Management Plan & Work Programme

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The Management Plan principally deals with land management, development and community issues and is a series of practical objectives to guide the National Landscape into the future.

Note: The current Management Plan was written before Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) in England were renamed National Landscapes. On this page, the terms AONB and National Landscape refer to the same designation.

What the Management Plan Does

The Management Plan encourages positive action to look after the landscape, wildlife and historical/cultural heritage of the Howardian Hills, whilst also encouraging a healthy rural economy. In addition, it encourages people to enjoy the area responsibly and to solve problems where conflicts occur.

Planning and Development

The Plan does not determine where development should or shouldn’t take place. National planning policy and Local Plans—produced by the relevant Local Authorities—guide those decisions. However, the Adopted AONB Management Plan remains a ‘material consideration’ in planning matters within the Howardian Hills National Landscape.

Who Prepares the Plan

The Plan is prepared on behalf of North Yorkshire Council by the Howardian Hills National Landscape Joint Advisory Committee, which represents farming, conservation, community, recreation and Local Authority interests. The Committee also acts as a focus for putting the Plan into action.

What the Plan Covers

Each 5-year Management Plan covers the topical issues affecting the AONB and it sets out recommendations and proposals for action. The 2019-24 Plan was prepared during 2018 and Adopted in March 2019.

The current 2019-24 Management Plan and supplementary documents are available below.

Additional Guidance

We’ve also produced a series of Information Notes and Guidance Documents to answer common questions. You’ll find these in the Guidance and Information section.

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Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan Consultation – 2025

The public consultation on the draft 2025-2030 Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan closed on 21st October 2025. This is the plan for North Yorkshire Council, Howardian Hills Partnership, staff team, partner organisations, farmers and landowners, communities, businesses and any other stakeholders with an interest in management of the area. The purpose is to set out how we all can contribute towards the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty in this special place by setting and delivering on a number of key strategic objectives. This new draft plan has been developed with input from a wide range of partners via workshops and meetings over the last 12 months. The draft plan can be downloaded here:

Draft 2025-2030 Howardian Hills National Landscape Management Plan

A Strategic Environment Assessment report and a Habitats Regulations Assessment screening report have also been produced part of the Management Plan review process. They were updated to Version 2 on 23rd September 2025 to reflect some layout and formatting changes. To view these documents click on the buttons below:

Strategic Environment Assessment

Habitat Regulations Assessment

Alternatively, if you require paper copies of these documents please contact us at [email protected] or on 01609 536778.