Glossary

  • AONB - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, defined in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 as:

    • An area that is not in a National Park but which appears to Natural England to be of such outstanding natural beauty that it is desirable that the protective provisions of Part IV of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 should apply to it for the purpose of conserving and enhancing the area‘s natural beauty. In such circumstances Natural England may, by order, designate the area as an AONB.

  • Area of Search - an identified area which provides an initial starting point for the assessment of natural beauty

  • Area of High Landscape Value - District level local landscape designation defined by Ryedale Council

  • Designation - the overall process being run by Natural England to determine whether land in the Yorkshire Wolds Area of Search should be designated as AONB

  • Candidate Area - an area which is considered to have a weight of evidence to support designation as AONB

  • Citizen Science - the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by stakeholder organisations and members of the general public, typically as part of a collaborative project with professional scientists.

  • Desirability Assessment - a review of areas which qualify for designation, to determine whether the purposes of AONB designation should apply to the area

  • Evaluation Area - the subdivision of the Area of Search into manageable units for assessment

  • Heritage Coast (Flamborough Head) - defined landscape protected in Local Plans for outstanding scenic qualities

  • Important Landscape Area - unitary level local landscape designation defined by East Riding of Yorkshire Council

  • Interactive Map - a web map that has been thoughtfully created, given context, and provided with supporting information so it becomes a stand-alone resource with functions that allow users to zoom & pan, turn layers off/on and to click on map features to see further detail.

  • Natural Beauty - the single (technical) criterion used in the designation of AONBs

  • Natural Beauty Factor - a list of factors (developed by Natural England) that contribute to natural beauty:

    • Landscape Quality: a measure of the current physical state or condition of the landscape and its features.

    • Scenic Quality: the extent to which the landscape appeals to the senses (primarily, but not only, the visual senses).

    • Relative Wildness: the degree to which relatively wild character can be perceived in the landscape and makes a particular contribution to sense of place.

    • Relative Tranquillity: the degree to which relative tranquillity can be perceived in the landscape.

    • Natural Heritage: the influence of natural heritage on the perception of the natural beauty of the area. Natural heritage includes flora, fauna, geological and physiographical features.

    • Cultural Heritage: the influence of cultural heritage on the perception of natural beauty of the area and the degree to which associations with particular traditions, people, artists, writers or events in history contribute to such perception.

  • Physiography - another name for geomorphology or physical geography, i.e. the topographical features of the earth's surface such as: hill, ridge, lake, cliff, etc.

  • Webinar - an online event where one or more speakers deliver a presentation to an audience who can participate by submitting questions, responding to polls and using other available interactive tools.