North Pennines National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan

Management Plan – 2026 to 2031 

The North Pennines National Landscape partnership has now published the statutory AONB Management Plan for the North Pennines, 2026 to 2031. (Note that the legal name of the designation/plan remains Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) despite the rebrand to National Landscapes). The plan has now been adopted by the four relevant local authorities – Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness Councils and is therefore the new statutory plan for conserving and enhancing natural beauty in the National Landscape.

The plan takes the form of a standalone Management Plan website. Though you can jump in anywhere in the plan, you can also read it in a linear way by following the forward arrows at the bottom of each section. This plan identifies desired outcomes, and measures that can be taken to support the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty in the North Pennines, and to help people explore, enjoy and understand the landscape.