'Thriving in Balance with Nature'

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Shropshire Hills National Landscape Management Plan, 2025 - 30 

The Management Plan aims to set a future direction for the Shropshire Hills.  This is based on the legal purpose for which the area is designated – to conserve and enhance natural beauty, and on addressing the challenges we face.

The Plan is developed by a broad Partnership set up for this purpose. It represents local priorities as well as taking account of influences from outside the area including global environmental change and national policies.

We are gathering data, reviewing policies and discussing issues with partners.  The new draft plan will go out for public consultation around the end of March 2025.   The time period to produce the Plan was moved back a year to bring it in line with relevant government programmes.  

The Plan aims to influence and guide landowners, organisations and individuals on a wide range of topics by setting out how to best manage the Shropshire Hills landscape. It includes policies to influence decisions which affect the area, and identifies desired actions for partners to deliver. 

This is a balance of ambition and realism.  The Shropshire Hills National Landscape designation brings some legal protection and some funding, but neither are adequate to meet the challenges we face. 

Making the Plan happen is a shared responsibility and everyone can contribute. 

Picture of our visions for the Shropshire Hills thriving in balance with nature

The new Plan is being built around six priority themes:

  • Restoring our NATURE and regenerating natural processes 
  • Building CLIMATE resilience and decarbonising urgently 
  • Managing and looking after our WATER – which supports all life  
  • Nurturing our LAND and living healthy soil – so it can sustain us 
  • Healthy PEOPLE connected to nature – in vibrant communities and as welcome visitors  
  • Valuing and caring for the Shropshire Hills as a special PLACE 

We are using the Doughnut Economics model as a framework for our vision for the Shropshire Hills, and to help understand where are now.  This model integrates a set of widely accepted factors and measures for meeting people’s needs and for not exceeding environmental limits. Click here for more information on Doughnut Economics.

Organisations, land managers and individuals all play their part in looking after the Shropshire Hills. 

Some principles which will underpin the new Plan are:

The damage to climate and nature threatens human wellbeing and the balance of life – we need a new goal and framework of meeting everyone’s needs within planetary boundaries. 

We need to allow nature to recover while producing healthier food in ways which sustain the land – this is not an either/or, it needs integrated solutions. 

We need to de-carbonise and adapt rapidly across all sectors through behavioural change as well as technology, embracing the huge opportunities for a new economy and better wellbeing.   

We need to support people’s closer connection to nature and place, being more active for health, helping to nurture our environment and being part of communities. 

We need to upscale positive action to achieve these things, and to stop doing the things which continue to cause harm and go in the wrong direction. 

If you would like to read the new draft Plan in March, please contact us and we will send you a link to the online document.

Summary of key issues for the new Plan: 

  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation, including integrating and developing content from the Partnership’s Climate Change Action Plan, local and national strategies and plans for Net Zero 
  • Nature Recovery – linking to the Colchester Declaration, the AONB Nature Recovery Plan and emerging Local Nature Recovery Strategies 
  • Agriculture transition, the development of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) Scheme and support for those forms of farming most compatible with AONB purposes 
  • Priorities set out in the Landscapes Review and government response, and any changes to purposes, duties and targets which result from this 
  • The government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 (revision to 25 Year Environment Plan)
  •  Closer attention to natural capital assets and the ecosystem services they provide, along with Biodiversity Net Gain, emerging opportunities for green finance, the advantages and disadvantages of carbon offsetting. 
  • Local authority policies, including the Shropshire Plan (Shropshire Council) 
  • New Shropshire Local Plan and review directions for the Telford & Wrekin Local Plan