Subject Committee: Countryside

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Hay meadows are separated by a dry stone wall in a green rural landscape.
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Hay Meadows, Asby Common.

The Countryside Committee is made up of representatives from each ALGAO Region, with key partners invited to attend. The Committee has a facilitating role, working with key partners including Historic England, Natural England and the Rural Payments Agency, regarding all matters concerning the historic environment and land management matters.

The Association promotes good practice in sustainable and integrated archaeological and countryside conservation management through improved sites and landscape management techniques. To achieve this, the Committee encourages the adoption of good practice on all levels and seeks to promote integrated site management works undertaken by members as exemplars of good practice. Such emphasis will be extended into the wider public arena to raise awareness and promote further links between the historic environment and the landscape.

The Countryside Committee

The Committee aims to ensure early and effective input into the development of government policy and advice to ensure that management of archaeological sites and historic landscapes are considered an intrinsic component of wider countryside management. The Committee has recently undergone a reorganisation, it now consists of:

  • A core Regional Panel with a representative from the eight ALGAO regions who jointly carry out the work of the Committee and representatives from our external partners
  • A wider forum of all members of ALGAO organisations and external members who regularly work on land management projects such as Countryside Stewardship, Woodland schemes and other countryside conservation projects.

An annual CPD event with a focus on Committee updates, training and learning will take the place of the former annual meetings. These should be held before or at the start of the HEFER consultation window.

Current England Land Management Schemes

Scottish Rural Development Schemes (SRDP)

Visit the Scottish government SRDP home page.

The 2014-2020 SRDP includes:

Future Land Management

  • Visit the UK Goverment webpage on Brexit matters regarding agriculture:
    Farming businesses: working after Brexit transition
  • Under the new Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Bill 2018, forestry in Scotland will be fully devolved to the Scottish Government. It transfers the powers and duties of the Forestry Commissioners in Scotland to Scottish Ministers, providing them with a duty to promote sustainable forest management and publish a forestry strategy.  For more information, see:
    Forestry Bill passed (2018)
  • The new Environment Bill (2018) has been published.

Training