A NEW AONB IN THE MARCHES? - CPRE Herefordshire

A new AONB in the Marches?Downton GorgeNNRRiver TemeRiver LuggRiver ArrowLeominsterKingtonMap 2 The Mortimer Countrythe richness and variety of habitats in theWest Herefordshire uplands will be evenmore apparent. Natural England has a number of grantschemes at its disposal to help farmersmanage their land in an environmentallyfriendly way. The key one is the HigherLevel Stewardship (HLS) scheme. It is notshown on the Maps, but the BlackMountains is already a HLS Target Area(corresponding quite closely to the 1950earmarked area). The Mortimer Country isnot yet a Target Area, but one mightexpect it to be added if it became part ofan AONB. Both areas are in PriorityCatchment Areas, for the Rivers Wye andLugg respectively, and capital grants tohelp improve water quality are available. When AONBs were first introduced naturalbeauty was the only criterion fordesignation. The cultural or historicimportance of landscape was notacknowledged. Now it is recognised as anaspect of our appreciation of naturalbeauty and is accepted as a relevant factorin AONB designation. Parks and gardensare among the historic features mostintimately connected with the landscape.The relationship is peculiarly important inWest Herefordshire because it was herethat landowners, such as Richard PayneKnight of Downton, took inspiration fromthe beauty of the local landscape todesign parks that incorporated its viewsand features, rather than impose someabstract order upon it. It was an important4

Exploring the case for more Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Herefordshirestage in the development of the‘Picturesque’ movement which led directlyto today’s idea of natural beauty,embodied in the AONB concept. EnglishHeritage now registers historicallyimportant parks and gardens: Maps 2 and3 plot those in West Herefordshire. Theoverlap between these and natureconservation sites is striking. There aremany other locally important parks andgardens not registered or shown here.There are also other sorts of historicfeatures linked to the landscape, mostnotably on this ancient military border,hillforts and castles which for obviousreasons can only be fully appreciated inrelation to their surrounding landscape.Most are protected by English Heritage asAncient Monuments, but are toonumerous to show on these maps. Public access to AONBs is important in itsown right and for the benefit of tourism.Maps 2 and 3 show that there is asubstantial amount of public access landin West Herefordshire. There is also,although not practical to show on thesemaps, a rich network of public footpathsand bridleways, including theHerefordshire Trail. The Offa's DykeNational Trail weaves north-south alongthe West Herefordshire border.What difference will AONBdesignation make?PlanningAONB designation does not create a newplanning regime. Herefordshire Councilwould remain the planning authority for anew AONB, as it would for any other part ofthe county. Its planning policies would coverthe AONB and it would remain responsiblefor deciding planning applications inside theAONB. The law simply requires the Council to“have regard to the purpose of conservingand enhancing the natural beauty” of theAONB when drawing up its policies ordeciding applications, or indeed whencarrying out any other functions in the area.(The same would apply to other publicbodies, including town or parish councilsThe aim is thatcommunity andbusiness life shouldcarry on, change,and grow, within thecontext of protectinga beautiful landscapeand habitat.preparing ‘neighbourhood plans’.) TheGovernment’s new National Planning PolicyFramework says that “great weight shouldbe given to conserving landscape andscenic beauty” in AONBs.In practice, this means that a planningapplication for new development in anAONB should show that it is, so far aspossible, in harmony with its surroundingsby way of location, design and materials.The Council would have considerablediscretion in judging this and balancing itwith other factors such as economic andsocial needs. Only development that wouldbe unavoidably intrusive, such as largescaleindustrial or residential development,is likely to be rejected outright. The aim isthat community and business life shouldcarry on, change, and grow, within thecontext of protecting a beautiful landscapeand habitat.Inside an AONB the ‘permitteddevelopment rights’ for houses are slightlyreduced: the position of extensions and offlues or satellite dishes that can be builtwithout planning permission is morelimited, as are the type and position ofvarious outbuildings and structures.Cladding also needs planning permission.The size of extensions to industrialbuildings and warehouses that can be builtwithout planning permission is also slightlyreduced. There is no reduction in permitteddevelopment rights for farming or forestry.Land managementAONB designation does not add anycompulsory constraints on farming and landmanagement. Rather, farmers and landownersare encouraged to manage land in a wildlifeandlandscape-friendly way, with grants andadvice available to help with this. Each AONBhas a small staff and a ‘management plan’ towork with the local community and targetsuch resources effectively. Designation shouldattract more resources to the area, especiallythe relatively neglected Mortimer Country.Tourism & economic developmentAONB designation can positively stimulateappropriate economic activity, especiallytourism, a critical industry for ruralHerefordshire. AONB status carries prestige: itis a message to potential visitors that here isan exceptionally attractive area. And not justto visitors: it tells incoming businesses thattheir employees, investors and customers willhave a beautiful area close at hand to relax in,even to live in, and that the Council intends tokeep it that way. The economic expansion ofHereford, especially the Enterprise Zone atRotherwas, would be complemented by thedesignation of West Herefordshire as an AONB.In addition AONBs currently have adiscretionary ‘sustainable development fund’to assist local communities and businessesthat help to effect the AONB managementplan.ConservationAs this report reveals, West Herefordshirealready has a wealth of important andinterconnected habitats, although muchremains to be done to assess them fully andclose the gaps. AONB designation would be avaluable opportunity to consolidate and targetresources more effectively on such tasks.Strategically, designation of West Herefordshirewould also enable the development of habitatconnectivity on a much larger scale, byphysically linking the existing designatedareas along the Welsh borders: from the WyeValley AONB in the south, to the BreconBeacons NP to the west, and the ShropshireHills AONB to the north (see Map 1).Designation would also help protect andenhance the wider setting of the historic parks,gardens, and ancient monuments in the area.5

A new AONB in the Marches?Moccas ParkRiver WyeHEREFORDRiver DoreRiver EscleyRiver MonnowRiver OlchonMap 3 The Black Mountains6What shape will a newAONB take?Given the position of West Herefordshire inrelation to existing designated areas, thereare several options for designating it, whetherby one or more new AONBs or by extensionsof the existing areas. CPRE is not at this stageproposing any particular solution.That said, any solution entailing a crossborderEngland-Wales entity must bequestionable, given how its perceivedcomplications have stymied the designationof West Herefordshire in the past – and thatwas before the creation of the WelshDesignation of WestHerefordshire wouldalso enable thedevelopment ofhabitat connectivityon a much larger scale,by physically linkingthe existingdesignated areas.Assembly, with its separate, and increasinglydivergent, planning and local governmentstructures – which would make theestablishment, and subsequent managementof a new entity ever more complicated. Forthis reason, the extension of the BreconBeacons NP to the Black Mountains isprobably unrealistic. Moreover, a NationalPark, unlike an AONB, would take over theplanning powers of Herefordshire Council.Without crossing the Welsh border it would bepossible to create a new Herefordshire-onlyAONB for the Black Mountains and/or theMortimer Country; or extend the existing Wye

Exploring the case for more Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in HerefordshireValley AONB to encompass the BlackMountains, and the Shropshire Hills AONB toencompass the Mortimer Country; or evenextend the Shropshire Hills AONB to includeboth the Black Mountains and the MortimerCountry in what would become a MarchesAONB. In view of the increasingly closecooperation between Herefordshire andShropshire since the abolition of the WestMidlands Regional Assembly, this last optionmight be the most imaginative long-termsolution of all.Each AONB must have a small staff and amanagement plan (currently funded 75:25by Government and the local authority), sothere could be some advantage in spreadingthese costs by extending existing AONBsrather than by creating new separatestructures. However, much of this cost is notfixed but related to the size of the AONB, soany financial saving would be small. In anyevent, even if a separate new AONB werecreated, there would be no bar to sharingstaff and management with existing AONBsif this were considered advantageous. Inpractice the solution will probably bedetermined by whatever best achieves theconservation goals of designation over thewidest area rather than by questions of cost.What next?Natural England is the body responsible fordesignating or extending AONBs, subjectonly to final Government approval. The BlackMountains are already on its informal list ofnearly forty suggestions for new or extendedAONBs in England. The organisation is aboutto embark on another strategic review offuture AONB designations, not due to befinished until 2014, and it is unlikely toinitiate any AONB proposal itself beforethen. However, it has said it would respondto any formal proposal from outside.Town and ParishCouncils too have anincreasing role to playin landscape protection.Their views will carryweight in the questionof AONB or countydesignations.English Heritage is already involved inlandscape protection through its register ofhistoric parks and gardens. The specialrelationship between the ‘Picturesque’ parksand gardens of West Herefordshire and thelandscape that inspired them arguably givesEnglish Heritage an exceptional interest inAONB designation as a means of protectingtheir wider setting. Similar considerationsapply to some other heritage sites, such asthe many hillforts and castles and theirdefensive settings.Herefordshire Council has already impliedinterest in designating the Black Mountainsas an AONB by approving the recentSustainable Communities Act initiative, butit has yet to consider the idea formally, oreven to review its landscape policiesgenerally. In any event, it must soon face adecision about what landscape policies toinclude in its new Local DevelopmentFramework. This will shortly replace thecurrent Unitary Development Plan (UDP)which unfortunately provides littleprotection for the best landscapes. At leastunder the old District Plans (which weresuperseded by the UDP in 2007), much ofthe county, including West Herefordshire,was protected by local designation as ‘Areasof Great Landscape Value’. However, underpressure from central government policy atthe time, the UDP abolished localdesignation, leaving the whole countywithout any landscape designation apartfrom the small areas covered by the existingMalvern Hills and Wye Valley AONBs. And soit remains. The re-introduction of localdesignation, or other area-based policieswith similar effect, could be an interimsolution for West Herefordshire, pendingAONB designation, and possibly a long-termsolution for other Herefordshire landscapes.Town and Parish Councils too have anincreasing role to play in landscapeprotection. Their views will carry weight inthe question of AONB or countydesignations; and if they choose to use theirnew powers under the Localism Act to createneighbourhood plans, they will, likeHerefordshire Council, face a decision aboutwhat if any policies they should introduce toprotect landscapes within their areas. Theyhave a close knowledge of their localenvironments, and of what their residentsvalue most, so are well placed to developmore detailed and targeted policies at parishlevel to complement broader national orcounty designations.The Herefordshire ‘Local Nature Partnership’is a new and valuable forum for promotingnature policies inside the county. It includeskey bodies such as the Herefordshire NatureTrust. Landscape protection falls within itsremit, all the more so now that NaturalEngland is integrating nature and landscapedesignation strategy, so further AONBdesignation could be an early item for itsagenda. Notes7

CPRE fights for a better future for England’sunique, essential and precious countryside.From giving parish councils expert advice onplanning issues, to influencing national andEuropean policies, we work to protect andenhance the countryside. We believe abeautiful, thriving countryside is importantfor everyone, no matter where they live.Nationally, we don’t own land or representany special interests. Our members areunited in their love for England’s landscapesand rural communities, and stand up for thecountryside, so it can continue to sustain,enchant and inspire future generations.For more information, contact us atadmin@cpreherefordshire.org.uk or visitour website at cpreherefordshire.org.ukText Ian Jardin | Maps David Lovelace | © MMXI1 CPRE Herefordshire. The contents of this publication are subject to copyright protection and reproduction in whole or in part, whethermechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior consent of CPRE. All details were correct at the time of going to press but may change at the publisher’s discretion.