Glossary

Glossary of Terms

This Glossary is intended to act as a quick reference, written in plain and simple English wherever possible. It sets out to answer commonly asked questions about Natural England and the AONB designation process, and to help explain the terms and acronyms used within the various technical and consultation documents. It is not intended that this glossary provides a legal definition.  

For a more detailed explanation of the process, particularly from a legal point of view, please refer to the documents provided within the Consultation Pack and Supporting Information.

Act

An Act is a law that has been passed by Parliament and given Royal Assent. 

Ancient Woodland

An area that has been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD. It includes ancient semi-natural woodland and plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS).

Annotate  

Add notes to a document, drawing or image, for example

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is land protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000. It protects the land to conserve and enhance its natural beauty.  There are 34 AONBs in England. The CRoW Act 2000 sets out the roles and responsibilities that different organisations must follow to manage AONBs and/or to designate new AONBs or to extend existing ones.

AONB Management Plan

An AONB Management Plan is a statutory document which sets out the vision and management priorities for the AONB. Its purpose is to consider conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the AONB with continuity and consistency over time. The Plan provides a means by which all public bodies can judge, and be judged on, their duty to seek to further conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the AONB.  It also provides a guide for residents, businesses, and visitors on the actions they can take to help safeguard the special area.

AONB Partnership

AONB Partnerships are formed to assist local authorities in the management of an AONB within their area. AONB Partnerships bring together local people and representatives from various bodies who have an interest in the AONB.  They work together to conserve and enhance the special qualities of the AONB.  An AONB Partnership as a body does not own any land within the AONB.

Area of Search

An identified area that provides an initial starting point for the assessment of natural beauty. 

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth: genes, species, and ecosystems. It includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them. Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits humans get from the natural environment. It contributes to the economy, health, and well-being, and it enriches our lives.

Bill

A bill is a proposed law which is introduced into Parliament. Once a bill has been debated and then approved by each House of Parliament (House of Commons and House of Lords), and has received Royal Assent, it becomes law as an Act of Parliament.

Candidate Area

Candidate Area is a term used during the technical assessment process to describe land that meets the natural beauty requirements and is deemed desirable to designate.  It is used during the time following the natural beauty assessment, but before the detailed boundary alignment is confirmed.  A Candidate Area does not have a defined boundary.

Citizen Space

Citizen Space is an online engagement and consultation platform, originally developed as a joint initiative with the UK government, as a way to improve engagement at scale. It is used by governments, organisations, and local authorities to allow people a simple way to have their say on a wide range of issues, proposals, and surveys.

Conservation Area

A conservation area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character, appearance or setting of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Once designated, there are some extra planning controls and considerations in place to protect the historic and architectural elements which make the place special.

Conservation Board

An AONB Conservation Board has a similar role to that of an AONB Partnership. Under the CRoW Act 2000, an independent Conservation Board can be established to carry out the relevant functions required to deliver the AONB purpose (conserving and enhancing the natural beauty). However, Conservation Boards have an additional purpose - to increase the understanding and enjoyment by the public of the special qualities of the area.  The CRoW Act also requires that whilst fulfilling their duties, a Conservation Board shall seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the AONB.

Currently, there are two AONBs with Conservation Boards; The Chilterns and The Cotswolds.

Consultation

Consultation is the name given to a process that enables interested organisations or bodies, and/or members of the public, to look at proposals that affect their lives, or where they live and work, and say what they think about them. It involves listening to, and learning from, local people before decisions are made or priorities are set.

Consultation Pack

A pack of documents that set out to explain the designation process and the proposals for a new AONB in the Yorkshire Wolds. Consultation Packs will be available to take home from drop-in events taking place in the local area during the consultation period, as well as being available online and via the post. Documents included within the Consultation Packs will comprise:

Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000

The CRoW Act became law in 2000. The Act sets out rights and responsibilities for a number of aspects relating to the countryside; including access to open land, public rights or way, nature conservation and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

Criterion

A standard of judgement. A criterion is a factor (aspect) that is used to judge or decide something.

Dendritic

If something is described as dendritic, it means it has a branched form or structure, resembling a tree or tree roots.

Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG)

Now known as Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (see below).

Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Defra is responsible for improving and protecting the environment. They also support the UK’s food, farming, and fishing industries.  Defra is a ministerial department, supported by 24 agencies and public bodies.   

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities supports communities across the UK to thrive, making them great places to live and work. DLUHC is a ministerial department, supported by 16 agencies and public bodies.

Designation

An AONB designation is an official and legal recognition that a defined area of land has outstanding natural beauty. The overall designation process being run by Natural England is to determine whether land in the Yorkshire Wolds Area of Search should be designated as AONB.

Desirability Assessment

A Desirability Assessment is a technical assessment carried out during the designation process to consider whether it is desirable to designate areas that meet the natural beauty requirements as AONB. Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page for more details.

Development

Development is defined within Section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) as: the carrying out of building, engineering, mining or other operations in, on, over or under land, or the making of any material change in the use of any building or other land

Development Plan

Every local authority must produce a development plan for their area, setting out planning policies to guide development, such as housing or employment, but also to restrain development in certain areas. There are many different types of Development Plan, including Local Plans, Local Development Frameworks, Neighbourhood Plans and Spatial Development Strategies.

The Development Plan is used to help decide whether an application for development should be approved, or not. 

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995

An Act to make it unlawful to discriminate against disabled persons in connection with employment, the provision of goods, facilities and services or the disposal or management of premises; to make provision about the employment of disabled persons; and to establish a National Disability Council.

Environment Agency (EA):  The Environment Agency is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. They work to create better places for people and wildlife and support sustainable development. Within England, the EA is responsible for:

Environmental Impact Assessment

A procedure to be followed for certain types of project to ensure that decisions are made in full knowledge of any likely significant effects on the environment.

Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004

The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 provide public access to environmental information held by public authorities. The Regulations do this in two ways:

For the purposes of the EIR, public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, police forces and universities. The Regulations also cover some other bodies that do public work that affects the environment. The Regulations apply only to the environmental information held by these bodies and by public authorities.

European Marine Site (EMS)

European Marine Sites (EMSs) are areas of the marine (sea) environment that have been designated for protection under European legislation. They are sometimes referred to as Natura 2000 and are found across Europe. EMSs consist of two types, Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). EMSs aim to warrant (guarantee) long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened habitats and species.

Evidence

Anything that gives good reason for believing something.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides public access to information held by public authorities. It does this in two ways:

For the purposes of the FOIA, public authorities include government departments, local authorities, the NHS, state schools and police forces.

Geodiversity

Geodiversity defines the world around us. It is the mix of rocks, fossils, minerals, landforms, and soils, and the natural processes that continually shape them. Geodiversity directly influences our natural environment, our landscapes, and where and how we live.

Guidance, the

Guidance for Assessing Landscapes for designation as National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England, June 2021

A document written by Natural England to provide guidance on how to assess whether land is likely to meet the statutory criteria for AONB or National Park designation, and the wider designation process to follow. 

Heritage Coasts

Heritage Coasts are stretches of our most beautiful, undeveloped coastline which are managed to conserve their natural beauty and, where appropriate, to improve access for visitors. They were established to conserve the best stretches of undeveloped coast in England. A Heritage Coast is defined by agreement between the relevant maritime local authorities and Natural England.

Historic Environment

All aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time, including all surviving physical remains of past human activity, whether visible, buried or submerged, and landscaped and planted or managed flora.

(Access to) Information Requests

You have the right to request recorded information held by public authorities. This could include paper or electronic copies of formal documents, like policies or minutes of meetings, but could also include other kinds of records like emails, photographs, or audio recordings.

There are laws which give you this right of access:

If you ask for information, public authorities must provide it, unless there’s good reason not to. Examples of public authorities include government departments, local councils; schools, colleges, and universities, public health services, publicly-owned companies, publicly-funded museums, galleries, and theatres, and the police and fire services.

Interfluve

An area of higher ground between two rivers in the same drainage system.

Irreplaceable Habitat

Habitats which would be technically very difficult (or take a very significant time) to restore, recreate or replace once destroyed, taking into account their age, uniqueness, species diversity or rarity. They include ancient woodland, ancient and veteran trees, blanket bog, limestone pavement, sand dunes, salt marsh and lowland fen.

Joint Advisory Committee

The role of an AONB Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) is one of advising and guiding the statutory authorities regarding issues within the AONB/National Landscape. It is not a Planning Authority.

Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)

The JNCC is a public body that advises the UK Government (and devolved administrations) on UK-wide and international nature conservation. 

Karst Landscape

Karst is a type of landscape where the dissolving of the bedrock has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, and other characteristic features. It is found in areas with soluble rock types such as limestone and chalk, and often results in the absence of surface streams and lakes.

Landscape

A landscape is the combination of all the features of an area of land.  It can contain both natural features and man-made features. An area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.

Landscape Character

A distinct, recognisable, and consistent pattern of elements in the landscape that makes one landscape different from another, rather than better or worse.

Landscape Character Assessment

The process of identifying and describing variation in the character of the landscape. It seeks to identify and explain the unique combination of elements and features (characteristics) that make landscapes distinctive.

Landscape Value

The relative value or importance attached to a landscape (often as a basis for designation or recognition), which expresses national or local consensus, because of its quality; special qualities including perceptual aspects such as scenic beauty; tranquillity or wildness; cultural associations; or other conservation issues.

Local Nature Partnership

A body, designated by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, established for the purpose of protecting and improving the natural environment in an area and the benefits derived from it.

Local Authority / Local Government

A local authority is an organisation that is officially responsible for all the public services and facilities in a particular area. The structure of local government is complex and varies from area to area. 

In much of England, there are three tiers of local government - county councils, district councils and parish or town councils. County councils cover the entire county and provide around 80% of the services in these areas, e.g. schools, social services, highways & public transportation.  District councils (sometimes called borough or city councils) cover a smaller area and provide more local services, e.g. council housing, local planning, leisure, and refuse & recycling collection.  In some areas, the most local tier of local government is a parish or town council.  They maintain local amenities such as recreational areas, footpaths, and cemeteries.  The parish council is also consulted on highway and planning applications.

Many large towns and cities, and some counties, have a single level of local government responsible for local services, known as a unitary authority, replacing the separate roles of county and district councils. 

All councils in an area can come together and apply to central government to form a combined authority (CA), with a directly elected mayor, in return for a greater devolution of powers from central government. A CA is a legal body that enables a group of two or more councils to collaborate and take collective decisions across council boundaries.

Local Plan

A plan for the future development of a local area, drawn up by the local planning authority in consultation with the community. In law, a local plan is described as the development plan documents adopted under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Local Planning Authority

The public authority whose duty it is to carry out specific planning functions for a particular area. The planning system is designed to be applied by local government and communities. Many parts of England have three tiers of local government:

Local government administers much of the planning system, preparing Local Plans, determining planning applications and carrying out enforcement against unauthorised development.

District councils are responsible for most planning matters, other than transport and minerals and waste planning which are typically functions of the county council. In some areas of the country, single tier authorities have responsibility for both district level and county level planning matters. In London, the Mayor also has powers to determine certain planning applications of potential strategic importance. In a National Park, planning functions are carried out by the National Park Authority.

Where they exist, parish and town councils play an important role in commenting on planning applications that affect their area. Parish and town councils are also able to produce Neighbourhood Plans and Neighbourhood Development Orders. Where parish or town councils do not exist, representatives of the local community may apply to establish a neighbourhood forum to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan or Order.

Major Development

For housing, major development is generally considered to consist of development where 10 or more homes will be provided, or the site has an area of 0.5 hectares or more. For non-residential development it generally means additional floorspace of 1000m² or more, or a site of 1 hectare or more, or as otherwise provided in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. However, within National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the nature, scale and setting of a proposed development, and whether it could have a significant adverse impact on the purposes for which an area has been designated or defined, must be taken into account when deciding whether a proposed developed is ‘major development’. 

Management Advisory Group (MAG)

The MAG is a group which brings together representatives from Natural England, Local Authorities with land in the area, and key stakeholders, to support a collaborative and effective approach to delivering the proposed Yorkshire Wolds AONB Designation Project.

Mean High Water Springs (MHWS)

Mean High Water Springs (MHWS) is the average height throughout the year, of two successive high waters, during a 24-hour period in each month when the range of the tide is at its greatest (during Spring tides). MHWS can be used to indicate the normal tidal limit (highest level of the sea) around the United Kingdom’s coastline.

Ministerial Department

A ministerial department is a department in the government that is headed by a minister and responsible for a specific function or area of administration. There are 24 ministerial departments in the UK government, and they are responsible for making decisions about many of the most important elements of our lives, e.g. the environment, education, and health.

National Character Areas (NCAs)

National Character Areas help us to understand the different landscapes of England. Each NCA represents an area of distinct and recognisable character at the national scale. England has been divided into 159 distinct areas, based on the unique combination of landscape, biodiversity, cultural and economic activity, geodiversity, and history of each area. NCAs can be used to help with decision-making and planning for future change. 

National Landscape

A National Landscape is one of 46 areas within England, Wales and Northern Ireland safeguarded in the national interest for their distinctive character and beauty. The legal purpose is to ‘conserve and enhance the beauty of the area.’  National Landscapes were previously known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).  

AONBs were rebranded as National Landscapes in November 2023, to recognise their importance and national significance. However, the legislation that sets out the requirements for the designation of National Landscapes/AONBs has not changed, and still refers to these areas as AONBs. This means that the legal designation of a National Landscape remains ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.’

National Park

A National Park is an area of land that has been designated as a protected landscape because of its special qualities. 

There are 10 National Parks in England, and they have specific legal purposes:

In carrying out these purposes, National Park Authorities are also required to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities in the National Park.

National Parks and Access to Countryside Act 1949

An Act of Parliament that was passed in 1949 to conserve and enhance the most sensitive areas of the United Kingdom. It was a result of the findings of The Hobhouse Report and The John Dower Report - that were commissioned to respond to the wish of the public to have access to land for recreation.

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)

The NPPF is a balanced set of national planning policies for England covering the economic, social, and environmental aspects of development. The policies in the NPPF must be taken into account in preparing Local Plans and neighbourhood plans and it is a ‘material consideration’ in deciding planning applications.

Clause 182 of the NPPF states that ‘great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty which have the highest status of protection in relation to these issues.’

National Trails

Long distance routes for walking, cycling and horse riding.

Natural Beauty

Natural beauty is the single technical criterion used to decide whether, or not, an area meets the requirements to be designated as an AONB. Natural beauty is more than just “beautiful scenery.”  The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (NERC Act) clarifies that the wildlife and cultural heritage of an area as well as its natural features can contribute to the natural beauty of landscapes. The NERC Act also recognises that land used for agriculture, woodlands, or as a park, or other areas whose flora, fauna or physiographical features are partly the product of human intervention in the landscape, can still be considered to have natural beauty.

Natural Beauty Assessment

When considering whether an area should be designated as an AONB, a judgement must be made as to whether that area has sufficient natural beauty. This process is called a ‘natural beauty assessment.’  Decisions about whether an area has natural beauty is subjective and therefore involves making a value judgement. To make this judgement in a transparent and consistent way, Natural England uses a set of factors which have long been considered to contribute to natural beauty.  This process is described in more detail within the Consultation Pack and Supporting Information documents.

Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006

An Act to make provision about bodies concerned with the natural environment and rural communities; to make provision in connection with wildlife, sites of special scientific interest, National Parks and the Broads; to amend the law relating to rights of way; to make provision as to the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council; to provide for flexible administrative arrangements in connection with functions relating to the environment and rural affairs and certain other functions; and for connected purposes.

The NERC Act 2006 sets out the creation and constitution of Natural England, including its purpose and functions.

Natural England

Natural England is the government’s adviser for the natural environment in England. Our purpose is to help conserve, enhance and manage the natural environment for the benefit of present and future generations. Natural England is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).  One of our roles is to have special responsibility for designating National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

Natural England Board

The Natural England Board is the decision-making body for Natural England. The main roles of the Board are to provide leadership for the organisation; and to ensure that effective arrangements are in place to provide assurance on risk management, governance, internal control, and use of public money.

Nature Recovery Network

An expanding, increasingly connected, network of wildlife-rich habitats supporting species recovery, alongside wider benefits such as carbon capture, water quality improvements, natural flood risk management and recreation. It includes the existing network of protected sites and other wildlife rich habitats as well as landscape or catchment scale recovery areas where there is coordinated action for species and habitats.

Neighbourhood Development Order

An Order made by a local planning authority (under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) through which parish councils and neighbourhood forums can grant planning permission for a specific development proposal or classes of development.

Neighbourhood Plan

A plan prepared by a parish council or neighbourhood forum for a designated neighbourhood area. In law this is described as a neighbourhood development plan in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Notice Period

The Notice Period is a key stage in the designation process. It is a time period during which documents for a proposed designation can be viewed, including a draft designation Order, and people can submit their thoughts about the proposals.  Formal statutory notices must be published, giving details of the effect of the Order, as well as details about how and when people can view the relevant documents and make representations (respond).

Objective

Information or assessment based on factual data that is not influenced by personal beliefs or biases. Opposite of subjective.

Order

An Order is a decision issued by a court or authoritative body. There are many different types of Order. Designation Orders are a form of ‘secondary legislation,’ which is legislation made by a person or body under authority contained in primary legislation.

‘Primary legislation’ is the term used to describe the main laws passed by the legislative (making laws) bodies of the UK, e.g. Acts of the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Parliament, and Northern Ireland Assembly. For the designation of new or extended AONBs, the primary legislation is the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000.

Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey is the national mapping agency of Great Britain. It is the government department responsible for the official, definitive surveying and topographic mapping of Great Britain. As Ordnance Survey maps are topographic maps, they only show the physical features on the ground at the time of survey. Ordnance Survey maps never show legal property boundaries, nor do they show ownership of physical features.

Parliament

Parliament is separate from government. Made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, Parliament’s role is to examine and challenge the work of the government through questioning ministers, debating issues, passing new laws and setting taxes. 

Periglacial

A landscape that undergoes, or has undergone, seasonal freezing and thawing, typically on the fringes of past and present glaciated regions. These freeze-thaw cycles influence the landform of an area over time.

Permitted Development Rights

Permitted development rights allow you to carry out certain types of development without the need to apply for planning permission. Permitted development rights are subject to a number of conditions and limitations in order to control their impact.  These conditions and limitations must be met in bringing forward any development in order for it to be lawful.  In some areas of the country, such as an AONB, a National Park, a Conservation Area, the Norfolk or Suffolk Broads, or a World Heritage Site, permitted development rights are more restricted.

Planning Condition

A planning condition is an additional requirement or measure that is attached to a planning consent. They are intended to improve the quality of an approved development. For example, planning conditions can include requests for additional information to be submitted, restrictions on construction activities or materials, or requirements for when certain operations must occur. All planning conditions must be met, and discharged by the local planning authority, for a development to be lawful.

Previously Developed Land

Land which is or was occupied by a permanent structure, including the curtilage of the developed land (although it should not be assumed that the whole of the curtilage should be developed) and any associated fixed surface infrastructure. This excludes: land that is or was last occupied by agricultural or forestry buildings; land that has been developed for minerals extraction or waste disposal by landfill, where provision for restoration has been made through development management procedures; land in built-up areas such as residential gardens, parks, recreation grounds and allotments; and land that was previously developed but where the remains of the permanent structure or fixed surface structure have blended into the landscape.

Principal Tier Local Authority

A principal council is a local government authority carrying out statutory duties in a principal area in England and Wales. A ‘principal area’ in England is defined in the Local Government Act 1972, Section 270 as:

“principal area” means a non-metropolitan county, a district or a London borough

Priority Habitats and Species

Species and Habitats of Principal Importance included in the England Biodiversity List published by the Secretary of State under section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Protected Landscapes

A term used to collectively describe National Parks and National Landscapes (AONBs) in England.

Public Body

A public body is a formally established organisation that is (at least in part) publicly funded to deliver a public or government service, though not as a ministerial department. There are a wide range of public sector entities that are referred to as a Public Body.

Public Inquiry

Public inquiries are investigations set up by Government ministers to look at matters of public concern. Inquiries are different to court cases. All parties are there to examine the facts.

Ramsar Sites

Wetlands of international importance, designated under the 1971 Ramsar Convention.

Registered Park or Garden

A park or garden that is considered to be of specific historic interest and is included on the Register of Parks and Gardens. Like listed buildings, registered parks and gardens can be registered at Grade II, II* or I. Registration is a ‘material consideration’ in planning terms so, following an application for development which would affect a registered park or garden, local planning authorities must consider the historic interest of the site when deciding whether to grant permission.  Local planning authorities are also specifically guided towards protecting registered parks and gardens when preparing development plans.

Royal Assent

Once a bill has completed all the parliamentary stages in both the House of Commons and House of Lords, it is ready to receive royal assent.  This is when the current monarch formally agrees to make the bill into an Act of Parliament. 

Secretary of State (SoS) for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has overall responsibility for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They have specific responsibilities for budget, international relations, senior appointments, and economic growth.  

The Secretary of State is responsible for signing the Order that designates an area as National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Setting of a Heritage Asset

The surroundings in which a heritage asset is experienced. Its extent is not fixed and may change as the asset and its surroundings evolve. Elements of a setting may make a positive or negative contribution to the significance of an asset, may affect the ability to appreciate that significance or may be neutral.

Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

An area classified under regulation 3 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 which has been given special protection as important conservation sites.

Special Protection Area (SPA)

An area classified under regulation 15 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 which has been identified as being of international importance for the breeding, feeding, wintering or the migration of rare and vulnerable species of birds.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

A site designated by Natural England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in order to protect areas of land that are considered particularly valuable for their wildlife, geology, or landform features.

Strategic Environmental Assessment

A procedure (set out in the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004) which requires the formal environmental assessment of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment.

Statutory Consultee

A statutory consultee is a particular organisation, body, or person, defined by statute (law), that must be consulted in particular situations, e.g. when considering planning applications.  For an AONB designation project, it is a legal requirement that relevant local authorities be consulted on the proposals. 

Subjective

Information or assessment based on a personal perspective, e.g. on feelings, opinions, or emotions. Opposite of objective.

Supporting Information

As well as the Consultation Pack documents described above, additional Supporting Information documents will be available to view online and in libraries and local authority offices within the local area. The Supporting Information documents will provide more detailed information about the designation process and the various technical assessments that have been carried out.

Value Judgment

A value judgment is an opinion of the rightness or wrongness or usefulness of something based on personal opinion and what is considered to be ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Value judgments are not true or false.  This is because they are not objective.

Wildlife Corridor

Areas of habitat connecting wildlife populations.