The LI welcomes the ambitious push to revolutionise how national landscapes can play a role in delivering for people, place and nature
The Landscape Institute today (23 Oct 2019) responded to the final recommendations of the Glover Review of Designated Landscapes.
The independent review, led by writer Julian Glover, calls for new powers, more funding and a greater focus on the environment for our protected landscapes. The LI also sent letters to Secretary of State Theresa Villiers to encourage a robust response and encourage the recommendations of the report.
The LI responded to the initial consultation and are pleased to see many of the recommendations realised in the final report.
The review sets out an ambitious set of 27 proposals to revolutionise how national landscapes can play a role in delivering for people and the environment. The LI welcomes the ambitious push for these places to deliver in terms of nature, climate change mitigation and community engagement.
With AONBs to be included in this delivery strategy we agree with the drive to strengthen and invest in these often-overlooked landscapes. It is important that AONBs and National Parks should enjoy equal protection.
The report has recommendations on these issues amongst others.
- reforming National Park governance, appointing Boards that are smaller, more expert and more representative of wider society
- encouraging a wider range of non-designated protected landscapes
- designated landscapes to lead the response to the climate crisis and decline in biodiversity, and on Nature Recovery Networks
- exploring a potential National Landscape Service to de-fragment and improve efficiency in the landscape protection system
- the use of Environmental Land Management (ELM) plans to work with landowners to develop long-term, landscape-scale strategies to improve natural capital in designated landscapes
- designated landscapes to do more to encourage new visitors, particularly those from minority backgrounds
- increasing public funding for designated landscapes, as well as considering a wider and more innovative range of supplementary funding options
For a detailed analysis and our full response please see the full report.
The LI will continue to work towards ensuring the key recommendations within the report are realised. We hope to meet with the panel soon to discuss the next steps and are anticipating the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ full response.
Further to the suggestion that we should designate some new National Landscapes in hitherto unrecognised areas, how about the following: the Yorkshire Wolds, the Herefordshire borderlands, the Norfolk Brecklands, the Wyre Forest, the uplands of Leicestershire and Rutland (+ Vale of Belvoir), the Essex marshes, the mid-Devon river valleys, the Cheshire sandstone ridge and meres (+ Shropshire ridge and meres), the Northumberland sandstone hills and river valleys (+ Hadrian’s wall)? Amazingly, few of these areas enjoy any coherent protection, and some are genuinely exceptional.