Our challenge is to protect the landscape's fundamental beauty, ecology, heritage, natural resources and special character for present and future generations. Yet we must also allow them to continue to evolve to meet the needs of the people who live...

Our work in the region

Sand dunes at Braunton Burrows, North Devon
Our landscapes help define us as a nation and perhaps nowhere is this more demonstrable than in the South West. Here we are working with a number of partners to protect and enhance the region's finest countryside.


AONBs

Natural England's regional Finest Landscapes team provides advice and funding to the region's AONB partnerships, in particular with the production of their Management Plans and the projects that turn the plans into practical action on the ground. We are also supporting the Cotswolds AONB Management Committee to set up a new, independent, management body – a conservation board - to look after the area’s management. 

(The Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 significantly raised the profile of AONBs by making it a statutory responsibility for local authorities and conservation boards to produce Management Plans by March 2004 and to review them every five years thereafter.)

Other work ...

Finest Countryside Learning Network: 
Natural England's Finest Countryside Learning Network houses up to date information on protected landscapes nationally.

South West Protected Landscapes Forum:
The South West Protected Landscapes Forum (SWPLF) is made up of the managers of the region’s two National Parks and 12 AONBs. Under a three year national pilot project (2002–2005), the former Countryside Agency funded the employment of a co-ordinator’s post, and assessed if there are benefits from a co-ordinated approach to information sharing, training, awareness raising and the development of regional policies and programmes.

Regional Partnership Working:
Key regional partners were tasked by the Minister for the Environment to produce a Joint Statement of Intent by March 2003, identifying how they plan to work with Protected Landscapes in delivering rural regeneration in the region. The Statement of Intent Action Plan, July 2003, lists the key actions.