That Torbay Council adopts South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2019-2024 attached to this Record of Decision.

To ensure the Council meets the statutory requirements and puts in place appropriate measures to manage the South Devon AONB.

An alternative option, which was not recommended, would be to withdraw from the partnership and to produce a separate management plan for the AONB within Torbay’s boundary.  This would have significant resource implications, potentially result in contrasting management of the single landscape, and not be an efficient solution.

The decision may be implemented immediately.  The South Devon AONB Partnership will be advised of the decision and work to publish a final publication version of the plan.

Torbay has around 700 hectares of landscape around Brixham and Paignton within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  This is a nationally important asset and must be given the highest status of protection from development and change.  The Council’s adopted Local Plan demonstrates this in the policy SS8 in particular.

The Local Authority has a statutory responsibility to prepare and publish an AONB Management Plan and to review it in five-year intervals.  The current South Devon AONB Management Plan, covering the period April 2014 to March 2019, has been formally adopted by Torbay Council, along with South Hams District Council, Devon County Council, and Plymouth City Council.  Torbay Council is one of 18 representatives in the AONB Partnership Committee.

A review of the existing Management Plan is required by 31 March 2019 and the formal consultation on this was undertaken from 21/09/18 to 05/11/2018.  The consultation was carried out with AONB partners, statutory authorities, local authorities, a 6 week public consultation online and series of public consultation events across the AONB. The feedback from each of these has been assessed and amendments made accordingly.  Partners have had additional opportunity to feedback and consider the proposals as well.

The Council requested that the South Devon AONB Staff Unit undertake this review on our behalf.  However, the Council is separately required to agree the final version for adoption.

The Council provides annual funding to the South Devon AONB Staff Unit to ensure the statutory requirements on the management of the South Devon AONB are met.  There would be no additional financial implication resulting from this decision.

Further information can be viewed online at  http://www.southdevonaonb.org.uk/about-the-aonb/looking-after-the-aonb/aonb-management-plan/a-review-of-the-2014-19-aonb-management-plan

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