Natural England

Provision is made for the AONB in the Devon County Structure Plan Third Alteration which states that "in designated National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the preservation and enhancement of the landscape will be given priority over other considerations in the determination of development proposals".
 
Almost all the coastal AONB is defined in the development plan as a coastal preservation area to which strict development controls apply. In addition, protective policies control mineral development which will be opposed unless there are "compelling national or regional needs". The practice of commercial forestry is "to have regard to landscape and nature conservation ... particularly in AONBs" and waste disposal is to be dealt with outside National Parks and AONBs.
 
District council local plans also make reference to AONBs and support structure plan policies.

In 2004, the AONB Unit published an AONB management plan on behalf of it's constituent local authorities.  Both the Hartland and North Devon Heritage Coasts had management plans produced in 1998.

Practical work is focused on a number of key areas including the North Devon Coast Path, the development of Regional Routes such as the Tarka Trail, management of the Estuary, conservation, landscape and interpretative projects. The highly successful Tarka project covers the whole of the AONB area and deals with the issue of sustainable tourism while other organisations such as English Nature are responsible for habitat management of the National Nature Reserve at Braunton Burrows.
 
As part of the interpretive service within the area a wide range of leaflets, pamphlets, guided walks, events and interpretive boards are produced.