Documentary inputs, data and research

A wide range of documents need to be taken account of in drawing up the Plan. If there is a previous or existing Management Plan this is likely to provide the starting point. Otherwise a Statement of Intent or similar document is likely to exist but neither should limit the eventual policies contained in the Plan. All AONBs have a landscape assessment (usually published by the Countryside Agency) which will form the basis for specifying what features of the AONB merit special protection (albeit without devaluing any other part of the Area) and highlight issues or ‘forces for change’ upon the landscape. A landscape

assessment should be regarded as a potentially powerful tool which can be used, for example, as a starting point in consultation exercises, and as a tool for prioritising and targeting. A landscape assessment may need to be critically reviewed in the light of the Countryside Agency’s

‘Landscape Character Assessment Guidance’9_{. It may be necessary to}

commission a new Landscape Character Assessment as part of the management planning process, or this may be one of the actions identified within the Management Plan.

Example 7

The Blackdown Hills AONB was the location of a high profile

consultation exercise in which a variety of techniques were

used.

This began with a series of village meetings each of which started with a ‘blank

sheet of paper’ and was aimed at encouraging local residents

to record their concerns and aspirations. These meetings were followed by a day conference which identified key themes for further

exploration. A third stage included a series of focused ‘topic groups’ which produced recommendations on: agriculture and the environment; community needs; planning and development; and access and movement. The outcome of these were

incorporated into a draft Management Strategy. This was released for a three month consultation period culminating in a second day conference, following which amendments were incorporated by the JAC into a final Plan. The process of local consultation is ongoing and includes an annual conference at which the implementation of the Plan is reviewed.

9. Landscape Character Assessment Guidance, 2001, published by the Countryside Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Many AONBs have subject/thematic plans or guidelines (e.g. on nature conservation, woodland management, transport or tourism) which will provide a first indication of key policy areas the plan needs to address. In addition there may be an ‘Issues Report’ or similar document which will provide a more rounded overview of other factors which need to be considered during the planning process.

In addition to these documents relating specifically to the AONB there will be a wide range of other plans and strategies, ranging from statutory development plans to individual site management plans (see Section 1.3. Relation of AONB Management Plans to other plans and policies on page 22). Information collected through the process of developing a community strategy (which local authorities are required to produce under the Local Government Act 2000) may be particularly valuable. Quantitative data can be of value in a number of different ways:

•

As an input to the management planning process, for example, as

an element of a comprehensive description of landscape character, to assess the level and nature of recreational use, or to evaluate the social and economic character and needs of local communities.

•

As a component of the Plan in the form of statistics, tables or inset

maps (to supplement the description of the AONB or to provide a rationale given for policies).

•

To aid the implementation of the Plan (e.g. to facilitate integration

or relation to development plans, or to meet the needs of AONB partners).

•

As an output from the Plan (e.g. in its own right, or as an input to

AONB promotional and interpretative literature).

•

For monitoring and review, to ‘complete the loop’ of the planning

process (to understand how the landscape is being conserved or enhanced, how its enjoyment by the public has been secured, or how the social and economic well being of local communities has been furthered).

2.3.4. Analysis

Information arising from participation activities and extracted from relevant publications and other documents should be kept carefully, probably in a central location. Results of participation exercises and of responses to consultation procedures need to be summarised as objectively as possible, with numerical analysis where this is

appropriate. Examination of these and of other sources of information will enable the production of:

•

A list of AONB issues (i.e. of topics or themes which are seen as

contentious or problematic) which need to be addressed in the draft Plan.

•

A provisional list of headings or sections under which AONB

policies can be presented (note that this will be related to but is unlikely to be the same as the list of issues).

At this stage outline policy options are likely to emerge. Some objectives (see Section 3 on page 43) are likely to be relatively uncontentious, on others there is likely to be disagreement, and perhaps irreconcilable views. Even where there is a consensus about policy objectives, there may be different ways of achieving these. Sometimes different objectives may be appropriate to different parts of the AONB and different methods may be appropriate to different partners or stakeholders.

Different policies (objectives or methods) may be in conflict with each other, or they may be complementary. The use of techniques such as a compatability matrix may be a useful way of analysing or displaying these interactions. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques may also be useful in analysing. A major task for the steering group will be to decide how differences of opinion over appropriate policies for the AONB or conflicts between policies are to be dealt with and presented in the draft Plan. In order to do this it may be appropriate to call a meeting of the AONB partnership. Often several meetings may be required, with members of the steering committee liaising with stakeholder groups between times, in order to resolve difficult issues.

2.4. Drafting

The outcome of the participation, consultation and information gathering exercise should be an agreed vision for the AONB together with a set of policy objectives for its management which address most if not all of the issues that have been identified. These should be assembled into the first draft Plan which should include a summary of the participation process and who has been involved.

Example 8

The draft Plan is a public

document which should be circulated as widely as possible.

It is probably wise at this stage not to go into too much detail on management methods, particularly where these involve an obligation to action on the part of other AONB partners. Broad agreement on policies can make it easier subsequently to achieve agreement on the actions that are required to implement them. Preliminary technical material including a description of the AONB that may need to be included in the final document can also be omitted at this stage, although as a minimum a summary of this information may help people who have not been involved in plan production.

In document Areas of outstanding natural beauty management plans a guide (Page 41-44)