Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2009 - 14 Foreword Contents This Management Plan takes Introduction .................................................................. 3 forward our vision for the Figure 1 - Cannock Chase AONB ............................ 3 management and Figure 2 - Cannock Chase AONB - conservation of the Cannock regional and national context ................................. 4 Chase AONB into another five years. It builds upon the A Vision for the Future of first Management Plan Cannock Chase AONB ................................................ 7 Cllr Neil Roberts, Vision Statement ......................................................... 8 fulfilling the requirements of Chairman Joint Committee. the Countryside and Rights Management Plan High Level Objectives ............. 8 of Way Act 2000. In reality, we are advancing into A Landscape Character and our second half century since the AONB was People in the AONB .................................................... 9 designated in 1958. We will be building upon a Overview of Cannock Chase AONB ........................ 11 solid history of the efforts of hundreds of people to ensure that Cannock Chase remains a special place. Figure 3 - Local authorities, parishes and town council boundaries ...................................................... 12 The AONB Partnership and its Joint Committee are Figure 4 - Landscape Character Areas for committed to the delivery of this Management Cannock Chase AONB ................................................ 13 Plan. We have signed up to it formally to Overview of All Landscape Key Issues ................... 14 demonstrate that commitment. None of this would Addressing AONB Management .............................. 29 matter if we were not confident that our local Landscape ................................................................ 30 community also endorses the aims and objectives contained here. Our local community has taken a People ........................................................................ 32 full part in the formal review of our previous plan Economy ................................................................... 33 (2004-09) and the drafting of this one. It has been Recreation ................................................................ 34 confirmed that the issues set out here are ones that Support ..................................................................... 35 reflect their concerns and aspirations for the AONB. Delivering AONB Management ................................ 37 As the actions in this Management Plan are rolled out, we will continue to monitor closely, with all Landscape ................................................................. 38 our partners and stakeholders, that we are getting People ........................................................................ 40 the job right and adapting to current times. One of Economy ................................................................... 41 the things that makes Cannock Chase AONB so Recreation ................................................................ 42 special is the strong positive will from all of the Support ..................................................................... 43 Partnership and its supporters that the task in the Management Plan must be achieved. We will relish Appendix 1 .................................................................... 45 this as we continue to deliver in the coming years. Cllr Neil Roberts, Chairman Joint Committee. [See Appendix 1 for details of the Partnership members]. 2 Introduction The Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Partnership, led by a Joint Committee of local Beauty (AONB) is a legal designation under the authorities in whose area the AONB falls. Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW). It places responsibility upon public bodies to “have Cannock Chase is one of 49 designated AONBs in regard to the purpose of conserving and enhancing England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their the natural beauty of the area of outstanding collective qualities, alongside those of National natural beauty”. This task is undertaken by a legally Parks, make up the finest countryside nationally. established partnership, the Cannock Chase AONB Fig. 1 - Cannock Chase AONB Based upon Ordnance Survey material © Crown copyright and database right 2009. All rights reserved. Licence number 100019422 3 Fig. 2 - Cannock Chase AONB - regional and national context Northumberland Causeway Coast Coast Binevenagh Antrim Coast and Glens Newcastle upon Tyne Solway Coast Belfast North Lagan Penrith Pennines Sperrin Valley Strangford Lough Mourne Lecale Ring of Coast Arnside & Howardian Gullion Silverdale Hills Nidderdale Forest of Leeds Bowland Bryniau Clwyd Ynys Môn Clwydian Manchester Anglesey Range Lincolnshire Bangor Wolds Llyn Lleyn Cannock Norfolk Coast Chase Source: Our finest countryside Shropshire England's protected landscapes, Hills Countryside Agency, CA18, 2001 Birmingham Suffolk Coast Malvern Cambridge & Heaths Hills Wye Valley Cotswolds Dedham Vale Gwyr Chilterns Gower Dyffryn Gwy London Cardiff North Kent Downs Bristol Wessex Surrey Downs Hills Mendip Cranborne East High Quantock Hills Chase & Hampshire Weald North Hills West Devon East Blackdown Wiltshire Devon Hills Downs Exeter Chichester Tamar Dorset Sussex Valley Harbour Downs South Isle of Wight Hampshire Cornwall Coast South Devon Isles of Scilly Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Other Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty West Midlands region 0 50km Staffordshire 4 The Cannock Chase AONB Partnership is responsible This Management Plan focuses on the aims, policies for fulfilling the statutory duties under CROW. The and actions for the 2009-14 period. It builds upon Partnership has a duty to prepare and review a everything stated in our previous Management Plan Management Plan at least every five years. and does not therefore repeat some of those data. Members of the Cannock Chase AONB Partnership, Further information in support of the rationale for local communities, local and regional government the Management Plan can also be obtained from organisations and other stakeholders have been the Cannock Chase AONB Partnership. involved in reviewing the progress of the previous Management Plan (2004-09) and the publication of The rest of this Management Plan sets out: this Management Plan (2009-14). 1 our vision The Management Plan is the basis for the strategic 2 the AONB's landscape character and its special direction of the conservation and enhancement of qualities the AONB. It does not stand alone but relates to a 3 addressing AONB management range of national, regional and local strategic 4 delivering AONB management. documents such as the Natural England Strategic Direction, the Regional Spatial Strategy and Local Note: Development Frameworks. Annual Action Plans are In this document, the reference system is set out as drawn from this plan for the implementation of follows. projects. KI = Key Issue As this Management Plan has been developed, the HLO = High Level Objective processes of Strategic Environmental Assessment L = Landscape and Appropriate Assessment have been undertaken. P = People Strategic Environmental Assessment is a E = Economy requirement under the Strategic Environmental R = Recreation Assessment Directive 2001 to ensure that any S = Support negative environmental effects of its implementation have been avoided or mitigated. The Policies, Actions and Monitoring then follow Appropriate Assessment is required under the their themes e.g. Habitats Regulations 1994 where a plan impacts Landscape Policy 1 = LP1; upon a European Site. As there is a Special Area of Economy Action 3 = EA3; Conservation (SAC) within the AONB, this Recreation Monitoring 9 = RM9 assessment has been undertaken. The intent of this Management Plan is to bring about positive environmental effects. 5 6 “what we want” A Vision for the Future of Cannock Chase AONB 7 A Vision for the Future of Cannock Chase AONB Vision Statement By 2029, Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will be an enhanced area of national and international importance in terms of landscape beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage, centred on its heaths and woods. Improved management of both habitat and public access will bring conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and geodiversity and contribute towards a better quality of life both for local communities and visitors. Management Plan High Level Objectives In striving to achieve this vision, the Management HLO 4 Ensure a safe, clean and tranquil Plan will aspire to meet the following high level environment that can contribute to a objectives (HLOs). This is “what we want”. high and sustainable quality of life. HLO 1 Develop the sense of Cannock Chase HLO 5 Support a working landscape where AONB as a special place for everyone prosperity and opportunity increase, who lives in, works within or visits the natural life flourishes and pressure upon area. natural resources is diminished. HLO 2 Conserve and enhance the distinctive HLO 6 Create a place of enjoyment for and nationally important landscape of everyone, providing opportunities for Cannock Chase AONB and the locally, quiet recreation, that contributes nationally and internationally important positively to physical and mental well biodiversity it supports. being. HLO 3 Develop a place valued and understood HLO 7 Maintain and develop a successful by everyone who comes into contact