Agenda and minutes

(NB. In accordance with the County Council’s Constitution, the Chair and Vice-

Chair must be County Councillors)

RESOLVED that Councillors J Mathews and C Chugg be elected Chair and Vice Chair  respectively for the ensuing year.

Minutes of the meeting held on 10 November 2017, attached

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting held on 10 November 2017 be signed as a correct record.  

Items which in the opinion of the Chairman should be considered at the meeting as matters of urgency.

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency.  

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/18/48), attached 

(Councillor A Davis declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of her Membership of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership)

The Committee considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/18/48) on the process of the Review of the Management Plan for the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covering the content of the Plan, the process and timetable in Devon.

Devon had five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) within its boundaries.  Three, North Devon, East Devon and South Devon, were wholly within the county, while two, Blackdown Hills and Tamar Valley, straddled the county boundary with Somerset and Cornwall respectively.

Under the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act, it was a statutory requirement for local authorities to produce Management Plans for their AONBs and undertake a review every five years.  The County Council and other relevant local authorities had delegated the task of undertaking the Management Plan Review to the respective AONB Partnerships and had set out its requirements for this process.  There was to be a ‘light touch’ review pending new policies as a result of leaving the EU, with a 5 -year Management plan containing priority actions and an annual delivery plan.

Members emphasised the need to highlight the wildlife aspects of the Plan within the Biodiversity section, noting that the Partnership worked closely with the Biosphere Partnership in the area.

It was MOVED by Councillor Davis, SECONDED by Councillor Lane, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the process and timetable for undertaking the AONB Management Plan review and consultation be noted;

(b) that the approach to the preparation of and consultation on the Consultation Draft of the Management Plan 2019-2024 for the North Devon AONB be endorsed;

(c) that the final agreement of the detailed content and any outstanding issues for the Consultation Draft be delegated to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment;

(d) that the final version of the new Management Plans be adopted through the Cabinet Member decision process in early 2019.  

12 March, 27 June and 31 October 2019 and 30 April 2020

15 March 2019, 27 June, 31 October 2019 and 30 March 2020

The County Council Calendar of meetings was available on the County Council website:

 http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/mgCalendarMonthView.aspx?GL=1&bcr=1