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The East of England Plan and Hertfordshire's Landscape

Under the new arrangements for strategic planning the East of England Plan has become a key document influencing the regulation of landscape change in Hertfordshire.

Although the Plan is still in draft form, the Panel report on it has now been published and contains some interesting pointers to how policy is developing (the following is not an exhaustive list!):

• increased support for sustaining green infrastructure throughout the county
• alongside the Chilterns AONB, recognition of the importance of the Lee Valley and Watling Chase
• very challenging targets for the increase of woodland cover in Watling Chase (30% cover by 2030)
• continued support for landscape conservation informed by landscape character assessments
• support for the primacy of landscape over other considerations in designated landscapes
• a bigger role for area-wide (landscape) strategies, such as the proposed Regional Landscape Framework being promoted by the East of England Landscape Forum
• clearer statement of the importance of conserving existing habitats, particularly woodlands
• attention to the conservation of significant designed landscapes

With the exception of the planting targets suggested for Watling Chase Community Forest, the changes being made are consistent with the representations made by the County Council on the draft plan.

It should be noted that the Secretary of State has, however, proposed some changes to the Plan and a revised version is anticipated towards the end of 2007.