Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Development Plan

Last Updated: 3 April 2024

The Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers part of South Lakeland and Lancaster Districts. It is a nationally protected landscape given statutory protection and its primary purpose is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area.

Together with Lancaster City Council, we have prepared a Development Plan Document (DPD) for the whole of the AONB. The DPD identifies sites for new housing and employment to contribute towards meeting local needs and sets out planning policies to ensure that development reflects the AONB designation.

For allocations and designations within the AONB, please see our policies map.

Adoption of the AONB DPD

We adopted the AONB DPD on 28 March 2019. It came into effect from that date and forms part of our Development Plan.

Lancaster City Council adopted the AONB DPD on 13 March 2019. The DPD also forms part of the Lancaster City Council Development Plan.

• Arnside and Silverdale AONB DPD (PDF 4.2MB / 102 pages)
• Adoption Statement (PDF 136KB / 1 page)
• Inspector's Report (PDF 391KB / 40 pages)
• Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment, Adoption Statement (PDF 399KB / 22 pages)
• Sustainability Appraisal Report (PDF 7.7MB / 208 pages)
• Sustainability Appraisal, Addendum (PDF 655KB / 27 pages)

Copies of the adopted DPD and Inspector's Report are available to view at the following locations during normal opening hours:

• South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, LA9 4DQ
• Morecambe Town Hall, Marine Road East, Morecambe, LA4 5AF
• Arnside & Silverdale AONB Offices, The Old Station Building, Arnside, LA5 0HG
• Libraries in Arnside, Carnforth, Kendal, Milnthorpe and Silverdale

Replacement of current adopted Local Plan Policies

The adoption of the Arnside and Silverdale AONB DPD has resulted in the replacement of a number of saved policies from the adopted 1997 Local Plan (saved Local Plan 2006) within the South Lakeland Local Plan area as detailed in Appendix 5 of the AONB DPD.

It has also resulted in some policies in the Core Strategy being replaced wholly or in part. The Arnside and Silverdale AONB DPD does not replace any policies in the Land Allocations DPD, however, it has resulted in a number of new site designations as identified in the Policies Maps, replacing previous Local Plan designations.

The Addendum note to the Core Strategy and Land Allocations DPD explains the relationship of the AONB DPD with the Core Strategy and Land Allocations DPD in this respect.

Addendum note to the Core Strategy and Land Allocations DPD (PDF 178KB / 6 pages)