HL Deb 13 June 2000 vol 613 cc194-5WA
Baroness Lockwood

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they will announce new measures to conserve and enhance areas of outstanding natural beauty. [HL2827]

Lord Whitty

We have announced today that the Government will shortly bring forward amendments to the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill as part of a series of measures to safeguard the status of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and provide for their proper protection and management. The amendments will make provision for the creation of Conservation Boards for individual, larger AONBs where this would benefit their cohesive management and where there is local support for such a move. They will also require the adoption of a Management Plan for each AONB.

The Government have already indicated their support for AONBs through increasing the budget available to them via the Countryside Agency almost threefold over three years (from £2.1 million in 1998–99 to £5.9 million this year). We will continue to ensure that Government funding is available to work alongside local authorities in managing AONBs in partnership.

Baroness Lockwood

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their policy on planning protection for areas of outstanding natural beauty. [HL2828]

Lord Whitty

The Government accept the view put by the then Countryside Commission in Section 4 of their publicationProtecting our finest landscapes: advice to Government (1998), that the landscape qualities of National Parks and Areas of Oustanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are equivalent. Conserving and enhancing the beauty of the landscape are objectives for both types of designation. The Government therefore believe that the protection given to both types of area by the land use planning system should also be equivalent.

The Government's planning policies for AONBs are set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 7: The Countryside—Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development (Revised February 1997). PPG7 states that "The Government regards National Park Designation as conferring the highest status of protection as far as landscape and scenic beauty are concerned." This reflects the National Park Authorities' primary objective to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Parks. It does not mean that the landscape beauty of AONBs is in any way inferior to that of National Parks. AONBS should therefore share the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty.

In relation to major projects, it is the Government's view that, henceforth, the assessment required in paragraph 4.5 of PPG7 in National Parks should also apply to proposals for major development in AONBs. Such proposals should be demonstrated to be in the public interest before being allowed to proceed. Consideration of applications should therefore normally include an assessment of:

  1. (i) the need for the development, in terms of national considerations, and the impact of permitting it or refusing it on the local economy;
  2. (ii) the cost of and scope for developing elsewhere outside the area or meeting the need for it in some other way;
  3. (iii) any detrimental effect on the environment and the landscape, and the extent to which that should be moderated.

The guidance in the preceding paragraph therefore replaces the last two sentences of paragraph 4.8 of PPG7.