A COMPREHENSIVE plan to shape the management of the Tamar Valley for the next five years was officially launched last week.

The document will steer the work of the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team in conserving and enhancing the landscape of the area over the next five years. It forms a revised strategy for the Tamar Valley AONB from 2019 to 2024 and has been developed through an extensive consultation and review process with a wide range of agencies, organisations and individuals who live and work in the area.

The plan comprises three key themes — Place, People and Prosperity and Partnership.

Under ‘Place’ the key objectives include conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the Tamar Valley AONB; conserving and enhancing the landscape character of the AONB; discovering, raising awareness of and protecting, conserving and enhance heritage within the AONB; supporting the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and geodiversity within the AONB; maintaining high quality river systems and habitats, identifying opportunities for sustainable development, recreation and tourism and ensuring effective conservation and management of the AONB’s natural resources to respond to the challenges of climate change.

The key objectives for ‘People and Prosperity’ include encouraging and supporting sustainable economic development, social engagement and recreational activity where this is compatible with the purposes of AONB designation.

It is also about supporting landscape management that conserve and enhance the AONB developing and promoting integrated access, recreation and tourism compatible with the AONB designation; ensuring the AONB’s purpose and objectives are fully recognised in local planning policy; to support communities to understand and appreciate their cultural identity and contributing to a sustainable future for communities in the AONB and to promote a greater understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the AONB landscape and wider recognition of the designation and its purpose.

Under the theme ‘Partnership’, the plan’s objectives are recognising and valuing the national, regional and local importance of the AONB and maintainomg an effective, responsive, relevant and respected AONB partnership that sustains and promotes core purposes of the AONB.

The plan states: ‘Review of the management plan has coincided with a time of change in the midst of the uncertainties around Brexit.

‘However, there are opportunities through the Government’s 25-year Environmental Plan and the vision to ensure that protection and enhancement of the natural environment is a central priority with the aim to “be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it”.’

Responses from the Tamar Valley community have indicated engagement and debate with the review process and the feedback received has informed the Tamar Valley AONB’s official response.

‘It is important to emphasise that although the plan is split into sections, these do not work in isolation.

‘The interconnectedness and cross over of these themes is key to taking the vision of the Tamar Valley AONB forward and conserving, protecting and enhancing this very special place.

‘The challenge for the AONB partnership is to recognise and protect the unique qualities that the past has endowed us with, but to find new and meaningful ways to sustain the landscape, protecting our heritage and supporting vibrant communities for the future.’

Chairman of the Tamar Valley AONB Partnership Cllr Neil Burdon states in the plan: ‘We, for a limited period, are but temporary custodians of this important landscape designation, the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

‘In order to continue in our mission, as well as celebrate, enjoy and recognise the diversity of the three river valleys, we present our new five-year plan.

‘We can only achieve a successful outcome by a very positive close working relationship with Defra and its ministers, the five local authorities, those bodies with statutory responsibilities, the local supportive community representatives who together form the nucleus of the wider AONB Partnership.

‘We will continue to promote sustainability and help the whole by supporting a living, working environment for the woodsman, farmer, market gardener, rural business and resident alike.

‘At the same time, we want to make the valley accessible and invigorating but resolving never to lose this treasure, its variety and its beauty, which the changing seasons give us.’

The plan was launched at an event at Calstock Arts last week where AONB manager Tim Dart highlighted the main themes of the plan and priorities over the coming years.

Cllr Neil Burdon and Devon county councillor Debo Sellis cut the cake to mark the occasion.

The event continued with talks from a variety of National Lottery Heritage Fund projects the Tamar Valley AONB team is involved with and concluded with a site visit to Calstock’s Roman Fort site.

Charlotte Dancer, information and communications officer for the Tamar Valley AONB, said: ‘The management plan is a culmination of months of hard work and dedication, including public consultation and true partnership working.

‘The plan was sent to Defra’s secretary of state Michael Gove and has been formally adopted by the local authorities within the Tamar Valley AONB boundary.

‘We look forward to working with all of our partners, the community and other organisations who have an interest in the work of the AONB to help deliver the plan.’

The management plan can be viewed at www.tamarvalley.org.uk A summary document is available from the Tamar Valley Centre, .Drakewalls.