North Yorkshire Council

 

Executive Report

 

16 December 2025

 

Howardian Hills and Nidderdale National Landscapes Management Plans

 

Report of the Corporate Director – Environment

 

 

2.0       SUMMARY

 

2.1       The report describes the legislative framework within which North Yorkshire Council is reviewing the Howardian Hills National Landscape and Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plans (Appendices A & B); the work done to date by the National Landscape teams and Joint Advisory Committees on the new 2025-2030 Plans; the public consultation process; the analysis of any financial, legal, equalities and climate implications; and recommends that the Management Plans be adopted by the Council.

 

2.2       The Management Plans are statutory documents required to be adopted by North Yorkshire Council for both National Landscapes that exist within our geographical area. As a result, an extensive public consultation exercise has been undertaken, including across key service teams within North Yorkshire Council.

 

3.0       BACKGROUND

 

3.1       The two National Landscapes fall entirely within the boundary of North Yorkshire. The Howardian Hills National Landscape covers 204 km² of rolling hills between the Vale of Pickering and the Vale of York. Nidderdale National Landscape covers 601 km² in the foothills of the Pennines. Both are designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the primary purpose of the designation is to conserve and enhance natural beauty. Each National Landscape Management Plan sets out a vision and a series of objectives for how that area should be managed to deliver this purpose.

 

3.2       North Yorkshire Council hosts both the Howardian Hills and Nidderdale National Landscape teams, whose role involves delivering conservation work and convening other partners. Each National Landscape has a Joint Advisory Committee (JAC), which provides advice and oversight, including advising on the preparation and implementation of a Management Plan for their area.

 

3.3       Membership of the Howardian Hills National Landscape JAC is comprised of two North Yorkshire Councillors (with priority given to elected Members serving electoral divisions within the National Landscape), two local parish council representatives, Natural England, Forestry commission, National Farmers Union, Country Land and Business Association and Ramblers. North Yorkshire Council officers also attend the JAC to support Councillors.

 

3.4       Membership of the Nidderdale National Landscape JAC comprises three North Yorkshire Councillors (with priority given to elected Members serving electoral divisions within the National Landscape), four parish council representatives (elected from parish councils within the National Landscape) and 14 special interest group representatives (providing representation for land management, conservation, community and access groups). Two North Yorkshire Council officers also attend the JAC to support Councillors.

 

3.5       The preparation and review of National Landscape Management Plans is a statutory requirement as set out in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The relevant local authority/authorities have a responsibility to ensure that a current five-year Management Plan is in place. North Yorkshire Council is the relevant local authority for both the Howardian Hills and Nidderdale National Landscapes.

 

3.6       Management Plans are partnership plans. Therefore, it is not a plan just for the National Landscape team that is hosted by North Yorkshire Council, nor just for those organisations who are members of the JAC. Rather, it is a plan for the area and all those groups and organisations that have an interest in the National Landscape. This includes land managers, members of rural communities, third sector bodies, North Yorkshire Council, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Government agencies.  Responsibility for implementing the Plan’s objectives is shared by a broad-based alliance of people and organisations across the National Landscape and beyond.

 

4.0       DRAFT 2025-2030 MANAGEMENT PLANS

 

4.1       The Howardian Hills National Landscape team, with oversight from the JAC, has been developing the new 2025-2030 Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan since spring 2024, in collaboration with a wide stakeholder group. This included discussions at JAC meetings, expert stakeholder workshops, two non-statutory public consultation events and an online public survey advertised via the annual newsletter, issued to all households in the area. The National Landscape team used the outputs of this work to develop the draft Management Plan, and this was reported at the 02 September 2025 JAC before going out to a six-week statutory public consultation which closed on 21 October 2025.

 

4.2       The Nidderdale National Landscape team, with oversight from the JAC, has been developing the new 2025-2030 Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan since spring 2024, in collaboration with a wide stakeholder group and through public consultation. In spring 2024, the JAC considered the issues that the new Management Plan would need to address. During summer 2024, a public survey asked members of the public their views on what is most valuable about the National Landscape and what are the most significant issues. This survey was both online and via a postcard delivered to all households within the National Landscape. Following an evidence-gathering phase, a stakeholder workshop in autumn 2024 brought farmers, landowners, conservation organisations, community representatives and local authority officers and members together to identify the types of action needed to address these issues. The National Landscape team used the output of this workshop and the public consultation to develop the draft objectives for the Plan, which were approved by the JAC in spring 2025 and shared with the Management Plan stakeholder group for comment, prior to completion of the full draft Management Plan in summer 2025.

 

4.3       The draft Management Plans, attached as appendices to this report, follows the nationally accepted structure of describing the National Landscape and the components that make up its natural beauty; identifying the main environmental, economic and social challenges; setting out a vision and a set of high-level strategic objectives to deliver this vision; and explaining the policy context for the Plan and mechanisms by which it will be delivered.

 

4.4       For the Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan, the objectives are grouped into six themes of climate, natural environment, historic environment, built environment, living and working, and visiting. For the Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan, the objectives are grouped into six themes: climate change, nature recovery, living and working, understanding and enjoyment, heritage and historic environment, and landscape. The draft Plans also set out how the National Landscapes will contribute to the national Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework (which describes the overall contribution of conservation action in England’s 44 National Landscape and National Parks to the Government’s Environment Improvement Plan).

 

5.0       CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN AND RESPONSES

 

5.1       Both draft Management Plan documents have been through public consultation. The Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan statutory public consultation ran for six weeks, finishing on 21 October 2025.

 

5.2       The Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan consultation started on 07 August 2025 and closed on 01 October 2025.

 

5.3       Prior to this, an informal stakeholder consultation on the draft Management Plan objectives was carried out. Both were presented to the relevant Area Committee (Skipton and Ripon, and Thirsk and Malton respectively) during the consultation period to allow Committee Members to contribute any comments they may wish to make. The Skipton and Ripon Area Committee agreed to the recommendation that the draft Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan be supported for approval and adoption by the Council following the completion of the period of public consultation. Likewise, the Thirsk and Malton Area Committee signalled their support for the Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan.

 

5.4       Following the consultation period, all comments received by the National Landscape Teams (from organisations and from individual members of the public) have been analysed and the Management Plan document updated.

 

6.0       LEVELLING UP & REGENERATION ACT (LURA) IMPLICATIONS

 

6.1       Section 245 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, introduced a revised duty to ‘seek to further’ the statutory purposes of Protected Landscapes, rather than the previous ‘have regard to’. This duty requires relevant authorities to consider the natural beauty, environmental significance, and biodiversity of these landscapes when making decisions that affect land in the Protected Landscapes.

 

6.2       The definition of Protected Landscapes includes both National Parks and National Landscapes (former AONBs). For North Yorkshire, approximately 50% of our geography is a Protected Landscape and is made up of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, North York Moors National Park, Nidderdale National Landscape, Howardian Hills National Landscape part of the Forrest of Bowland National Landscape and may include the Yorkshire Wolds’, if formerly designated by the Secretary of State.

 

6.3       The duty is intended to facilitate better outcomes for Protected Landscapes, which are in line with their statutory purposes. The duty does not prevent relevant authorities from undertaking their statutory functions and discharging their legal duties and other responsibilities. The duty is intended to complement these requirements by ensuring that the purposes for which Protected Landscapes are designated for are recognised in reaching decisions and undertaking activities that impact these areas.

 

6.4       Consideration of what is reasonable and proportionate in the context of fulfilling the duty is still yet to be fully defined and many local authorities are yet to fully quantify what this new duty means in practice. Ultimately, it is expected that this will be decided by the local authority in collaboration with the Protected Landscapes in our area, but should not prevent delivery of statutory functions or where relevant policy/legislation prevails.

 

7.0       CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES

 

7.1       Both Management Plans will bring together a broad range of partner organisations, including a number of different services from within North Yorkshire Council, to deliver the Plan’s objectives which closely align with the Council’s priorities, in particular thriving places and empowered communities and sustainable and connected places.

 

7.2       Links between Health our Natural Environment and Climate Change are well established; therefore, we recognise the need to try and promote the synergies between our local plan as it develops and the objectives of the Management Plans in support of wider North Yorkshire Council priorities.

 

8.0       ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

 

8.1       Undertaking the review of the Management Plans is a statutory requirement as described above.  Therefore, there are no alternative options available for consideration and North Yorkshire Council must carry out the review.

 

9.0       IMPACT ON OTHER SERVICES/ORGANISATIONS

 

9.1       Successful delivery of the Management Plan objectives will require action by a wide range of organisations in conjunction with farmers, landowners, land managers and local communities across both National Landscapes. This action, however, will be achieved only through a positive, collaborative partnership approach where the different organisations work together to deliver shared outcomes. Different organisations will contribute in different ways in helping to deliver different aspects of each Management Plan and these contributions will vary during the timeframe of the plan.

 

10.0     FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

10.1     North Yorkshire Council hosts the Howardian Hills National Landscape team and the Nidderdale National Landscape team, each of which delivers a programme of conservation works in line with their Management Plan’s objectives and which convene a wider partnership that helps to deliver the Management Plan. National Landscape teams are mainly funded through external funding from Defra, Natural England and other external funding sources. North Yorkshire Council makes a match-funding contribution to the ‘core’ grant provided by Defra, which is a requirement of the grant. In the 25/26 financial year, North Yorkshire Council budgeted to provide funding of £237,700 as part of the overall £1,560,000 grant funding budgeted for both the Howardian Hills National Landscape team and Nidderdale National Landscape team.  The Council’s contribution is part of the overall Council budget; the external funding is confirmed and allocated on an annual basis and spending is adjusted accordingly. There is no additional financial commitment from North Yorkshire Council as a result of approving the Plans.

 

10.2     Objectives in the draft Management Plans seek to deliver various enhancements to both National Landscapes, their local communities, and the ways people can access and enjoy these areas. While some other North Yorkshire Council services are involved in helping to deliver these objectives, there is no specific requirement to increase spending by these services and therefore there are no additional financial implications.

 

11.0     LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

11.1     The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 amended Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to introduce a revised duty on relevant authorities to seek to further the conservation and enhancement of protected landscapes. The legislation now states that: “In exercising or performing any functions in relation to, or so as to affect, land in an area of outstanding natural beauty in England, a relevant authority must seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area of outstanding natural beauty.”

 

11.2     Relevant authorities include North Yorkshire Council and work has been undertaken in partnership with the National Landscapes and National Parks (Protected Landscapes) to consider what this means in principle for both the Protected Landscapes and North Yorkshire Council.

 

11.3     The Management Plan is the statutory document for the National Landscape.

 

12.0     EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

 

12.1     An equality impact screening assessment has been undertaken for both the Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan and the Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan and has concluded that the Plans include multiple objectives that seek to improve services available to the widest range of people who live, work and visit (or seek to visit) the National Landscapes. They do not include any objectives that will have a potential adverse impact on people with any of the protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010 or any of North Yorkshire Council’s additional agreed characteristics. The screening assessments are included with this report (Appendix C).

 

13.0     CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

 

13.1     A climate change impact assessment has been undertaken for both the Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan and Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan and has demonstrated that the Plans will deliver multiple benefits for climate change mitigation, adaptation and the wider environment. They do not include any objectives that will have a negative impact on climate or the environment. The climate change impact assessments are included with this report (Appendix D).

 

14.0     CONCLUSIONS

 

14.1     Reviewing the Howardian Hills National Landscape and Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plans is a statutory requirement. The draft 2025-2030 Plans have been developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders and through an early initial public consultation, followed by formal public consultation on the draft Plans. The Plans sets out a vision and a series of objectives which will help to conserve and enhance the Howardian Hills National Landscape and Nidderdale National Landscape. (Appendices A, B).

 

15.0     REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION

 

15.1     Both Management Plans provide an important mechanism for a wide range of partner organisations, including many North Yorkshire Council services, to work together to deliver environmental, rural community and access enhancements across both National Landscapes.

 

 

 

 

 

16.0	RECOMMENDATIONS
16.1     16.2	That the draft 2025-2030 Howardian Hills Landscape Management Plan be for approved and adopted by the Council.   That the draft 2025-2030 Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan be approved and adopted by the Council.

 

 

APPENDICES:

 

Appendix A - 2025-2030 Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan

Appendix B - 2025-2030 Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan

Appendix C - Equality impact screening assessment for HHNL and NNL Management Plan

Appendix D - Climate change impact assessment for HHNL and NNL Management Plan

 

 

Karl Battersby

Corporate Director – Environment

County Hall

Northallerton

 

Report Authors – Iain Mann, Nidderdale National Landscape Manager, Estelle (Ellie) Hook, Howardian Hills National Landscape Manager, Shaun Berry, Head of Service – Environment and Sustainability

 

Presenter of Report – Shaun Berry, Head of Service – Environment and Sustainability