Partnership and Team

Isle of Wight National Landscape Partnership

Following the increased profile and recognition afforded to AONBs by the CRoW Act 2000, a new partnership approach to managing the Isle of Wight AONB between the Isle of Wight Council and the UK Government through a Memorandum of Agreement.

The Isle of Wight AONB Partnership was formed in April 2002 and is a broad-based independent body comprised of representatives of many national and local organisations with a direct interest in the AONB. The AONB Partnership is funded by annual grants from DEFRA to the local authority. In November 2023 the AONB Partnerships and teams where rebranded as National Landscapes8.

The purpose of the Partnership is to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the conservation and enhancement of the AONB, in light of the AONB Management Plan and its policies.

Core functions of the Isle of Wight National Landscape Partnership are:

  • Produce and review an AONB Management Plan.
  • Raise awareness and appreciation of the designation
  • Encourage all to take account of the designation when carrying out any actions that might impact upon it.
  • Monitor and report on the management of the designated landscape.
  • Promote sustainable forms of social and economic development that conserves and enhances the designated landscape. This includes commenting on development control and planning policy issues.

Isle of Wight National Landscape Team

Photo of Isle of Wight National Landscape team. Team and standing on grass in a row in front of a hedge.

The staff of the Isle of Wight National Landscape Partnership are referred to as the IW National Landscape team, which consists of a National Landscape Manager, a National Landscape Planning Officer, a National Landscape Communications and Projects Officer and a National Landscape Assistant. The NL Team also manages the Isle of Wight Environmental Records Centre and a Project Officer currently managing the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. This programme is funded by DEFRA as an additional grant to the core AONB grant to the local authority. The Team is hosted by the Isle of Wight Council and is housed within the Communities Directorate.

Further details of the current Isle of Wight National Landscape Partnership are given in Appendix B.