Regional Landscape Partnership
The North West Regional Landscape Partnership has been set up informally in 2009 and is in the process of development. Natural England hopes that the partnership will encourage joint working to increase understanding of landscape issues, to influence relevant policies, plans and strategies, and to promote the use of landscape character tools across the region.
Introduction
The North West Regional Landscape Partnership is currently an informal network of public, private and voluntary organisations and interested individuals who in some way all share an interest in, and a connection to, landscape. Natural England hopes that the partneship will encourage joint working to increase understanding of landscape issues, to inluence relevant poliies, plans and strategies and to promote the use of landscape character tools across the region.
The regional partnership structure and activities are still under development. So far, we have organised meetings and a regular newsletter. For more information on the North West Regional Landscape Partnership, contact northwest@naturalengland.org.uk
The European Landscapes Convention provides the context for the partnership. Natural England's landscape web pages provide more information on our overall work and remit on landscape.
Meetings
North West Landscape Matters: new perspectives on people, places and nature
Regional conference 26 March 2009
Natural England organised a conference to bring together public, private and voluntary sector participants to launch the idea of the Regional Landscape Partnership. The aim was to promote and discuss landscape matters and inspire new connections between individuals and disciplines. the main focus was on the European Landscape Convention (ELC) and its relevance to people's work and enjoyment of the natural environment.
The conference looked in particular at landscape in the context of the emerging Singlae Regional Strategy and what types of response might be needed to protect, manage and plan the North West's landscapes.
An introduction to Natural England policy and the European Landscape Convention: (743kb)
- Val Kirby (Natural England)European Landscape Convention guidelines and action plans: (941kb)
- Gary Charlton (Natural England)A quick introduction to regional strategy work: (92kb)
and key points: (169kb) - Andy Yuille (Campaign to Protect Rural England/ North West Environment Link)A regional landscape "strategy" refresh: some personal thoughts: (500kb)
- Sue Kidd (University of Liverpool)Developing the North West Landscape Character Framework: (3.7mb)
- Jonathan Porter (Countryscape) and Alison Farmer (Alison Farmer Associates)Public perceptions of landscape: (1.23mb)
- Hugh Inwood(Research Box consultants)
Meeting of core landscape stakeholders - 27 November 2008
An initial discussion took place between stakeholders who work directly on landscape issues, primarily local authorities and statutory agencies, on how a regional landscape partnership could best help their work.
Notes from the meeting: (172kb)
Discussion Paper
Refreshing the 1996 NW Regional Landscape Strategy “Greening the North West”: (436kb), April 2009
Natural England commissioned Sue Kidd and Dave Shaw from the University of Liverpool, and John Handley and Adam Barker from the University of Manchester to consider the need for, scope of, and mechanisms for producing a new strategy for landscape in the North West. The Paper was presented at the NW Landscape Matters Conference in March 2009 and has subsequently been finalised to incorporate feedback from the event. It is intended as a contribution to the ongoing process of implementing and reviewing the current Regional Spatial Strategy and the development of the new Integrated/Single Regional Strategy (RS2010).
We would welcome any comments or observations regarding the review and recommendations.
