GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE LEADERSHIP BOARD

AGENDA ITEM NO: 3

DATE: 21 OCTOBER 2016

SUBJECT: LINCOLNSHIRE WOLDS AERA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY

REPORT AUTHOR: PETER WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF PLACES, NLC

EXEMPT REPORT? NO

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Wider Lincolnshire authorities support North Lincolnshire Council in its proposal to undertake a review of current Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) boundaries with a view to extending the AONB further north to the Humber Estuary.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

To enable North Lincolnshire Council to undertake a review of the current Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty boundaries with a view to extending the AONB further north to the Humber Estuary.

SUMMARY

North Lincolnshire is of the opinion that an enlarged AONB would provide greater unity to the wider landscape in the area, enabling the Lincolnshire Wolds (and adjacent landscape areas), to be seen as a single unified entity. This would not only provide additional protection to the important landscapes and cultural practices of Greater Lincolnshire but would also bolster the visitor economy of the area as a whole. Tourism and the natural environment are increasingly important to our economy.

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

Do Nothing.

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1. The Lincolnshire Wolds.

1.1 The Lincolnshire Wolds are a nationally important cherished landscape. They lie in the north-eastern quarter of the county of Lincolnshire and extend into North and North East Lincolnshire. The highest land in eastern England between Kent and The Humber Estuary the Wolds afford fine views to the Pennines in the west, and the coast to the east. They are a living, working landscape, with woodland, grassland and abandoned chalk pits the Wolds provide important habitats for rare flowers and wildlife.

2. Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 2.1 The designation of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and/or, the extension of these areas, is a matter for Natural England. Natural England has discretionary powers to designate AONBs where this is desirable but there is no explicit duty on to do so. Much of the Wolds landscape (558 km² -216 miles²), was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1973 following considerable local campaigning. AONBs are termed “living landscapes” in so far as they have been and continue to be, shaped by human activity. 2.2 AONBs are areas designated for the purpose of conserving and enhancing their natural beauty. This includes landform and geology, plants and animals, landscape features and the rich history of human settlement over the centuries. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are some of our finest landscapes. They are cherished by residents and visitors alike and allow millions of people from all walks of life to understand and connect with nature.

2.3 The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 brought in new duties for conservation boards set up to look after AONBs. These include:  Meeting demands for recreation (without comprising the original purpose);

 safeguarding rural industries and the interests of local communities. The Lincolnshire Wolds AONB Board is long established and has proves successful in promoting, developing and managing the AONB. The AONB designation is a major cultural and heritage asset, the more so set within the context of the Greater Lincolnshire Devolution project.

2.4 The AONB designation means the landscape is some of Britain's finest countryside and since the 1970’s the AONB has played an important role in the development of the tourism economy for the area of the joint authorities. At the time of designation there was little support it to extend north beyond the parish of Caistor. Thus the northern Wold, despite sharing many of the characteristics of landscapes found in the

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AONB, was not included in the designation (the 'Spilsby Crescent' to the south of the AONB was also omitted), the remaining chalk uplands and spring line villages to the north, lie in North Lincolnshire and West Lindsey.

2.5 Things have moved on since the 1970 and North Lincolnshire Council is of the opinion that a review of the AONB boundary would support its contention (and that of local communities), that the landscapes of the northern Wold are:-  of a similar quality to those of the AONB,  express similar land use, other human activity and therefore, seasonal changes in appearance as seen in the existing AONB area , and;  have common cultural and heritage connections with that area; such that the area of the AONB can be reasonably extended further north into North Lincolnshire. 

3. Reasoning 3.1 The Wolds has a strong unity of visual character with open plateau hilltops, sweeping views, strong escarpments, wide grass verges and ridge-top route ways, dramatic wooded slopes and valleys, beech clumps, attractive villages often nestled in hill folds and natural and historic features of great interest including visual remnants of ancient tumuli and deserted/shrunken medieval villages. Together these features result in the cherished landscape of the Wolds for which the AONB was designated. Most of these features are however, also common to the northern Wold with the added feature of historic parkland and extensive woodland straddling the North Lincolnshire boundary with West Lindsey.

3.2 There is now a realisation that the current northern boundary of the AONB is not tenable in so far as it excludes landscapes of the same or similar quality and importance to those currently contained within that boundary. In addition, there is in North Lincolnshire growing support for the AONB designation to be extended.

3.3 The following provide policy support for the review now proposed.

i) The Greater Lincolnshire submission identifies the importance of the visitor economy as a means of accelerating growth in the Greater Lincolnshire Area. In developing the visitor economy greater Lincolnshire will seek to double its value to £2 billion within five years.

ii) The Greater Lincolnshire Economic Partnership recognises the importance of the visitor economy to the area and seeks to work in partnership with public and private sector partners to extend

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the network of visitor attractions across Greater Lincolnshire, building on our diverse heritage and landscape assets.

iii) The proposal by North Lincolnshire is in line with the current 2013 to 2018 Lincolnshire Wolds AONB Management Plan which at PA15 (page 116 - Action Tables) states – "In consultation with all statutory agencies, relevant local planning authorities and local communities, investigate the options of a Lincolnshire Wolds AONB boundary review".

iv) North Lincolnshire Council’s Core Strategy recognises the importance of tourism to the economic and cultural development of its area. Policy CS15 of that strategy seeks to protect and enhance existing tourist provision and to develop sustainable tourism based upon the area’s natural and built assets. Other bodies contributing toward Devolution in Greater Lincolnshire express similar aspirations for tourism development.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

None.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

None.

ANY OTHER IMPLICATIONS

None.

CONSULTATION

No consultation undertaken.

APPENDICES

None.

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BACKGROUND PAPERS

None.

CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THIS REPORT

A report on this item has not been previously considered by the Joint Committee

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