Why does the AONB Partnership not object to more planning applications?
There are approximately 500 planning applications per year in the AONB, and the staff team’s capacity is limited. The local planning authorities themselves will consider the impact of proposed development on the AONB, and this remains the principal means of informing decisions. National experience from among AONBs shows that the limited time of the staff teams is best spent at the proactive end of planning (i.e. in the development of policy and guidance). In addition, AONBs have a secondary purpose to promote sustainable forms of development which in themselves support the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty. This means that the AONB Partnership may actually support certain developments which it feels contribute to a living and working, sustainable landscape.
