The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Strategic Plan

Transcription

1 The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Strategic Plan Registered Office Fosse Way Northleach Gloucestershire GL54 3JH Phone tbc Company number

2 Contents Chairman s Foreword Executive Summary The National Association for AONBs Strategic Plan Background Introduction Purpose of this document Achievements to date Focus and Future Direction Our Vision and Mission Vision Mission Statement AONB Family Objectives NAAONB Objectives Governance and Delivery In Conclusion

3 Chairman s Foreword Welcome to the new strategic plan for the National Association for AONBs. It reflects on our substantial achievements since 2008 and the dedication and hard work of our staff and the AONB Family as a whole. We will have significant challenges ahead, but I feel that we are well placed, especially as we are closer to Government than ever before, to harness the strength of our Local Partnerships within the AONB Family to meet these challenges. This Strategic Plan sets out a clear set of objectives and a pathway for the National Association for AONBs to follow in order to conserve and enhancing the natural beauty of our countryside. As Chairman, it has been a privilege to be part of this process. Cllr Peter Stevens, Chairman of the National Association for AONBs September

4 1.0 Executive Summary Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are distinctive landscapes of outstanding quality and value. They are designated in recognition of their national importance and to provide a mechanism to ensure their character and qualities are protected. They are living and working environments which have a special relevance for those who use them and the many to whom they mean so much. The compelling sense of identity associated with Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty make these areas powerful symbols of our national pride; places of motivation, inheritance, excitement, pleasure and profit. The AONB designation provides a nationally recognised model for protecting these landscapes, achieving important outcomes for society, the economy and the wider environment. AONBs are strategic national assets. The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) is an incorporated controlled company limited by guarantee formed in December The NAAONB has established itself as the voice of the AONB partnerships 1 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and, in doing so, represents those involved in the planning and management of 8000 square miles of the UK s finest landscapes. Our vision The natural beauty of our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is valued and secure, the communities within and adjacent to them are thriving, and the relationship between people and these nationally important places is understood and supported at all levels. This Strategic Plan and the associated Business Plan ( ) supersedes the current Business Plan ( ) which looked to sustain the high profile and progress the NAAONB had achieved since its creation. Whilst it could be argued that the financial environment is no more certain than it was then, the scientific and political environments have changed. The challenge faced by the NAAONB is to adapt to these changes and help position the AONB partnerships to ensure they are best placed to deliver on their purpose to conserve and enhance natural beauty. Without doubt, the main strength of the AONB partnerships lies in their collective voice - the voice of the AONB Family 2. It is the role of the NAAONB to help strengthen that voice, clarify its messages, and ensure that it is heard in the right places at the right time with the right effect. It is also vitally important that the collective strength and value of the AONB partnerships to their sponsoring bodies is fully realised. Central to strengthening this voice has been our coming together around a set of national AONB Family objectives. The objectives of the NAAONB reflect our need to take action at the national level to ensure each AONB partnership can deliver its objectives locally. Additionally the NAAONB must work hard to ensure that the risks associated with working collectively are managed effectively. 1 AONB partnership includes any management Partnership, Conservation Board, Joint Advisory Committee or Joint Committee. 2 The AONB Family is the embodiment of the AONBs working together to achieve shared objectives. The NAAONB is the corporate body, comprising members from the AONB Family, local authorities and beyond. 4

5 For the next four years we will work to the following objectives NAAONB Objectives Support policies for conserving and enhancing natural beauty Develop an understanding of AONBs and the issues they face Improve the way in which AONB partnerships and the NAAONB work together Secure and manage resources In addition to the strength of the AONB Family s collective voice is its strength as a network. Harnessing the wealth of collective experience, enthusiasm and skills that exist within each AONB Unit and Partnership is a key role for the NAAONB. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are part of a wider network of Protected Landscapes. In the UK these include National Parks and National Scenic Areas. The potential for greater collaboration across this wider network, and closer working between the bodies that represent these designations nationally is significant. The NAAONB will actively pursue the potential for a collaborative and fully joined up approach to protected landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Additionally the NAAONB will focus on identifying and supporting opportunities for cross-boundary working at the local level, allowing key achievements within an AONB to permeate into the wider environment. Without doubt the future presents us with opportunities. The NAAONB is closer to government than ever before. We have a clear opportunity to strengthen the influence of AONB partnerships in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and sustain the high profile and progress the NAAONB has achieved since its creation in To achieve this, however, we must work more closely as a true association of members. Our programme of key actions, set out under distinct workstreams, to deliver specific national objectives outline exactly how we will help achieve our vision; that the natural beauty of our AONBs is valued and secure, the communities within and adjacent to them are thriving, and the relationship between people and these nationally important places is understood and supported at all levels. 5

6 2.0 The National Association for AONBs Strategic Plan Background The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) is a voluntary body whose membership includes all the AONB partnerships in England and Wales, as well as many of the local authorities with statutory responsibility for AONBs, the Trust which manages three of the AONBs in Northern Ireland, as well as a number of voluntary bodies and individuals with an interest in the future of these iconic landscapes. It was formed as an incorporated body in December Its creation was the result of efforts by officers responsible for a number of AONBs who believed it was essential to raise the public and political profile of AONBs if the long term objectives of designation were to be achieved. The NAAONB has now established itself as the voice of the AONB partnerships in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and, in doing so, represents those involved in the planning and management of 8000 square miles of the UK s finest landscapes. 2.2 Introduction Since the current business plan ( ) was written there have been a number of significant changes to the scientific, political, and fiscal environments within which AONB partnerships operate. These include Greater emphasis on delivering ecosystem services The publication of the Natural Environment White Paper in England and the emerging Natural Environment Framework in Wales Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework in England and planning policy in Wales Wider interest in food and energy security Acceptance of the need to factor climate change resilience into decision making Increased recognition of the value of a landscape approach Increased devolution for Wales and Northern Ireland Loss of regional structures in England A move towards increased localism in England A change in sponsorship arrangements Greater political profile for AONBs and the NAAONB It is therefore a function of this plan to clearly identify the role that the NAAONB will play in supporting the AONB Family to achieve its purpose within this new context. The activity of the NAAONB has historically covered 5 areas, each of which includes a national, regional, and local component: Governance, administration, and funding Advocacy, influencing, and leadership Learning, exchange, and technical support Communication Collaborative projects 6

7 These headings and, importantly, the spatial nature of their delivery have been reviewed as part of the strategic planning process. 2.3 Purpose of this document This plan sets the direction for the NAAONB over the next four years. More specifically it Reflects on past achievements Outlines our future activities within the context of the needs of our membership Gives clarity to partners Provides the basis for our annual work plan Provides a platform for dialogue with funders 2.4 Achievements to date Since establishment, the NAAONB and its forerunner, the AAONB have Represented the AONB family at o Meetings with Defra ministers o Meetings with Welsh Assembly / Government Ministers o Meetings with NI Legislative Assembly Ministers, o Over 30 All-Party Parliamentary Group meetings Lobbied successfully for inclusion of AONBs in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, resulting in the first new legislation for AONBs in 50 years leading to more financial stability for AONB partnerships, a more robust management planning framework, a duty of regard and the ability to establish Conservation Boards, Created and maintained close working relationships with the Countryside Agency/Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales resulting in 75% core funding settlements in England and Wales in 2001, and a rolling 3 year single pot funding arrangement in 2008 Lobbied successfully for the Sustainable Development Fund to be extended to AONBs resulting in funding of 19.2m for AONB projects Created and maintained a close working relationship with Defra playing a key role in developing the NAAONB / NE / Defra tripartite relationship including direct AONB sponsorship Held 10 national annual conferences (including Annual General Meetings) with over 1600 delegate attendances Responded to over 107 national policy consultations on behalf of the AONB Family Organised 74 training days, attended by over 2190 staff and elected members Produced a bilingual AONB Partnership Member and Staff Induction Pack in conjunction with the Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales 7

8 Developed and improved communications between organisations such as CADW/English Heritage, the Forestry Commission, the Mobile Phone Operators Association, Ofgem with regular meetings leading to formal accords or influencing of Protected Areas policy Developed and improved a close working relationship with the Campaign for National Parks (CNP), The English National Park Authorities Association (ENPAA), National Parks Wales, Europarc Atlantic Isles (EAI) and UK Association of National Park Authorities (UKANPA), especially jointly working with UKANPA on the Countryside Agency s Protected Areas Awareness Campaign (2002) and with CNP, ENPAA and UKANPA on the 60 th Anniversary of the 1949 National Parks and Access to Countryside Act (2009). Developed and improved communications between the staff and members of AONB Family with 44 editions of e-news - AONB News, Briefing Notes (CRoW Act 2000, Rural White Paper, post-election), Position Statements, producing a PR strategy and leading on the Family celebrations for the 50 th Anniversary of the first AONB designation and its associated website Initiated, developed and implemented a new AONB Family brand in close consultation with members, lead officers and communications officers Developed and improved communication with external audiences with biannual production of publications Explore your Natural Beauty, Outstanding, AONB E-News; attendance at events Game Fair, Outdoors Show, Local Government Association conferences Advised the IUCN UK Committee on behalf of the AONB Family on the Category V definition debate This has been augmented by the collaborative work of the Regional Co-ordinators in the South East and South West which Represented the SE and SW protected landscapes on various regional fora, and raised the profile of AONB partnerships through direct contact, in the South East, with parliamentarians. Established landscape management as a core priority for the south west region and helped place protected landscapes at the heart of delivering large scale and integrated environmental and cultural programmes including The Protected Landscapes Prospectus (2004), RSS policy frame (2007) SW Management Plan database (2006, update 2009) South West Protected Landscapes (SWPL) Commitments document and launch (2009) and SW Environment Network priorities (2010). Developed a framework and culture that supports and encourages joint working across protected landscapes. Demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of large scale co-operation including Woodfuel Initiative with RDA/FC and Centre for Alternative Energy, 1SW Off Road Cycling initiative with FC/RDPE, Equestrian guidance with FWAG/BHS, Coordination groups for Planning, Communication and data as well as a successful 3.5m bid for INTERREG IVa funding to develop knowledge exchange to

9 Secured funding for delivery of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Sustainable Tourism in the South East s Finest Landscapes securing over 1 million from RDPE funds a. Ensured protected landscapes are engaged with and communicate with the key national agencies and regional players including Natural England, engaging protected landscapes with regional groupings including Biodiversity SW, Forestry Commission, Forestry Implementation Group, GOSE, SW Environment Network, Outdoors for All Network, SW Landscapes Partnership, SEEDA, SEFS, English Heritage Conservation Officers Group, SW Tourism Groups. Collated and developed joint action plans. South East Regional Briefings. Developed of regional training days covering a range of subjects. Developed a GIS database for the South East and East Protected Landscapes Forum (SEEPL) that draws together datasets for each of the AONBs and National Parks. In summary the work of the NAAONB and Regional Protected Landscape fora has been effective and significant. The intention of this strategic plan is to define the direction for the NAAONB ensuring it continues to evolve positively, building on past successes and delivering more for the AONB Family. 3.0 Focus and Future Direction The challenges and opportunities for the NAAONB are distinctly different, but connected, to those facing the wider AONB Family. It is the role of the NAAONB is to develop a work programme that will enable the AONB partnerships to deliver on their objectives. The NAAONB has a vital role in ensuring that the AONB Family is widely recognised for helping to deliver current priorities, and that it can attract the resources to do so in the face of ongoing financial pressures within national and local government and for wider partners. The NAAONB must remain aware of the issues facing the AONB Family, identify where it is most appropriate and effective to support, define this support and, in common with any other third sector organisation, plan, resource and implement its delivery in a way that makes sound business sense. In addition, the NAAONB has to act as a catalyst for change. In order to better achieve our purpose we have to promote the AONB Family as one organisational system, essentially a landscape movement, and in doing so make best use of the opportunities afforded by a set of clear family objectives and a cohesive brand identity. In addition to providing a degree of national leadership and direction the NAAONB must maintain a wide strategic and forward-looking overview. This will ensure we are well positioned to influence the future for the AONB Family. 9

10 4.0 Our Vision and Mission 4.1 Vision The natural beauty of our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is recognised, valued and secure, the communities within and adjacent to them are thriving, and the positive relationship between people and these nationally important places is understood and supported at all levels. We will achieve this by being An influential, trusted organisation that is seen as a unified voice for the AONB Family An organisation that harnesses the collective experience, enthusiasm and goodwill of the AONB Family and uses it to further the mutual objectives we share with our sponsoring and funding partners. An organisation that brings the AONB Family together as a cohesive entity providing leadership and strategic direction An organisation that celebrates the unique identity of its individual members An organisation that works with others to achieve shared objectives 4.2 Mission Statement Everything we do is inspired by our mission to support the AONB Family in the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty 4.3 AONB Family Objectives The purpose of AONB designation is the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty. Many different organisations and individuals contribute to fulfilling this purpose, alongside the staff teams dedicated to each AONB. Though the detailed activity of each AONB team varies according to local circumstances, collectively the AONB Family has identified four common objectives 1. Conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the UK s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, ensuring they can meet the challenges of the future 2. Support the economic and social well-being of local communities in ways which contribute to the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty 3. Promote public understanding and enjoyment of the nature and culture of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and encourage people to take action for their conservation 4. Value, sustain, and promote the benefits that the UK s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty provide for society, including clean air and water, food, carbon storage and other services vital to the nation s health and well-being 10

11 These outward facing objectives define clearly what the AONB Family does and are linked to the purpose 3 of AONB designation. The NAAONB works to help the AONB Family achieve these objectives through the delivery of its own national objectives. These are further defined in the business plan. This relationship between AONB Family objectives and those of the NAAONB is reflected in our Vision and Mission Statement. 4.4 NAAONB Objectives 1. Support policies for conserving and enhancing natural beauty This objective encompasses our advocacy work, the action we take to influence decision makers and the work we carry out to provide national leadership, assistance and support. 2. Develop an understanding of AONBs and the issues they face This objective includes the planning and delivery of a national training programme, work to facilitate learning and the exchange of good practice, provision of technical support and advice, encouragement of innovation, commissioning of primary research, and all of our communications work. 3. Improve the way in which AONB partnerships and the NAAONB work together This objective includes our work to develop collaborative projects both within the AONB Family and across the protected landscape network, work to improve governance within the NAAONB, and work to maintain cohesion between the AONB Family and the NAAONB. 4. Secure and manage resources This objective includes raising funds to facilitate the work of the NAAONB, administration and management of the resources available to the NAAONB including its people, taking a national lead on promoting innovative approaches to future resourcing, leading the development of capacity building for fund raising among AONB partnerships, and evaluating the effectiveness of the NAAONB. 3 AONBs: A Policy Statement 1991, CCP356 The primary purpose of designation is to conserve and enhance natural beauty. In pursuing the primary purpose of designation, account should be taken of the needs of agriculture, forestry, and other rural industries and of the economic and social needs of local communities. Particular regard should be paid to promoting sustainable forms of social and economic development that in themselves conserve and enhance the environment. Recreation is not an objective of designation, but the demand for recreation should be met so far as this is consistent with the conservation of natural beauty and the needs of agriculture, forestry and other uses. 11

12 5.0 Governance and Delivery The NAAONB is a corporate body with staff working to a Board elected from its membership. The NAAONB strives to ensure that the Board is clearly identifiable to the membership and partners and has the right balance of skills, knowledge and experience necessary for efficient and effective administration, and that structures, policies and procedures are in place to deliver on our objectives and accomplish the mission of the NAAONB. Membership of the NAAONB falls into two categories; full or associate. Full members are entitled to vote a representative onto the Board of the NAAONB at the AGM at which one third of the Board retires from office. The Board elects its Chair and Vice-Chair. In addition to matters of governance Board members are active in operational delivery, focussing on delivering discrete pieces of work as volunteers associated with their particular portfolio. Increasingly a number of Board members, particularly the Chairman and Vice Chairman have been required to take a greater role in representing the national perspective of AONBs and the NAAONB at events and meetings. The NAAONB draws on the support of the additional resource of the two regional protected landscape officers working in the South East and the South West. It is not the intention of this plan to initiate an expansion of the NAAONB as a corporate body however it does recognise that the support provided by the regional posts has been essential to the NAAONB delivery over the past year. Our intention is to maintain minimum resource requirements at the centre, develop a more formal relationship between the NAAONB and the national resource available through the two regional co-ordinator posts, and strengthen the framework that facilitates member involvement in national delivery. The process of integrating the regional posts with the national framework is underway. With reduced local authority funding to individual partnerships it is clear that options for sharing services and delivering jointly need to be explored. Evidence from the regional posts has demonstrated that this works at a regional level and could be rolled out nationally. The membership has asked that the NAAONB facilitates collaboration work. A number of AONBs are already managing frozen or cut posts and are unable to commit significant staff resources to the work of the NAAONB therefore a core central team working for the NAAONB is essential This plan recognises, however, that the delivery of past business plans has been under resourced, often only succeeding on account of goodwill and voluntary effort by staff. We now recognise that this is unsustainable. This plan has sought to identify and prioritise activity through a series of steps, at all times directly relating the work of the NAAONB to the needs and resource capacity of its membership. It is important that each of the AONB Family and NAAONB objectives is assigned a lead. This lead officer will develop a programme of national work to further the objective. Lead Officers will be supported by a NAAONB Board member whose portfolio will reflect the delivery of an objective, or objectives. This will ensure that the Board of the NAAONB is directly engaged with a national programme of work designed to deliver the set of national objectives that will ensure that we achieve our Vision This plan sets out the framework within which we will deliver our key actions. It also highlights the mechanisms by which they will be delivered. It is complemented by the NAAONB Business Plan ( ) which defines the key actions, the resources required for their delivery, the source of these resources, and those responsible for their delivery. 12

13 6.0 In Conclusion AONBs are of great national importance. They are well placed to demonstrate their ability to deliver against government priorities. Awareness and understanding of their contribution amongst wider society and key decision makers will underpin their future. It is important that AONBs continue to receive effective support and stewardship to conserve and enhance their natural beauty in the face of pressures and drivers for change. Managing this change positively will require effective partnerships at many levels. Despite obviously difficult times we are confident that the work of the NAAONB is valued and influential and that we will grow in confidence and influence. By working more with other protected landscapes, the AONB partnerships and units, and our sponsors and funding partners we will help meet the very high objectives for these wonderful landscapes. The NAAONB has an important role in in helping the AONB Family to take advantage of the opportunities and challenges ahead and ensuring that Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England, Wales and Northern Ireland remain just that nationally important, outstanding and beautiful. 13