The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers parts of Crawley Borough and Horsham and Mid Sussex District Councils. Legislation requires local authorities with land in an AONB to prepare and publish an up-to-date plan that ‘formulates their policy for the management of the area and for the carrying out of their functions in relation to it’. Where AONBs cross administrative boundaries, local authorities are required to act jointly to prepare the plan.
In the High Weald, this requirement is delivered through the High Weald Joint Advisory Committee (JAC), a partnership that includes all 15 local authorities covering the area, including the County Council, together with community, environment and land-based sector representatives.
There is also a legal duty that requires adopted and published management plans to be reviewed at intervals of not more than five years. Accordingly, the current High Weald AONB Management Plan 2014-19 will be replaced by a new plan covering the 2019-2024 period. Consultation on a draft plan took place in summer 2018 and the High Weald JAC is recommending that the individual local authorities adopt the new Plan (included as Appendix A to the report) before the end of March 2019.
As a local authority policy document, the Management Plan will guide the County Council’s plan-making and decision-taking by providing an objective, evidence-based tool articulating what matters in terms of AONB purpose and the fulfilment of statutory duties.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Divisions affected: (All Divisions);
Notice of proposed decision first published: 31/01/2019
Decision due: 31 January 2019 by Cabinet Member for Environment
Lead member: Councillor Deborah Urquhart deborah.urquhart@westsussex.gov.uk
Contact: Don Baker, Team Manager, Environment and Heritage Email: don.baker@westsussex.gov.uk Tel: 033 022 26439.
Democratic Services Contact: Judith Shore Tel: 033 022 26052
Background3: A Strong, Safe and Sustainable Place