North Pennines AONB Partnership

The North Pennines AONB Partnership is an alliance of statutory agencies, local authorities and voluntary or community organisations which care about, and for, the area. The AONB Partnership is the body responsible for co-ordinating efforts to conserve and enhance the North Pennines. The work of the AONB Partnership is carried out through the AONB Staff Unit, employed through its accountable body, Durham County Council. The Partnership meets two times a year, to consider important issues related to the conservation and enhancement of natural beauty in the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark. An Executive Group meets three times a year to provide support to the Staff Unit on operational matters.

The North Pennines AONB is one of England’s most special places – a stunning landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, attractive dales and hay meadows, tumbling upland rivers, wonderful woods, welcoming communities, intriguing imprints of a mining and industrial past, distinctive birds, animals and plants and much, much more. In recognition of its special qualities the area has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The North Pennines is also a UNESCO Global Geopark – highlighting its globally important Earth heritage.

From 12 to 15 March 2018 the North Pennines AONB Partnership, as part of the Pennine PeatLIFE project, hosted a Eurosite’s Economics and Ecosystem Services Working Group’s knowledge exchange on peatland restoration. Additionally, a first exchange visit as part of a Twinning Agreement signed at Eurosite’s Annual Meeting 2017 between Pennine PeatLIFE and the Finnish Hydrology LIFE project was realised.

Contact

Paul Leadbitter
Email: pleadbitter@northpenninesaonb.org.uk
website: http://www.northpennines.org.uk