Conserve and enhance

The North Pennines was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) on 7 June 1988. The primary purpose of AONB designation is to ‘conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area’.

In pursuing the primary purpose account should be taken of the needs of agriculture, forestry and other rural industries and of the economic and social needs of local communities. Particular regard should be paid to promoting sustainable forms of social and economic development that in themselves conserve and enhance the environment.

Recreation is not an objective of designation, but the demand for recreation should be met so far as this is consistent with the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty and the needs of agriculture, forestry and other uses.

AONBs are now National Landscapes, important places in our protected landscape family. However the legal designation is still as AONBs.