Management Plan 2009-14

The second statutory Management Plan for the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, was formally approved by Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council in the spring of 2009. The Management Plan’s Vision is that

“the natural beauty of the Shropshire Hills landscape is conserved, enhanced and helped to adapt by sympathetic land management, by co-ordinated action and by sustainable communities; and is valued for its richness of geology, wildlife and heritage, and its contribution to prosperity and wellbeing”.

The AONB designation is not about preventing change, but managing change in a positive way and securing maximum benefit for the area. The Management Plan defines the following strategic priorities to guide action for 2009 to 2014:

Valuing, conserving and enhancing what we have
Conserving the landscape, including habitats and wildlife, heritage, tranquillity and environmental quality, with adequate advice, support and funding.
Ensuring that development is sensitive and appropriate in terms of scale, location and good design.

Keeping the Shropshire Hills countryside thriving
Supporting farming and land management activities which maintain the landscape, developing local supply chains for food, wood and other products, and raising consumer awareness.
Developing the local economy in harmony with the area’s environmental assets.
Helping communities to be sustainable, with appropriate affordable housing and business activity.

Shifting to low carbon
Taking the right action to mitigate climate change – by conserving energy and reducing transport impacts, developing renewables appropriately, and managing land to minimise emissions and optimise carbon storage.

Adapting for the future, working alongside nature
Achieving conservation at a landscape scale – restoring and re-creating habitat networks.
Looking after the ecosystem services which keep us alive – food, water, air, energy, raw materials, soil, etc.
Social and economic adaptation – improving resilience of infrastructure and communities.

Helping people to connect with the AONB
Raising awareness of the AONB and its special qualities, developing sense of place.
Maximising enjoyment and wellbeing, and increasing opportunities for active community involvement.
Supporting relevant learning, skills and training.

The Management Plan is a Plan for the area, and seeks to set out what needs to happen for the purposes of AONB designation to be fulfilled. It is therefore of relevance to anyone whose activity or decisions affect the Shropshire Hills in relation to AONB purposes. It does however have a particular role to guide the activity of partners within the AONB Partnership and of the Partnership’s staff team, and in seeking to influence relevant public spending in the area. Partnership is key to delivery of the Management Plan, and the actions of many people support the AONB, especially farmers, landowners and the local community.

The final version of the new Management Plan can be downloaded below. The complete Management Plan is made up of these three files :

Click here to download the Management Plan main volume (3.9Mb)
Click here to download the State of the AONB Section (2.5Mb)
Click here to download the Management Plan Actions at October 2010 (107Kb)

Public consultation on the draft Plan was carried out from October to the end of December 2008, and a summary of the written comments and responses is in the supporting documents below :

Click here to download the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (917Kb)
Click here to download the Sustainability Appraisal Report (192Kb)
Click here to download the Sustainability Appraisal Non-Technical Summary (52Kb)
Click here to download the Sustainability Appraisal Statement (124Kb)
Click here to download the Appropriate Assessment Baseline Report (240Kb)
Click here to download the Evaluation of 2004-9 Management Plan (50Kb)
Click here to download the Summary of Consultation Responses (57Kb)
Click here to download the Notes from Public Meetings November 2008 (20Kb)