Public Document Pack CABINET Members of Cabinet are invited to attend this meeting at South Walks House, South Walks, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1EE to consider the items listed on the following page. Stuart Caundle Head of Paid Service Date: Monday, 4 February 2019 Time: 2.00 pm Venue: Committee Room A & B - South Walks House Members of Committee: G Carr-Jones (Chairman), D Walsh (Vice-Chairman), P Brown, S Jespersen, A Kerby and M Roake USEFUL INFORMATION For more information about this agenda please telephone Sandra Deary 01258 484370 email [email protected] This agenda and reports are also available on the Council’s website at www.dorsetforyou.com/committees/ North Dorset District Council. Members of the public are welcome to attend this meeting with the exception of any items listed in the exempt part of this agenda. Disabled access is available for all of the council’s committee rooms. Hearing loop facilities are available. 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A G E N D A Page No. 1 APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for absence. 2 CODE OF CONDUCT Members are required to comply with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 and the Council’s Code of Conduct regarding disclosable pecuniary and other interests. Check if there is an item of business on this agenda in which the member or other relevant person has a disclosable pecuniary or other disclosable interest Check that the interest has been notified to the Monitoring Officer (in writing) and entered in the Register (if not this must be done within 28 days) Disclose the interest at the meeting (in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct) and in the absence of dispensation to speak and/or vote, withdraw from any consideration of the item where appropriate. If the interest is non-pecuniary you may be able to stay in the room, take part and vote. For further advice please contact Robert Firth, Monitoring Officer, in advance of the meeting. 3 MINUTES To confirm the minutes of the last meeting of Cabinet (previously circulated) as a correct record. 4 URGENT BUSINESS To consider any items of business which the Chair has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be specified in the minutes. 5 ADOPTION OF DORSET AONB MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019-2024 5 - 188 To enable the statutory reviews of the two Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plans (for the Dorset and Cranborne Chase AONBs) to be completed. 6 QUARTER 3 BUSINESS REVIEW REPORT 189 - 260 To set out the Council’s performance across all services. This is broken down into financial performance, key performance indicators and risks on a service by service basis. This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 5 Cabinet 4 February 2019 Adoption of the Dorset and Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plans 2019-2024 For Recommendation To Council Portfolio Holder Cllr David Walsh, Planning Senior Leadership Team Contact: S Hill, Strategic Director Report Author: H Jordan, Corporate Manager, Planning (Community & Policy Development) Statutory Authority Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 Purpose of Report 1 To enable the statutory reviews of the two Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plans (for the Dorset and Cranborne Chase AONBs) to be completed Recommendations 2 That the Dorset AONB Management Plan, included as Appendix 1 of this report, and the Cranborne Chase AONB Management Plan, included as Appendix 2, be adopted Reason for Decision 3 To ensure that the statutory responsibilities in relation to the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are met. Background and Reason Decision Needed 4 North Dorset includes parts of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Dorset AONB and Cranborne Chase AONB. The preparation and review of a Management Plan for each Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a statutory requirement for local authorities. Plans must be reviewed every five years and these are the fourth editions of the management plans for both Areas of Outstanding NaturalPage Beauty. 5 The Plans are the key governance documents for the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, steering the work of the staff teams and partner organisations and helping to support bids for external funding. 5 The revised Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan was approved by the Partnership Board on 15 November 2018 but must be taken to all the constituent local authorities for formal adoption. 6 The review process, originally agreed by the Board in May 2017, has taken twelve months and has included engagement with expert stakeholders, partner organisations, community representatives and members of the public. The process began with a series of workshops with ‘expert review groups’, involving over 50 people, followed by the AONB Forum which was attended largely by parish and town councils and other community groups and partnerships. This was followed by a twelve-week formal consultation period which was widely advertised online and through social media channels. All county and district councillors in the area were directly informed, as were all parish clerks. Copies of the document were available in public libraries and at council offices. 7 During the formal consultation period there were 174 responses to the online questionnaire and 31 detailed responses making around 350 separate points of support, comment or proposed amendment. The responses demonstrated a large degree of support for the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and also included a range of suggested changes many of which have been made to the final draft document. These changes included strengthening the definition of ‘natural beauty’; giving greater emphasis in the Chairman’s foreword to the scale of the challenge of conserving and enhancing this landscape; including a list of key partners in each policy section; and setting out the Partnership’s priorities for action over the lifetime of this management plan. 8 The revised Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan has been through a similar consultation process, with a three-month public consultation period between 1 September and 30 November 2018, and 2,000 individuals or organisations directly notified. Progress was reported to the Partnership Board meeting of 10 December and a final amended version has been circulated to Board members in January for any final amendments. 9 The final plans now need to be adopted by the full Councils of all the local authorities within each Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Implications Corporate Plan The Management Plans contribute towards the Corporate Plan objective of improving quality of life, including enhancing the quality of life of people living and working in the district, and safeguarding and providing opportunities to enjoy the natural and built environment now and in the future. Financial Page 6 The Management Plans have been prepared by the AONB staff teams, which are overseen by Partnership Boards that include member representatives of all the councils. Over 75% of the funding for each staff unit is from Defra: the remainder comes from the local authorities. North Dorset District Council currently contributes £2,286 towards the core costs of the Dorset AONB and £4,092 towards those of the Cranborne Chase AONB. From the 2019/20 financial year, the local authority contributions from within Dorset will come entirely from the new Dorset Council. The plans have the potential to be used as the key support documents for attracting funds for AONB management: the 2014-19 Dorset AONB Management Plan has helped to achieve over £7.5 million value of delivery coordinated by the AONB Partnership to date, and both AONBs have achieved significant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for major landscape-scale projects. Equalities Equalities Impact Assessments have been undertaken during the preparation of the management plans, and amendments made as a result. Environmental The plans set out policies and proposals to protect and enhance the environmental quality of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including their natural beauty, biodiversity and heritage. Economic Development The plans encourage appropriate rural economic development and help to promote the area, which is of benefit for tourism and other rural businesses. Local research has shown the significant economic benefit of the designation, and projects such as the Dorset Food and Drink initiative help to support and promote local businesses. Risk Management (including Health & Safety) Reputational risk if the management plans are not adopted in the required timescale, as preparing and reviewing the management plans is part of the council’s statutory duties. Human Resources The plan has been prepared by the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Teams, which are funded by Defra and the local councils, as referred to above. A member and an officer attend the Partnership Board meetings to represent this Council. Consultation and Engagement The Plans have been subject to public and stakeholder consultation, and their preparation overseen by the Partnership Boards. Appendices Appendix 1 –Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2019- 2024 Appendix 2 – Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2019-2024.