Celebrating 60 years

What is the designation about?

National Landscapes are landscapes whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so outstanding that it is in the nation’s interest to safeguard them.

Reports commissioned after WWII identified the need to safeguard the finest landscapes in England and Wales. The legal framework for AONBs was established by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and expanded on in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. They have an equal status to National Parks in terms of landscape protection.

National Landscapes are conserved for everyone, and for everyone’s benefit.

Does designation come with responsibilities?

Yes. Responsibilities are shared across a number of important stakeholders. The Cotswolds National Landscape Board encourages and supports all stakeholders to look after the Cotswolds National Landscape. Our two core purposes are to:

1. Conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Cotswolds.
2. Increase the understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities.

Our work also seeks to foster the social and economic wellbeing of local communities.

The Management Plan is our most important tool in terms of meeting our core purposes. We can’t do that alone though, and neither is that the expectation. Instead, there is a statutory requirement which applies to all relevant authorities – including local councils and public bodies – when making decisions that affect designated AONBs, ensuring that they proactively avoid harm and take positive measures to enhance the landscape.

How do we work with others?

Our work is a shared responsibility across the designated landscape. We work to influence and encourage others to help deliver our purposes, and to deliver their work with conserving and enhancing this landscape as a priority.

An important tool for this is our Management Plan. Every five years, we publish a new Management Plan for the Cotswolds National Landscape, which covers all the key issues faced by the national landscape alongside the management policies and actions needed to conserve and enhance this special place. To sit alongside and support the Management Plan, we also produce Position Statements, Landscape Strategy and Guidelines, and a number of other reports and guidance documents designed to help others do what they can to look after the Cotswolds.

We are mainly funded by government, with valuable additional support from local authorities. We also work to bring in further funding for specific work and projects, often in partnership with organisations whose values and goals match our own.

Why are we celebrating?

We’re celebrating because official designation as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty identifies this place as somewhere which is special, valuable, and unique. The designation makes it clear that looking after this place benefits everyone.

It means that as an organisation, our work is to encourage people and stakeholders to consider landscape and nature as a primary concern. Official designation places a duty on public bodies to help conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape, and its special characteristics. Part of designation is the identification of special qualities across a landscape – which, when viewed together rather than separately, can help single issues come together to address multiple related issues.

We’re celebrating because the relationship between people and place in the Cotswolds is an integral part of how this landscape developed into somewhere so unique and well-loved. Although we recognize that we are in the midst of both climate and ecological crises, we remain optimistic and hopeful for the future. We’re working to inspire, include, inform, and influence people to care as much as we do about this landscape.

This year gives us the opportunity to champion and celebrate all the amazing people we work with every day who help us conserve and enhance the Cotswolds. From local authorities helping us implement policies, to like-minded organisations helping us deliver projects, to conscientious and responsible individuals leaving no trace – there’s a part for all of us to play in reaching the next 60 years of designation. We’re celebrating everyone who wants to help us reach that next fantastic milestone!