Tamar Valley AONB Planning Information

The Tamar Valley Area of The Tamar Valley AONB The Statutory Background Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership to AONBs (AONB) The Tamar Valley AONB Partnership was formed Purposes of the AONB designation: as a response to the Government’s renewed The Tamar Valley AONB is located in the South commitment to the management of protected ■■ The primary purpose of the AONB West of England on the border of and landscapes following the Countryside and Rights designation is to conserve and enhance and encompasses the lower valleys of of Way (CRoW) Act 2000. natural beauty three Westcountry Rivers, the Tamar, Tavy and ■■ In pursuing the primary purpose, account Lynher, joining together at Sound. It The Partnership at present is made up of 27 should be taken of the needs of agriculture, borders National Park to the east and organisations, representative of the funding forestry and other rural industries, and of the economic and social need of local lies just north of the conurbation of Plymouth. partners and those organisations with an interest communities. Particular regard should be in the management of the landscape. The The designated area is split into two parts – the paid to promoting sustainable forms of Partnership meets three times a year to improve social and economic development that Tamar-Tavy area and the Lynher area. The former the co-ordinated management of the AONB in themselves conserve and enhance the extends north from the broad estuary at landscape, through effective joint working. environment Plymouth to the intricate, deeply incised river ■■ Recreation is an objective of the designation, meanders just below Launceston and . Its primary purpose is to implement the but the demand for recreation should be The Lynher is an estuarine area extending west Management Plan 2009 - 2014 and to ensure met so far as this is consistent with the from and Torpoint to St Germans in that by working together, the Tamar Valley conservation of natural beauty and the needs southeast Cornwall. The area had been AONB will be managed in a way that conserves of agriculture, forestry and other uses. highlighted as a candidate for designation nearly and enhances its unique cultural identity and fifty years ago, yet it took until 1995 for this to outstanding natural beauty for the benefit of CA24 AONB: A guide for partnership members be finally ratified. all the people who live, work and visit the area, now and in the future. The Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000 defines an AONB’s legal status and the The Tamar Valley is one of a family of protected power and duties of the management body. It landscapes, which include AONBs, National sets down: Parks, World Heritage Sites and Biosphere ■■ The primary statutory purpose of an AONB to Reserves. All of these designations exist and conserve and enhance the natural beauty of work together in the South West of England. the landscape (section 82); ■■ The powers of the local authorities to take

View of the at © B Gamble

Tamar Valley AONB Planning Information Last updated September 2012 action to conserve (section 84); This demonstrates that the Areas of Outstanding ■■ The statutory duty on all public bodies to Planning Guidance Natural Beauty are nationally protected ‘have regard to the purpose of designation’ landscapes with the same status as National The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (section 85), and Parks with protection of the landscape and has a positive approach to protecting valued ■■ The statutory duty to produce and review a scenic beauty being awarded the ‘highest prior- landscapes. Management Plan for the area (section 89). ity’. NPPF paragraph 115 states that: “Great weight should be given to conserving The CRoW Act 2000 – Section 85 landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, The relevant authorities are required to take the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural account of the statutory purposes of the AONB Beauty, which have the highest status of to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of protection in relation to landscape and scenic the landscape when coming to decisions or beauty. The conservation of wildlife and cultural carrying out their activities relating to or heritage are important considerations in all affecting land within the AONB. It recognises these areas, and should be given great weight in that a wide range of bodies have a direct National Parks and the Broads.” influence over the future of these protected landscapes in terms of policy, programme and It is reaffirmed in para 116 that: project implementation, casework decisions, “Planning permission should be refused for land ownership and management. major developments in these designated areas except in exceptional circumstances and where it can be demonstrated they are in the public interest.

Consideration of such applications should in- clude an assessment of: ■■ The need for the development, including in terms of any national considerations, and the impact of permitting it, or refusing it, upon the local economy; ■■ The cost of, and scope for, developing elsewhere outside the designated area, or meeting the need for it in some other way; ■■ Any detrimental effect on the environment, the landscape and recreational opportunities and the extent to which that could be moderated.”

Tunnel to River Tamar © B Gamble Devon Great Consol © B Gamble

Tamar Valley AONB Planning Information Last updated September 2012 Tamar Valley AONB Commenting on Planning Involvement in New Management Plan Applications Development Plan

The Tamar Valley AONB Management Plan 2009 The AONB is not in itself a planning authority, Document Policies -2014, provides the overall strategic approach however, it does have a role in monitoring their The AONB Staff team engages with the Local to the management needs and guidlines of the activities and ensuring consistent practices and policies are applied to the AONB area. A Planning Authorities on the preparation of the AONB. It was adopted by Cornwall Council and planning protocol has been agreed between emerging Local Development Framework in is available to download from, local authorities and liaison meetings are held order to ensure the appropriate level of protec- www.tamarvalley.org.uk/howwework and between planning officers. Comments are tion for the natural beauty of the Tamar Valley The Plan’s approach to planning and submitted on applications where there is seen to AONB. development in the AONB is to: be a landscape conflict. In the future, the AONB will become more directly involved in setting If you require further information on our ■■ Work with the local planning authorities to planning policy in local development plans. involvement in planning, please contact: ensure the highest levels of performance in the AONB, ensuring wide recognition of the Planning is the statutory instrument that AONBs planning protocol. possess which can really influence their fabric. ■■ Ensure that the planning system works in a Planning needs to be used constructively and positive way to enhance the AONB as well as positively to reinforce the landscape. In the Tamar Valley Centre to protect it. Tamar Valley, where the river forms a political Cemetery Road ■■ Monitor the changes in the planning system boundary, it is vital that consistent approaches Drakewalls and within the proposed local area plans to are taken on both banks and that landscape impacts are considered. This has not always Gunnislake ensure that the AONB’s interests are met. happened and particularly shows how easily Cornwall ■■ Work with the planning authorities to create planning decisions made in one planning PL18 9FE new■guidance in areas which can help authority can influence another. Examples conserve the landscape. include the influence of Tamerton Foliot on Bere t: 01822 835030 Ferrers, ’s appearance from Hingston e: [email protected] It has been recognised that those elements of Down and building along the ridge at St Ann’s w: www.tamarvalley.org.uk the Management Plan that supplement and Chapel, visible from all around. support the policies set out in the development plan, may be taken as material considerations in determining a planning application. This position is supported in the Planning Inspector’s decision on a number of recent appeals. Accordingly, when the Management Plan was reviewed careful consideration was given to how the Management Plan complements and supports the development plan policies. Bedford Square, Tavistock © B Gamble

Tamar Valley AONB Planning Information Last updated September 2012