Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 the local authority members of a National Landscape Partnership have a statutory duty to produce a Management Plan for their designated landscape.
The current management plan was for the period 2019-2024 but is now extended to November 2025. It identifies key issues facing the National Landscape and sets out objectives for its long-term future. As advised by DEFRA, the NWDNL Partnership published a “light touch review statement”, explaining its decision to extend the life of the current Management Plan and listing some priorities it expects to guide the preparation of the revised Management Plan 2025-30.
The review of the current North Wessex Downs Management Plan is under way with a view to publishing a revised Plan in late 2025. The public consultation closed at midnight on Wednesday 30 April 2025
The draft documents will be reviewed in light of any comments and feedback. Any changes made as a response to the consultation will be approved by the Council of Partners and then the Management Plan will be presented to the nine partner Local Authorities and Natural England. The Local Authorities will then be asked to formally adopt the Plan. This process will take up to six months.
