Purpose

Proposed decision
 
Adoption of the
revised High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management
Plan 2024-2029
 
Reason
The Countryside and
Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000 requires
local authorities within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) to act collaboratively to prepare and publish an up-to-date
plan, which ‘formulates their policy for the management of
the area and for the carrying out of their functions in relation to
it’.
 

Background
The
High Weald AONB Management Plan 2024- 2029 has been prepared by the
High Weald AONB Unit and the High Weald AONB Joint Advisory
Committee, a partnership which includes all 15 local authorities
that have land within the High Weald AONB together with community,
environment and land-based sector representatives for, and on
behalf of, the borough and district councils of Tunbridge Wells,
Sevenoaks, Ashford, Tonbridge and Malling, as well as Kent County
Council, and councils across Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex.

 
In
November 2023 all designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in
England and Wales became National Landscapes. This change was
brought about as a result of recommendations published in January
2022 following the Governments Landscapes reviews (National Parks
and AONBs). The new name reflects the national importance of these
protected landscapes and is endorsed by Natural England. The High
Weald National Landscape remains an Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty insofar as all policy, legislation and guidance applies to
the designated landscape. For this reason, the management plan
document is still titled and refers to the High Weald AONB
Management Plan. Reference is made in the document to both the AONB
and the High Weald National Landscape interchangeably. The
statutory purpose of the designated landscape “to conserve
and enhance the natural beauty of the designated landscape”
remains unchanged.
 
The
High Weald AONB Management Plan was originally adopted by the
County Council in April 2004 and set out a 20-year vision for the
AONB. Revisions to the Management Plan were subsequently adopted in
2009, 2014 and 2019. This is the fourth revision.
 

Options
This is
a statutory obligation. 
 
The
decision supports Framing Kent’s Future 2022-2026
which makes specific reference to protecting and enhancing
protected landscapes.
 
The
decision supports Securing
Kent’s Future as adoption of the
plan does not place any additional financial obligations on Kent
County Council.
 
 
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member for Environment, I agree
to:
 
(i)         ADOPT the revised High
Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2024-2029
on behalf of Kent County Council (Appendix 1).
 
(ii)       To DELEGATE
authority to the Corporate Director of Growth, Environment and
Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment
to refresh and/or
make revisions to
the Management Plan as appropriate during the lifetime of the
plan
 
(iii)      To DELEGATE authority to
the Corporate Growth, Environment and Transport to take relevant
actions, including but not limited to finalising the terms of, and
entering into required contract or other legal agreements, as
necessary to implement the decision
.