The Malvern Hills National Landscape Joint Advisory Committee met on 11 April 2025 to discuss strategic planning matters, the National Landscape budget, and the indicative work programme for 2025/26. The committee was also scheduled to receive presentations on the Generation Green 2.0 and Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme. Additionally, the meeting included a review of strategic planning matters and several information items.

Strategic Planning Matters

Catherine Laidlaw, NL Planning Officer, was scheduled to present a report on strategic planning matters, focusing on addressing people-related damage to the Malvern Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The report pack noted that the Malvern Hills are of national wildlife and geological value, and that the most recent assessment of the condition of the SSSI indicates that recreational activities are preventing a return to favourable condition. The key impacts include:

• Soil compaction
• Erosion
• Eutrophication¹
• Littering
• Disturbance and fire

To mitigate these impacts, Natural England, the Malvern Hills National Landscape Team, the Malvern Hills Trust, and the South Worcestershire Local Authorities have been collaborating to explore the role that planning and development might play in protecting the SSSI.

The report pack mentioned several key elements of a potential 'Strategic Solution', including:

• Developer Contributions: It was proposed that a financial contribution should be raised for each new house built within 25.3km of the Malvern Hills to mitigate the impacts of recreation. As an example, the report pack noted that outline planning permission for 200 new homes at Cales Farm on the edge of Malvern included an obligation for the developer to pay £269.75 per dwelling.
• Development Exclusion Zones: Natural England and the South Worcestershire Planning Authorities have discussed the possibility of an exclusion zone for new residential development around the SSSI, with a proposed zone of 500m.
• Areas of Informal Recreation (AiRs): The creation or designation of alternative green spaces to attract people away from the Malvern Hills is being explored.

The report pack stated that Natural England convened a meeting of representatives from various Local Planning Authorities and other interests to discuss these matters on 6 February 2025, and that next steps include setting up a partnership to take these ideas forward.

The report pack also provided updates on Local Plan Reviews, including the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR), the Herefordshire Draft Local Plan, and the Forest of Dean Draft Local Plan.

The Malvern Hills National Landscape Team submitted hearing statements jointly with the Cotswolds National Landscape Conservation Board in February regarding various matters and issues raised by the inspectors regarding SWDPR policies.

Areas of agreement between the South Worcestershire Councils (SWCs) and the Malvern Hills National Landscape Team include:

• SWDPR 55 Cales Farm: The Malvern Hills National Landscape Team is working with the SWCs to establish a way forward and to drive a landscape-led design approach to the development.
• The Malvern Hills SSSI: The SWCs are not proposing any new allocations within 500m of the Malvern Hills SSSI in the plan period and are working with the MHNL Team and other relevant stakeholders to explore a comprehensive mitigation package.
• Policy SWDPR 28: The SWCs would consider strengthening the policy by including reference to the management plans.

Areas of disagreement that remain include:

• Employment allocations at MHPE04 Land at Mayfield Road and MHPE05 Land Adjoining Blackmore Park.
• Renewable and Low Carbon Energy allocations at SWDPR 59 Land at Whiting Ash Farm, Berrow.
• Concerns that the distribution of homes across the South Worcestershire area makes no overt distinction between settlements which are in/partly in or clearly in the setting of the National Landscape.

The report pack also noted that Section 245 of the LURA Act 2023 amended the duty on relevant authorities who now must ‘seek to further’ the statutory purposes of Protected Landscapes, and that DEFRA published guidance with broad principles of how relevant authorities can comply with this duty in December 2024.

National Landscape Budget and Indicative Work Programme 2025/26

Paul Esrich, NL Partnership Manager, was scheduled to present a report on the National Landscape Budget and Indicative Work Programme for 2025/26.

The total core budget for 2025/26 was expected to be £217,620, the same as for 2024/25. Central government (Defra) is expected to provide £173,490, with local authorities providing £44,130 of match funding.

The local authority contributions are:

• Herefordshire Council - £16,334
• Worcestershire County Council - £14,594
• Malvern Hills District Council - £11,550
• Forest of Dean District Council - £959
• Gloucestershire County Council - £693

The report pack noted that JAC members previously agreed that there was merit in inviting Parish and Town Councils to make voluntary contributions to the work of the NL Partnership, and that these contributions can add up to very decent totals which are useful when added to the overall budget for delivering the Partnership's work programme.

The Unit's work programme for 2025/26 will be centred around the implementation of the AONB Management Plan but is also expected to be driven, significantly, by more recent drivers and initiatives, including:

• Enabling more areas to count towards meeting 30by30 targets²
• Beginning to implement the new Climate Change Adaptation Plan
• Delivering Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme
• Delivering a range of Access for All improvements, utilising funding from Defra
• Advice and support to landowners
• Work to increase participation amongst different audiences
• More work on helping people to make an emotional connection with the NL, including implementing the national ‘Nature Calling’ project in the area
• Participation in the reviews of Local Development Plans affecting the area
• Training to Local Planning Authority Officers and Committees
• More work on helping partners to meet carbon zero targets

Defra is expected to provide additional project funding, including £301,993 for the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme, funding for Access for All improvements, and an indicative figure of £99,860 for capital grants directed to 30x30 work.

Information Items

The report pack included several information items, including updates on:

• Promoting positive change to landowners, managers, developers etc, including a webinar on current and forthcoming grants for woodland creation and management, collaboration with Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) South West and Bearwood Associates, and burying overhead powerlines.
• Improving knowledge and understanding of the AONB’s biodiversity, including using drones to photograph and map part of the Whippets Brook on the edge of Malvern to identify features that play a positive and negative role in crayfish conservation.
• Conserving and enhancing the historic and cultural environment of the AONB, including the restoration of 4 historic rural buildings and the survey of a further two historic rural buildings.
• Supporting appropriate measures to monitor and control pests, diseases and invasive non-native plant and animal species, including a thermal imaging deer survey.
• Ensuring that the distinctive character and natural beauty of the AONB will be fully reflected in the development and implementation of consistent statutory land use planning policy and guidance across the AONB.
• Providing a Quality public realm with good access and facilities that attract tourists, including a grant to Colwall Churchyard to put in an information board and a picnic bench, bike racks in Malvern Hills Trust car parks, and cycling leaflets.
• Raising awareness of the MHAONB and the significance of its designation, including a young person’s environment day at Welland Village Hall, the Colwall Eco Fest, and training for LA planning staff.
• Increasing the range of opportunities for those with restricted mobility and health impairments to experience the AONB, including an outdoor classroom at Boundless Outdoors, improvements to access around the MHNL, and a grant to West Mercia police to provide an electric mountain bike to patrol the Hills.