Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Post consultation DRAFT Management Plan 2020-2025 October 2020 Wye Valley AONB Office Hadnock Road Monmouth NP25 3NG Post-consultation DRAFT Wye Valley AONB Management Plan 2020-2025 . Map 1: Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Boundary Post-consultation DRAFT Wye Valley AONB Management Plan 2020-2025 . Foreword Lord Gardiner of Kimble Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biosecurity Lesley Griffiths MS Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Chairperson Wye Valley AONB Joint Advisory Committee Post-consultation DRAFT Wye Valley AONB Management Plan 2020-2025 . Declaration This Management Plan was produced and adopted by the Wye Valley AONB Joint Advisory Committee on behalf of the four local authorities, under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000: (signature) Chairman Wye Valley AONB JAC Councillor (signature) Cabinet Member for Environment, Forest of Dean District Council (signature) Lead Commissioner – Strategic Infrastructure, Gloucestershire County Council Councillor (signature) Cabinet Member, Economic Development and Community Services, Herefordshire Council Councillor (signature) Cabinet Member, MonLife Monmouthshire County Council (signature) Area Manager, Natural England (West Midlands) (signature) Head of South East Wales Operations, Natural Resources Wales Post-consultation DRAFT Wye Valley AONB Management Plan 2020-2025 . CONTENTS Map 1: Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Foreword Declaration Part 1 Context ........................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Purpose of the AONB Management Plan .................................................. 1 1.2 AONB designation ..................................................................................... 2 1.3 What is Natural Beauty? ............................................................................ 4 2. Statement of Significance and Vision ............................................................... 5 2.1 Statement of Significance for the Wye Valley AONB .............................. 5 2.2 The Vision for the Wye Valley AONB ..................................................... 8 3. Managing Change .............................................................................................. 9 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 9 3.2 Forces for Change .................................................................................... 10 3.3 Changes since designation ....................................................................... 16 4. Guiding Principles for the Plan ........................................................................ 18 4.1 Sustainable development ......................................................................... 18 4.2 Natural Capital ......................................................................................... 19 4.3 Ecosystem services .................................................................................. 20 Table 1: Ecosystem Services (MEA, 2005) ................................................... 20 4.4 Landscape approach ................................................................................. 21 4.5 The setting of the AONB ......................................................................... 23 5. Management of the Wye Valley AONB .......................................................... 23 5.1 AONBs in the Wider World .................................................................... 23 5.2 International protected area policy ........................................................... 24 5.3 AONB Family and network ..................................................................... 26 5.4 Responsibility for the AONB ................................................................... 27 5.5 Management and Governance of the Wye Valley AONB ....................... 29 6. Overview of the AONB ................................................................................... 30 6.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 30 6.2 The Landscape Character of the AONB .................................................. 30 Table 2: Wye Valley AONB Landscape Management Zones and Features .. 32 6.3 The State of the AONB Report ................................................................ 40 6.4 Statistics for the AONB ........................................................................... 41 Table 3: Land types in the Wye Valley AONB ............................................. 42 Table 4: Broad Habitat types in the Wye Valley AONB ............................... 42 Table 5: Priority Habitat on English side of AONB ...................................... 43 Table 6: Condition of Priority Habitats in England ....................................... 44 Table 7: AONB land use and cropping in England ........................................ 44 Table 8: Special Qualities of the Wye Valley AONB .................................... 45 Table 9: ACTIVITIES & PRESSURES in the Wye Valley AONB .............. 56 Part 2 Strategy ........................................................................................................ 67 7. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 67 7.1 Themes and aims ...................................................................................... 67 7.2 Structure of the Strategy .......................................................................... 68 7.3 Interpretation of Strategic Objectives ...................................................... 69 Theme 1 ................................................................................................................... 70 Post-consultation DRAFT Wye Valley AONB Management Plan 2020-2025 . 8. Our Unique Landscape – conserved & enhanced ............................................ 70 8.1 Landscape .................................................................................................... 70 8.2 Biodiversity .................................................................................................. 72 8.3 Geodiversity ................................................................................................. 76 8.4 Historic Environment .................................................................................. 77 8.5 Farming ........................................................................................................ 78 8.6 Woodland, Trees and Forestry ..................................................................... 81 Theme 2 ................................................................................................................... 86 9. Development & Transport – planning and protection ..................................... 86 9.1 Development ................................................................................................ 86 9.2 Minerals ....................................................................................................... 90 9.3 Utilities, Public Services and Renewable Energy ........................................ 91 9.4 Transportation .............................................................................................. 93 Theme 3 ................................................................................................................... 96 10 Vital Communities - living & working in the AONB...................................... 96 10.1 Community Development ............................................................................ 96 10.2 Economy and Rural Regeneration ............................................................... 98 Theme 4 ................................................................................................................. 100 11. Enjoying the AONB - sustainable tourism, recreation and appreciation ... 100 11.1 Sustainable Tourism ................................................................................... 100 11.2 Recreation & Access .................................................................................. 103 11.3 Understanding and Appreciation ............................................................... 105 Theme 5 ................................................................................................................. 106 12 Achieving together – effective management of the AONB ........................... 106 12.1 Partnership, Management and Governance ............................................... 106 12.2 A Charter for Residents and Visitors ......................................................... 110 12.3 Five Point Pledge ................................................................................... 112 13. Monitoring & Metrics ................................................................................ 113 Appendix I ............................................................................................................. 115 Joint Advisory Committee ................................................................................. 115 Appendix II ............................................................................................................ 116 Acronyms and