance on how those plans should be prepared and what they should consider.
As a result, government has allowed us to extend our current management plan by a year. This gives us more time to review and account for all the recent changes.
It is a legal requirement that protected landscapes in England prepare a management plan. We must keep the plan relevant and up to date, review it regularly, and, if necessary, make appropriate changes. We do this, in partnership with all our stakeholders, every five years.
The Chilterns AONB Management Plan 2019-2024: Caring for the Chilterns forever and for everyone, is a document we prepared and approved five years ago. The plan provides information, advice, and guidance on how the Chilterns landscape can be conserved and enhanced, and how we can promote the understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities while supporting local economies and the health and well-being of residents and visitors.
The stakeholders we prepared the plan with range from national environmental organisations and local authorities to community organisations and individual landowners and farmers. Many of them endorsed the plan and committed to help deliver its objectives.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved since our last management plan, and extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to its success.
By the end of March 2024, we will submit a short paper to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) demonstrating how we are going to review our management plan over the coming months. Once submitted, we will inform our stakeholders and partners and publish the paper on our website.
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