19 Jan Role of National Landscapes could be expanded under new proposals
Plans to safeguard England’s protected landscapes for future generations and to boost nature recovery have been set out by Environment Secretary George Eustice.
Proposals to strengthen England’s protected landscapes were announced on Saturday 15th January 2022 when the Government published their response to the Landscapes Review of National Parks and National Landscapes. Strengthened National Landscapes are central to the response that seeks to strengthen purposes, powers and resources for National Landscapes.
The proposals, which are subject to consultation, are set out in the Government’s response to Julian Glover’s independent Landscapes Review (known as the ‘Glover Review’) which looked at whether the protections for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscapes) are still fit for purpose.
The Government’s response sets out ambitious changes to increase access to nature and ensure protected landscapes can deliver more for climate, nature, people and place for the next 70 years and beyond, as we build back greener from the pandemic and level up all parts of the country.
The 12-week consultation also asks for views on proposals to drive nature recovery within our landscapes and support for the communities that live and work within them, such as the design and delivery of new agri-environment schemes and an ambitious management plan for each area.
Roger English South Devon National Landscape Team Manager, welcomed the publication of the response and is pleased to see that protected landscapes are recognised and valued:
“This response to the Glover Review provides a once in a generation opportunity to set the future approach to Protected Landscapes and their management and enable us to address tough challenges, particularly around nature and climate. The vision outlined by Julian Glover and his panel in the Landscapes Review was far reaching, and this response represents good progress in realising that vision. Any expansion of our role would need to be met with an appropriate increase in capacity. There is still lots of detail to work up and we look forward to helping Defra with that during the coming months to ensure that meaningful transformational action is taken at pace.”
The South Devon National Landscape Team will be working with the National Association for National Landscapes to develop a detailed response during the consultation period on behalf of the network of 46 National Landscapes across the UK and the S Devon National Landscape Partnership will also prepare a locally-focused response. Check our social media for updates.
The full Government response and details on how to respond to consultation (which ends on 9th April 2022) can be found here: Gov.uk website
