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Stunning limestone pavements, ancient woodlands, intimate orchards and meadows and an impressive coastline make Arnside & Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty one of England's finest landscapes. The work of the AONB Partnership aims to conserve and enhance this extraordinary place now and for the future.
AONBs welcome Landscapes Review’s call to ‘do more for nature and beauty’
January 15th, 2022
This morning the Government published its response to the Landscapes Review, an independent review led by Julian Glover and published in 2019, and opened a consultation enabling the public to express their views.
Arnside & Silverdale AONB Partnership welcomes the Government’s long-awaited response, particularly the opportunity to reinvigorate the status of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty with new purposes, powers and resources.
However, alongside the National Association for AONBs, we believe the proposals as currently presented fall short of the ambitious, transformational change that Glover and his team envisaged.
The Review recognised the enormous potential and frustrated ambition of the AONB network – 34 designated landscapes, covering 15% of England’s land area – to deliver so much more for nature, climate and people, at this critical time. Despite the chronic underfunding cited in the Landscapes Review, AONB teams are at the forefront of combatting climate change, restoring nature and connecting people with these special places.
John Watkins, Chief Executive of the National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty said:
“AONBs have a proven track record and a unique collaborative approach. Government funding for all 34 AONBs totals around £6m per year, roughly the same as a single medium sized secondary school. An uplift in core funding is essential to secure the financial future for England’s AONBs and an upscaling of their proven work. The only limit on further delivery for nature, climate and people is AONB team capacity. We want Government to use this opportunity to work with us to strengthen AONBs as exemplars of twenty first century designated landscapes.”
Lucy Barron, Arnside & Silverdale AONB Manager said:
“Here in Arnside & Silverdale, the AONB team works with partners, farmers and landowners to conserve and enhance the area. We’re involved in nature recovery projects, including managing a network of wildlife sites across the area, restoring limestone grassland sites for rare butterflies, and bringing wildflowers and pollinators back to our roadside verges. We engage schools, families, volunteers, and communities to help people appreciate and enjoy this special place and advise local authorities on planning to ensure that it remains special.
The Government now has the opportunity to work with AONBs and National Parks across the country to significantly boost the impact of these areas for the good of society and nature. I encourage everyone to get involved in the consultation and make their views on the latest proposals known.”
Get involved
The Government’s response is accompanied by a 12-week consultation to seek views on the Government’s proposals. Arnside & Silverdale AONB Partnership and the National Association for AONBs will be submitting a response and we encourage members of the public to do the same.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks from today, closing on 9th April. This is an opportunity for people to shape how protected landscapes will deliver benefits for people and nature for years to come.
These are national landscapes – have your say and get involved.
