AONB Management Plan 2025 – 2030
Review of Cannock Chase National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan
Cannock Chase National Landscape (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is one of England’s finest landscapes, and protected by law.
The way in which we look after Cannock Chase is set out in our Management Plan. This statutory document identifies the key issues facing this special place, and sets out our vision and priorities for conserving and enhancing its natural beauty for the next 5 years. It also describes the actions that we will take to deliver the vision, working in partnership with local communities and organisations.
Our current Management Plan covers the period 2019-2024 (extended to 2025), and is now due for review. The process and indicative timetable is summarised as shown here.
| Stage | By when | Task |
|---|---|---|
| Formalities and notification | March / April 2024 | Formal authorisation to undertake the review by the National Landscape Joint Committee and notification to Natural England. |
| Scoping | April/May 2024 | Update the State of the AONB report |
| April/May 2024 | Review the delivery and impact of the existing Plan, continuing relevance of policies and options, and gaps. | |
| April/May 2024 | Gather issues and priorities from online survey. | |
| July 2024 | Scope the scale of the review that is required. | |
| Review | August 2024 | Prepare the draft review. |
| August-November 2024 | Assess the environmental effects (Strategic Environment Assessment) of the draft and undertake a Habitats Regulation Assessment to determine whether or not there are any likely effects on the Cannock Chase Special Area of Conservation. | |
| Consultation and approval | November/December 2024 | Undertake public consultation on new draft plan / documents. |
| March 2024 | Final revisions and approval by the National Landscape Joint Committee. | |
| By 31 March 2025 | Send approved final Management Plan to Secretary of State. | |
| Delivery | From 1st April 2025 | Prepare first business plan of the new Management Plan and begin to deliver activities. |
National changes effecting AONB Management Plans
The review will need to take into account the following national changes effecting England’s protected landscapes (National Parks and National Landscapes):
Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework
In 2024 Government published a new outcomes framework for Protected Landscapes in England, which sets targets for their contributions to national environment and climate commitments, to be embedded in management plans.
Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act places a stronger requirement on partners, such as local authorities and public bodies to contribute to the delivery of management plans.
Updated Management Plan guidance
Natural England is updating Protected Landscape management plan guidance to ensure consistency.
Key documents
Cannock Chase AONB Management Plan 2019-24
Cannock Chase State of the AONB Report 2018
Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework 2024
Draft reports and documents will be posted here.
Note. In November 2023 Areas of Outstanding natural Beauty (AONB) were re-named ‘National Landscapes’. The AONB designation remains unchanged.
Digital copies available on request:
- AONB Management Plan 2019-24
- AONB Management Plan 2014-19
- AONB Management Plan 2009-14
- AONB Management Plan 2004-09