Agenda item

To consider the adoption of the North Wessex Downs AONB Management Plan for 2014-2019.

The Council considered a report (Agenda Item 17) concerning the adoption of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Management Plan for 2014-2019.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Hilary Cole and seconded by Councillor Paul Bryant:

That the Council:

“adopts the North Wessex Downs AONB Management Plan for 2014-2019 as a partnership document prepared by the North Wessex Downs AONB Council of Partners”.

Councillor Hilary Cole in introducing the item reported that the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) required local authorities to produce management plans for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) within their areas. The North Wessex Downs AONB Partnership (Council of Partners) discharged this obligation on behalf of its nine local authority partners that had a presence in the North Wessex Downs. A Management Plan had to be produced and reviewed at least every five years which would support and complement the West Berkshire Local Plan, setting out a spatial policy framework that reflected national and local issues to ensure the AONB’s natural heritage, landscape and built character were conserved, the local economy was supported and the use of the AONB for recreation was encouraged.

The revised Management Plan for the next five years (2014-2019) had been formally approved by the AONB Council of Partners and each of the constituent local authorities was being recommended to formally adopt the Management Plan prior to submission to the Secretary of State at the end of July 2014. The delivery of the Plan would be monitored by the AONB Partnership through an annual review of the delivery of the AONB Business Plan, and achievements would be reported through the AONB’s Annual Report.

Councillor Cole noted that this constituted a light touch review of the 2009 plan and the majority of changes related to changes to local, regional and national policies such as the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that the document remained fit for purpose.

Councillor Tony Vickers, the Councils representative on the Local Access Forum (LAF), stated that the report was an improvement on previous iterations. He explained that the LAF would be meeting the Council of Partners in the near future to look at opportunities for promoting the area as a short break destination and to consider a co-ordinated marketing plan for the area.

Councillor Royce Longton agreed that this was an excellent document. He did however have concerns about the constraints on wind turbines in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Councillor Alan Law disagreed with Councillor Longton on the need for wind turbines which he felt would blight the countryside. Councillor Anthony Stansfeld concurred with Councillor Law and stated that he did not wish to see the industrial and inefficient structures being erected in the AONB. Councillor Roger Hunneman stated that there were areas in the AONB such as Membury Services where the erection of wind turbines should be acceptable. Councillor Gordon Lundie felt that the Council’s existing policy was flexible enough to permit wind turbines where it was appropriate to do so.

(Councillor Tony Linden left the meeting at 8.15pm and returned at 8.17pm).

Councillor Paul Bryant stated that he would prefer to see zero energy housing being developed which would not spoil the countryside. Councillor Bryant welcomed the document which covered a complicated subject. He noted that this plan complemented the Local Plan and he was pleased to note that it would inform decisions on planning applications. He stated that this was a comprehensive plan that contained a lot of comprehensive guidance and which would help to conserve this valuable asset.

Councillor Hilary Cole thanked Councillor Tony Vickers for his comments but stated that she did not concur with the comments made in support of wind turbines which were inefficient in her opinion. She noted that the plan did however mention a number of other renewable energy sources.

The Motion was put to the meeting and duly RESOLVED.

(Councillors Roger Hunneman and Royce Longton voted against the recommendation).