North Pennines National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan

The North Pennines National Landscape partnership is consulting on a draft of the next iteration of the statutory AONB Management Plan, 2026 to 2031. (Note that the legal name of the designation/plan remains Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) despite the rebrand to National Landscapes).

The plan takes the form of a standalone Management Plan website. Though you can jump in anywhere in the plan, you can also read it in a linear way by following the forward arrows at the bottom of each section. This draft plan identifies desired outcomes, and measures that can be taken to support the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty in the North Pennines, and to help people explore, enjoy and understand the landscape.

The consultation questions focus specifically on:

• the Vision for 2040
• a set of Core Principles for the plan
• the Outcomes and Measures for each section/theme

However, you can comment on any aspect of the plan, including the draft Planning and Design Guidelines (there is a link within the document).

Issues addressed include nature recovery, conserving the historic environment, planning and design, conserving landscape character, and public engagement in nature and heritage. After the consultation period, revisions will be made to the draft. It will then be submitted to the councils of Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness for formal adoption; the plan will then, in accordance with the S.89 of the Countryside and Rights Act (2000), formulate the policy of these authorities towards their Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The plan will also be submitted to Natural England and Defra. You can comment on this plan here until 10 February 2026.