Moved by
Lord Randall of Uxbridge
387: After Clause 151, insert the following new Clause—
“Purposes and plans of protected landscapes
(1) National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty must be managed in order to contribute to—
(a) restoring, conserving and enhancing biodiversity and the natural environment;
(b) meeting environmental targets under Part 1 of the Environment Act 2021 and the Climate Change Act 2008;
(c) the implementation of any relevant local nature recovery strategies under section 104 of the Environment Act 2021;
(d) the delivery of an environmental improvement plan prepared under section 8 of the Environment Act 2021; and
(e) equitable opportunities for all parts of society to improve their connection to nature of those areas and the enjoyment of their special qualities.
(2) The purposes included in subsection (1) must be prioritised in addition to the purposes listed in section 5 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, section 2 of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 and section 87 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
(3) Relevant management plans must include targets and actions intended to further the purposes specified in subsection (2).
(4) Relevant management plans include plans under section 89 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, section 66 of the Environment Act 1995 and section 3 of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988.
(5) In exercising or performing any functions in relation to, or so as to affect, land in a National Park, the Broads or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, any relevant authority must further the purposes specified in subsection (2) and the targets and actions in the relevant management plan.
(6) The Secretary of State must maintain a publicly available list of relevant authorities who are to comply with subsection (5), publish a statement setting out instructions for relevant authorities, and review this list and statement at least every five years.
(7) A management plan may not be made operational until it is reviewed by Natural England and approved by the Secretary of State.”
Member's explanatory statement
This new Clause supplements the statutory purposes of protected landscapes by giving them additional purposes. Key parts of existing legislation, such as the Sandford Principle, would still apply. The amendment also places stronger duties on relevant authorities and updates requirements for protected landscape management plans, to ensure that all relevant authorities take more action to recover nature and tackle climate change within those landscapes. This implements key recommendations from the Glover Review of Protected Landscapes.