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ID sylw: 107264

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Cotswolds National Landscape Board

Overall, the Cotswolds National Landscape (CNL) Board broadly supports the proposals in this chapter. However, we do have some suggested amendments to the Vision and Strategic Objectives as outlined below.
Vision
In our response to the Issues & Options consultation, we raised some concerns about the opening statement of the Vision - ‘to meet South Warwickshire’s sustainable development needs, while responding to the climate emergency’. We were concerned that the wording used would potentially skew the focus towards meeting development needs rather than ensuring that development was sustainable. However, on reflection, we consider that the wording is satisfactory.
We would still encourage this sentence to make explicit reference to the ‘ecological emergency’, given the huge loss of biodiversity that has been experienced at a global, national and local level.
The Vision has five overarching principles which will determine who development will be delivered. In later chapters, the CNL is addressed under the principle of:
•A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire – strengthening green and blue infrastructure and achieving a net increase in biodiversity across South Warwickshire
Although the CNL only covers a small part of South Warwickshire, its setting covers a much wider area (for example, factoring in the 3km buffer zone that is advocated in the draft Plan). The CNL, as with all National Landscapes, is an area whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so outstanding that it is in the nation’s interest to safeguard it.2 Relevant authorities, including the South Warwickshire Councils, have a statutory duty to seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the CNL.3 Therefore, the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of our most important landscapes should be explicitly addressed in this principle.
Recommendations
We recommend that the end of the opening statement should be changed to:
•While responding to the climate and ecological emergencies. (N.B. New text underlined).
We recommend that the wording of the last overarching principle should be changed to:
•A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire - strengthening green and blue infrastructure, conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of our most important landscapes and achieving a net increase in biodiversity across South Warwickshire. (N.B. New text underlined).
Strategic Objectives
The Strategic Objective that is most relevant to the CNL is Strategic Objective 12:
•Strategic Objective 12: Protecting and enhancing our environmental assets (related to overarching principle - A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire) - Protecting what already exists and maximising opportunities for enhancement including improvements to the green space network through tree planting and other biodiversity initiatives.

As with the Vision, above, we consider the CNL merits explicit reference within the Strategic Objectives.
Recommendations
We recommend that the wording of Strategic Objective 12 should be changed to:
•Strategic Objective 12: Protecting and enhancing our environmental assets (related to overarching principle - A biodiverse and environmentally resilient South Warwickshire) - Protecting what already exists and maximising opportunities for enhancement including: improvements to the green space network through tree planting and other biodiversity initiatives; and furthering the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the Cotswolds National Landscape. (N.B. New text underlined).