Management Plan 2009 – 2014 USERS GUIDE The Management Plan contains a lot of • Own or manage land within the AONB? Check the information on the Howardian Hills AONB. large map in the folder pocket and the Future Local Management Priorities (Section 2.7). This will tell you It is a complex document, but the following if there are any important wildlife or historical sites on guide gives tips on how to find information: your land, together with suggestions for appropriate conservation management. The Landscape Priorities • Cross references. These are shown in green and for each Management Zone can also be used to guide underlined, in the style of an internet hyperlink. They and support applications to agri-environment schemes indicate where in the Plan more information can be or AONB Grant Funds. found. • Live in the AONB and want to know about • Want to know why the Howardian Hills are important features in your area? Check the large designated as an AONB? Read a summary of their map in the folder pocket – this will tell you if there Special Qualities (Section 2.3.1). These are what the are any important wildlife or historical sites near your Plan is trying to conserve and enhance. village. • Want to get a quick impression of what the Plan • Visiting the area? Check the large map in the folder hopes to achieve (an Executive Summary)? Read pocket, to get an overview of the Rights of Way ‘The Vision’ in Section 2.1 and the Objectives boxes in network and the interesting sites that can be seen the other Sections, to see how the AONB Partnership from it. (N.B. Due to the scale of the map, the routes hopes to achieve its goal. The Objectives and Actions of the paths are only shown approximately. Please use are also summarised in the Action Programme an up-to-date Ordnance Survey map when using the (Section 3.2). Public Rights of Way network). • Interested in one particular subject? Read the relevant individual section of the Management Plan to see the Objectives and Actions. More detailed background information on some topics is contained in the Supplementary Technical Information document on the CD. Copyright Statement The Ordnance Survey mapping shown in this publication is provided by North Yorkshire County Council under license from This publication or any section of it may be reproduced free of charge the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfil its public function to in any format or medium, provided it is reproduced accurately and not publicise local public services. Persons viewing this mapping used in a misleading context. The source of the material must should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they be acknowledged. wish to license Ordnance Survey mapping. Management Plan 2009 – 2014 April 2009 Produced on behalf of: North Yorkshire County Council, Ryedale District Council and Hambleton District Council by: HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB JOINT ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Mews, Wath Court, Hovingham, York. YO62 4NN HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 3 4 HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 FOREWORD It has been a great pleasure to be involved in the during the life of the previous Plan. We need to build on revision of the Management Plan for the Howardian this, to ensure that the special qualities of the AONB are Hills AONB. The AONB is a very special area and is conserved and enhanced for future generations. recognised nationally as one of the finest landscapes in the country. The JAC was set up to provide advice and More communities are now starting to proactively plan FOREWORD co-ordinate action to help look after the area. for their futures. In villages throughout the AONB, all the generations are becoming involved in developing The Plan is of relevance to everybody who lives and Parish Plans. The interest of our younger members of works in the Howardian Hills or who visits the area society is particularly important, as it is they who will for recreation. Most importantly, its recommendations take the Howardian Hills on into the future. It is our duty can only be achieved with everyone’s co-operation and to hand it on to them in a better condition than the one assistance. we inherited. An important tool in achieving this is our Sustainable Development Fund, which has helped with It is appropriate that this Management Plan, like its many exciting projects. These have included help with predecessor in 2004, is again being produced at a time community planning, renewable energy installations in of major change in rural areas. After a period when village halls and support for innovative and sustainable agriculture appeared to need to diversify in order to businesses linked to the special qualities of the AONB. survive, the wheel has turned full circle, as it so often does. The global financial crisis and other factors have On behalf of the Joint Advisory Committee, I would like highlighted the importance of food production and the to thank all those organisations and individuals who issue of food security has risen to the fore again. The have contributed to the production of the Plan. Government has indicated that it wants farmers to I would also like to acknowledge the advice and concentrate on food production, but that this should be financial assistance provided by Natural England. carried out in an environmentally sustainable way. As 80% of the AONB is in agricultural land use, achieving I hope that you will work with us now and on into the that balance will be critical and the AONB Management future to put the Plan into action. Plan will be a vital tool in the process. Another important factor that has emerged since the last Management Plan was written, and which will continue to be a strong influence, is climate change. Its effects, and how we respond in mitigating or adapting Robert Wainwright to them, will increasingly shape the face of the AONB. Chairman From energy crops and wind turbines, to increased Howardian Hills AONB flooding and careful decisions over agricultural inputs, Joint Advisory Committee to potentially the loss of some of our best-loved habitats – climate change may impact in many different ways. March 2009 The previous Management Plan has been a great success and the revised one will allow us to face the challenges of the future with confidence. The high- quality management of the AONB landscape that is carried out by farmers, foresters and other land managers is plain to see. 60% of the AONB area is within the Government’s Environmental Stewardship Scheme, whilst the Joint Advisory Committee has directly grant aided nearly 8km of new hedge planting HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 5 FOREWORD 6 HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 CONTENTS Page Users Guide Inside Front Cover Foreword 5 CONTENTS Part One Introduction 1.1 The Howardian Hills AONB. .11 1.2 The AONB Partnership. .15 1.3 The AONB Management Plan. .17 Part Two Achieving a Vision 2.1 A Vision for a Living Landscape. 21 2.2 A Sustainable Future. 23 2.3 A Rich Heritage. 27 2.3.1 Special Qualities . 29 2.3.2 Natural Environment . .35 2.3.3 Historic Environment. .47 2.4 Living and Working in the Howardian Hills. .55 2.4.1 Local Communities. .57 2.4.2 Agriculture. .63 2.4.3 Forestry and Woodland. .71 2.4.4 Development . .81 2.4.5 Roads, Transport and Traffic Management. 89 2.5 Enjoying the AONB . .95 2.5.1 Recreation, Access and Tourism. 97 2.6 Awareness and Promotion. .107 2.7 Future Local Management Priorities. .111 Part Three Implementation 3.1 Putting the Plan into Action. 129 3.2 The Action Programme . .133 3.3 Monitoring. .153 References . .157 Acknowledgments . .159 The CD and Sites Map are in the folder pocket in the back cover HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 7 CONTENTS 8 HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 INTRODUCTION PART ONE INTRODUCTION The Introduction contains background information on the designation and administration of the Howardian Hills AONB and explains the purpose of the Management Plan HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 9 INTRODUCTION 10 HOWARDIAN HILLS AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN APRIL 2009 1.1 THE HOWARDIAN HILLS AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY The Howardian Hills is one of 49 areas in England, The purpose of designation Wales and Northern Ireland that have been designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). AONBs, Government guidance (2) describes the purpose of together with National Parks and Heritage Coasts, cover designation as follows: some of the most spectacular and unspoilt landscapes in the country. This accolade for the Howardian Hills, as • The primary purpose of designation is to conserve one of England’s finest landscapes, was confirmed by the and enhance natural beauty. Secretary of State for the Environment on 19th October 1987. As one of seven protected landscape areas in • In pursuing the primary purpose of designation, North Yorkshire, the Howardian Hills AONB plays an account should be taken of the needs of agriculture, important role in both local and regional landscape and forestry, other rural industries and of the economic wildlife conservation, as well as in tourism, leisure and and social needs of communities. Particular regard the rural economy. It also takes its place alongside some should be paid to promoting sustainable forms of of the world’s best-known landscapes, such as the USA’s social and economic development that in themselves National Parks and the Amazon Rainforest, as part of the conserve and enhance the environment. International Union for Nature Conservation’s family of Protected Areas.