Have Your Say on the Future of the North Pennines
- Rob Beeson
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
The North Pennines is a living, working landscape. Its beauty and wildlife exist because of the hard work, skill and investment of land managers over generations.
A new plan is being written that will shape how this landscape is managed for the next five years and beyond. The North Pennines National Landscape (AONB) Management Plan (2026–2031) is currently open for consultation.
The deadline to respond is 10th February.
We need every member and supporter to get involved. If we stay silent, we risk a plan that ignores the reality of upland management.
Why this plan matters
This plan sets the strategic vision for the North Pennines to 2040 and will guide how public bodies interpret their duties in the landscape over the next decade.
While the Management Plan does not create new laws or regulations, it is a statutory document that is routinely used to:
inform planning decisions and conditions
shape the priorities and criteria of public funding and grant schemes
influence how regulators, advisers, and delivery bodies interpret “appropriate” land management
Once adopted, the plan will be treated as an authoritative statement of direction. If problematic assumptions go unchallenged now, they are likely to be carried forward into policy, funding decisions and guidance that does affect what happens on the ground.
You can view the draft plan in detail here. While the Moorland Association shares the ambition to look after nature, we have serious concerns about how the plan proposes to do it.
The current draft implies that the best way to help nature is to withdraw management. It talks about "restoring natural processes" and increasing "wildness".
We know that the North Pennines is not a wilderness. It is a managed environment. Walking away or doing less will not help curlews, prevent wildfires, or support local jobs.
Our key concerns
We have written a draft response on behalf of the Moorland Association. Here are the main issues we are raising:
Wildfire Risk: The plan proposes to end prescribed burning on all peat soils. We strongly disagree. Controlled burning is a vital tool. It reduces fuel loads and creates firebreaks. Without it, the risk of devastating wildfires will increase, threatening public safety and nature.
Wading Birds: We all want to see more curlew and lapwing. The plan focuses on habitat but ignores the vital role of predator control. We argue that you cannot recover these birds without the lawful control of predators that gamekeepers provide.
Planting Trees: The plan suggests more trees and scrub in the uplands. We oppose planting on open moorland. These are priority habitats that should remain open. Planting the wrong trees in the wrong places damages peat and destroys the character of the moors.
Our Heritage: The plan talks about cultural heritage but treats it like a museum. It fails to recognise that gamekeeping and driven grouse shooting are living heritage. These skills have shaped the landscape and keep the rural economy alive.
What the Moorland Association is doing
We have prepared a detailed draft response. It challenges the idea that "less management" is better. It argues that the resilience of the North Pennines depends on active and economically viable land management.
We want to make sure this response represents you accurately.
What we need you to do
We need you to take two specific actions before 10th February.
1. Review our draft and tell us what you think
Please read the MA’s draft response. Does it cover your concerns? Are we missing any specific examples from your estate?
Action: Email your comments to us at agilruth@moorlandassociation.org as soon as possible.
2. Submit your own response
It is vital that the National Landscape team hears directly from the people who work the land. Individual responses carry a lot of weight.
Let’s make our voices heard
This is our chance to protect the tools and practices that sustain the uplands. We must ensure the final plan recognizes that a healthy environment needs active management, not abandonment.
Please take the time to respond.