The Management Plan for the Chilterns National Landscape
All National Landscapes must publish a Management Plan and promote its implementation by a wide range of organisations, including local authorities, government agencies, community groups and landowners.
In most National Landscapes, local authorities prepare this Plan, but in the Chilterns, it is prepared by the Conservation Board on behalf of, and in partnership with, the local authorities, communities and other stakeholders who have an interest in the landscape and can help to bring the Plan’s vision into reality. The Plan usually runs for five years and is then reviewed to see if its content needs to be updated.
The current Plan for the Chilterns is “the Chilterns AONB Management Plan 2019–2024: Caring for the Chilterns forever and for everyone”. It contains a comprehensive summary of the key issues facing the National Landscape and the management policies and actions needed to conserve this special place. It was adopted by the Conservation Board in 2019, following detailed research and wide public consultation, and has been widely endorsed by local stakeholders.
Government is currently introducing a wide range of reforms and new requirements relating to National Landscapes and their Management Plans. To account for this, National Landscapes have the option to delay reviewing their plans by up to a year by publishing a “light-touch review” statement. The Chilterns National Landscape has taken up this option, and as a result, our current Plan has been extended until the end of March 2025.
We will be working with stakeholders to refresh the current Plan during 2024/25.
You can read the Plan below, or download the Plan – in full or in shorter chapters – and various supporting documents, including the “light-touch review” statement.
Download the Management Plan
Full Management Plan
Summary leaflet
Light-Touch Review Statement, April 2023
Read the Management Plan online
Please note that the Plan has been extended to the end of March 2025.
Individual chapters
Light-Touch Review Statement, April 2023
1-4. Forewords, Introduction and Vision
5. Nature
6. Historic Environment
7. Land, Woodland & Water
8. Enjoyment & Understanding
9. Social & Economic Wellbeing
10. Development
11. Implementation & monitoring
Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment
As part of the process for producing the Management Plan the Board has prepared a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening Report of the Management Plan and a Habitats Regulations Assessment. Downloads of the reports and responses from the statutory bodies are available below.
Related news
An update on our management plan
We are legally required to produce a new or updated management plan to replace the existing one by the end of March 2025.
Calling all artists: new national arts programme
We are seeking writers and artists to take part in Nature Calling – a new national arts programme.
Our new study shows how diverse communities engage with the countryside
The study, carried out as part of our Chalkscapes Landscape Partnership project, focused on the Luton and Dunstable area.