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Much work has already been completed in carrying out the Statutory Review of the Arnside and Silverdale
AONB Management Plan 2004 - 2009. There have been three Executive meetings since July, and the Review
has figured heavily in the agenda of every one of those meetings. There have also been several meetings
of both the Technical Officer Group and the Executive Committee Review sub-group.
Early work has concentrated on establishing the validity of the
vision statements as they stood in the existing Management Plan, and what needed to be changed for
the plan to remain relevant and effective over the five years from 2009 - 2014 and indeed beyond
that as the Visions are intended to look forward over at least twenty years.
The original plan contained an Overall vision statement and eight theme visions.
Since publication of the Plan in 2004, it had become obvious that we had
missed developing Objectives regarding Sustainability and Renewable Energy. In 2005 the Executive
Committee sought to address some of that omission with the adoption of a statemenmt on energy conservation
and renewables. It was clear that the review of the Plan would result in the inclusion of a new section to
set out the AONB wide responce to these important issues.
There was also a recogniton that the original plan had not really devoted
much attention to the imposing seascape of Morecambe Bay. It was felt that the existing Plan was
rather weak in the way it addressed the issues of the coastal and marine management. The AONB incorporates
a large area of inter-tidal habitat and almost a third of the AONB is part of Morecambe Bay and it is now
important that the review takes up this challenge. This is made ever more important by
the progress of the UK Government's Marine Bill which is charting the waters of Parliament at the present
time.
The revised Overall vision is shown below, while lower down,
there is a link that take you to a presentation which sets out all of the adopted visions.
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1. Overall Vision for the Arnside and Silverdale AONB
The Arnside and Silverdale AONB is a distinctive and living landscape,
rich in wildlife. Each element of the intimate landscape mosaic of low limestone hills, woodland,
wetland, pastures, limestone pavements, extensive intertidal mudflats, coastal scenery and
distinctive settlements that characterise the area are conserved, enjoyed and cherished by all who live,
work or visit the Area.
The high quality landscape and wildlife diversity supports and is supported by a vibrant rural
economy and strong diverse local communities.
Forces for change, including the threats posed by climate change, demand for development,
agricultural change and other pressures are sensitively and effectively managed in the AONB,
in ways that integrate the sustainability of local communities with the conservation and enhancement
of this internationally important landscape and its wildlife.
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