Here is a summary of the agenda for the Forest of Bowland National Landscape Joint Advisory Committee meeting. The meeting included discussion of the Forest of Bowland Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Project, the National Landscape Management Plan Review, and the revised budget estimates. The committee was also asked to approve the constitution, membership and terms of reference for 2025/26.

National Landscape Management Plan Review

The Joint Advisory Committee was scheduled to discuss the Forest of Bowland National Landscape Management Plan Review. The Forest of Bowland National Landscape Management Plan was expected to be reviewed, adopted and published by Spring 2026. The report pack noted that this timescale is common to many other National Landscapes and has been influenced by:

• new legislation (the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA))
• new Management Plan Guidance from Natural England
• the Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework.

The review process was expected to be split into three phases: scoping and preparing the review, undertaking the review, and publishing and adopting the review. The key review stages were summarised in a table, and an outline timetable for the review of the plan was provided. Several of the review stages will be open to wider comment from all interested parties, partly through circulation of review documents, but also using online consultation, public consultation events and local information.

As part of the funding agreement with Defra¹ all National Landscapes are required to produce a Climate Adaptation Plan for their protected landscape by 2028. The Forest of Bowland published a similar plan in 2011 which they are able to review and update. The report pack stated that they are therefore working to produce a new report as part of their current Management Plan Review process so that the two key plans are aligned. The report, currently in draft form, is based on guidance produced by Natural England, National Parks England and the National Landscapes Association. The report and risk assessment is based on the methodology used there, and incorporating data from the UK Met Office for Lancashire. With some slight local amendments this forecast follows the national model in predicting that the Forest of Bowland will experience:

1. Warmer and wetter winters
2. Hotter and drier summers
3. More intense rainfall events
4. Higher frequency of heat waves (3 or more days and nights over a temperature threshold).

The Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA), in Section 245, amends CRoW (2000) S.85 and S.89 to create two new duties on 'relevant authorities' that have a bearing on the National Landscape Management Plan:

• A duty placed on relevant authorities in respect of their actions, decisions and operations whereby they 'must seek to further' the statutory purposes of Protected Landscapes.
• A duty on local authorities to support the production and implementation of management plans.

The report pack stated that a crucial function of the management plan will be to articulate what 'seeking to further the purpose of designation' would look like for the Forest of Bowland.

The committee was asked to note the report, offer any comments and, if minded, on the timetable presented, note the request for an additional JAC meeting to approve the final draft, note the intention to incorporate the Climate Adaptation Plan into the Management Plan as an annex and if minded offer comments, and note the guidance papers from Defra and National Landscapes Association on the Levelling up-& Regeneration Act (LURA) 2023 and new duties, circulating where appropriate within their own organisations.

Revised Estimates and Revenue Budget

The Joint Advisory Committee was scheduled to discuss the revised estimates for 2025/26 and the revenue budget for 2026/27. The core budget provision for the Forest of Bowland National Landscape Joint Advisory Committee is funded by seven constituent local authority partners and grant income from Defra, which is also enhanced by an additional contribution from United Utilities². A core team is established from this budget provision to assist in the delivery of the statutory National Landscape Management Plan on behalf of the Joint Advisory Committee and the local authorities.

Defra advised that the grant offer for 2025/26 is as follows: Annual core funding of £259,075.25. The contributions anticipated from the constituent local authorities for 2025/26 are as follows:

• Lancaster City Council £7,140
• Pendle Borough Council £7,140
• Preston Borough Council £7,140
• Ribble Valley Borough Council £7,140
• Wyre Borough Council £7,140
• Lancashire County Council £42,840
• North Yorkshire County Council £14,280

The revised estimates take account of any changes in comparison with the original estimates. The principal revisions were expected to be a slight decrease in staff costs for the National Landscapes Team from previous estimates due to a contingency for pay award not being used, and partnership running costs and office running costs have changed due to a change in the category some items are accounted for, with partnership running costs also including management plan review costs. The net effect of this change allows an estimated National Landscape 'Projects' program totalling £57,687 to be delivered in 2025/26.

It is anticipated that the National Landscape Team will also be in receipt of £3,097,242 additional funding from various sources to support delivery of the National Landscape Management Plan:

• Connecting People and Nature Project £75,000 from National Lottery Heritage Fund and Ernest Cook Trust
• Peatland Programme - Restoration £1,207,450 from Natural England (Nature for Climate Peatland Grant), United Utilities and Grosvenor Estates
• Access for All Capital grant £156,492 from Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Capital Uplift 30x30 £276,857 from Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme £1,255,443 from Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• Quernmore and Conder Valley Landscape Enhancement Initiative £41,000 from National Grid
• Nature Calling £80,000 from Arts Council England, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
• National Landscape Discovery Guide 2024 £5,000 from Bowland Sustainable Tourism Network businesses

The report pack also set out the estimated costs associated with the Partnership's team and projects programme for 2026/27, including estimated pay awards and prices. Provision reflects the core team, operational budgets for core activities and projects:

• Partnership Manager (1 FTE)
• Development and Funding Officer (0.6 FTE)
• Projects Officer (1 FTE)
• Sustainable Tourism Officer (0.9 FTE)
• Countryside Access Officer (1 FTE)

Estimated total Partnership income from contributions has been included in the budget for 2026/27. Income in respect of grant support from Defra towards core costs and projects costs has been included, based on a flat-cash rollover of the funding settlement for 2026/27. It is assumed that the Defra grant for 2026/27 will continue to be a single grant offer to be used in ways which the National Landscape Partnership considers will deliver the best performance in terms of achieving delivery of the Management Plan, without significant restrictions placed on the percentage of grant to each area of supported activity. Therefore, the level of provision for 'Projects' is based on the resources available to the Partnership after provision for the staffing of the National Landscape team at the existing office base, plus related core activities costs.

Defra have made a funding commitment to continue supporting the current Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) team during 2026/7, but currently this is only for the Advice and Guidance posts, there is currently no offer for the admin posts or a fund to distribute to farmers/landowners. In 2026/7 the offer is £133,409.00 for Advice and Guidance posts. This will mean they can retain the advice and guidance posts until March 2027. It should be noted that there is no allowance for pay increments in this offer so they will need to ask Defra for additional funding or supplement this with core funding. They have been told that they can expect an announcement on future FiPL funding in January 2026.

The committee was asked to note the 2025/26 Revised Estimates, approve the proposed 2026/27 Revenue Budget as set out in the report, note the funding offer from Defra for the FiPL officer posts in 2026/27, and note the absence of any increase in revenue funding set against the rise in staffing and other costs.

Constitution, Membership and Terms of Reference

The Joint Advisory Committee was asked to approve the constitution, membership and Terms of Reference for 2025/26. The report pack noted that the Constituent Authorities of the Advisory Committee have informed the Secretary of their representatives appointed to serve for the year 2025/26.

The Constitution and Membership of the Advisory Committee is as follows:

• Lancashire County Council: County Councillor Tom Pickup, County Councillor Ged Mirfin, County Councillor County Shaun Crimmins
• North Yorkshire Council: County Councillor S Myers
• Lancaster City Council: Currently vacant (until their November meeting)
• Pendle Borough Council: Councillor B Newman
• Preston City Council: Councillor Javed Iqbal
• Ribble Valley Borough Council: Cllr R Elms
• Wyre Borough Council: Councillor J Ibison
• Lancashire Association of Local Councils: Councillor Stephen Houghton
• Yorkshire Local Councils Association: Mr C Price
• United Utilities: Mr P Wilson
• Environment Agency: Ms Helen Dix
• Natural England: Ms H Rogers
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): Mr R Horner
• Bowland Land Managers' Forum: Mr Andrew Taylor
• Ramblers Association: Mr David Kelly
• Champion Bowland: Mr Mike Pugh
• Friends of Bowland: Ms Marilyn Pilkington
• Moorland Association: Mr Neil Kilgour

The Committee and its constituent bodies are responsible for the co-ordinating the review and implementation of the National Landscape Management Plan. The Joint Advisory Committee supports and encourages an active partnership between all the organisations and agencies involved and co-ordinates management over the whole of the National Landscape. The aim is to:

• promote the National Landscape at national, county and local level
• ensure that the landscape of the National Landscape is conserved and enhanced appropriately through the implementation of the National Landscape Management Plan
• work to assist the social and economic well-being of the National Landscape commensurate with the conservation and enhancement of its special qualities
• provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas
• consider any issues likely to affect the area adversely and agree appropriate action
• make recommendations for new initiatives, projects and programmes

Forest of Bowland Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Project (HARP) Update

Matt Postlethwaite, Project Engagement Lead – HARP, was scheduled to provide a verbal update on the Forest of Bowland Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Project (HARP).