Enjoying the Quantocks

So many ways to enjoy the Quantock Hills without endangering the environment or wildlife.

You can:

Explore the magnificent Great Wood. Follow waymarked trails (including an all ability trail) from Ramscombe. Facilities at Ramscombe include toilets and BBQ and picnic area. A grassy glade surrounded by beautiful woodland. For more information click here

Tackle some of the best mountain bike routes in the West Country. Buy an Ordnance Survey 140 map to create your route. Please stick to the bridleways.

Ride horses or ponies along the many bridle paths (Lydeard Hill and Staple Plain have car parks that are large enough for a horse box if you are travelling

Walk from one end of the hills to the other and enjoy the breathtaking scenery and, if you don't want to walk, ride or cycle, you can do so many other activities. You can download a series of walks in the Quantocks by clicking here. Or download Ranger Tim's favourite walk click here

Lounge around or have a BBQ at the picnic area of Ramscombe

Spend a day at the beach - Kilve is suitable for families, especially children, who will be fascinated by the flat ammonites exposed on the foreshore and has great rock pooling as well.

Indulge your inner child and go on the West Somerset Railway which has steam trains that run from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead.

Take a stroll through the historic gardens at Hestercombe including The Edwardian Formal Garden created by Sir Edwin Lutyens and the planting by Gertrude Jekyll

Bring the children to Fyne Court in Broomfield with its nature trails, picnic area, and, most importantly, toilets.

Coleridge Cottage at Nether Stowey and maybe walk the Coleridge Way.

This is just a taster of what we have to offer for your enjoyment so visit our individual headings (Coast, Heath, Wildlife, Combe) for more detail or contact the relevant Tourist Information Centres:

Bridgwater: 01278 436438
Minehead: 01643 702624
Taunton: 01823 336344

Where can you go:

Walkers are allowed to use footpaths, bridleways and restricted byways and have right of access across the open hilltops

Horse riders and mountain bikers are well provided for through the numerous bridleways and restricted byways they are allowed to use. It is important to note however that under the CRoW Act 2000 it is illegal for motorised vehicles to off road on the Quantock Hills without specific landowners' permission.

To enjoy this area fully Ordnance Survey Explorer 140 map show all access land and the rights of way mentioned above. We hope you enjoy yourselves and leave the Quantocks in the same condition you found them.

Georgie Grant - November 2010

Stay in the loop

Annual Reports

View Annual reports from the Quantock AONB Service

AONB Planning Consultation Comments 2011

Please click below to read responses made by the AONB on behalf of the Quantock Hills Joint Advisory Committee

Information leaflets

Find out more about why the heathland is so important for birds, the red deer on the Quantocks and why the history of the landscape is so special.

Management Plan

The Quantock Hills AONB Management Plan 2009-2014 and Management Plan Summary

Newsletters

If you would like to subscribe to the Quantock Hills e-newsletter please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we will put you on our mailing list

Other organisations and activities in the Quantocks

A few things you might find interesting from organisations we work with in the Quantocks

Planning Guidance and Position Statements

Find our guidance documents and position statements here.

PREPARING FOR CHANGE

Climate-proof your tourism business

Quantock Deer Count Results 7 March 2010

The results of the annual Quantock Deer Count held on 7 March 2010.

QUANTOCK ECO EVENTS PROGRAMME

Building Resilient Villages

Quantock Hills Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) Papers

Papers from the partnership committee the Joint Advisory Committeeqhjac_papers_22nd_july_11.pdf

Quantock Hills Visitor Guide

Recreation Leaflets

a full range of leaflets from circular walks to event guides and leaflets to allow you to enjoy the best of the hills

SCC disposal of land

Find out the Quantock Hills AONB Service position

Sustainable Development Fund forms

The SDF for 20011/12 has £45,000 to allocate. This will provide grants to organisations, businesses, community groups and individuals who wish to explore and develop practical projects that enhance, conserve and develop the environment, economy and way of life.

Tick Leaflet

Ticks are becoming more common and a bite from this spider-like parasite could lead to Lyme Disease. This is a treatable infection caused by bacterium transmitted by ticks when they bite. Not every tick carries Lyme Disease and it is important to realise that the disease is relatively rare.

Wild Places competition

Win a chance to create your own 'wild place'.

Information

Useful Contacts

Quantock AONB Service
Tel: 01823 451 884

Somerset Wildlife Trust
Tel: 01823 652 400
www.somersetwildlife.org

National Trust
Tel: 01823 451 814
www.nationaltrust.org

Forestry Commission
Tel: 01278 732 319

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FREQUENTLY ASKED PLANNING QUESTIONS - Quantock Hills

FREQUENTLY ASKED PLANNING QUESTIONS

Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about Planning, a very important issue in the Quantock Hills AONB.

In terms of planning policy what kind of things is the Landscape Planning Officer involved in?

The Landscape Planning Officer:

• Responds to consultations on changes to national policies likely to influence the AONB (this is done through consultation initiated by the National Association of AONBs).

• Consults on emerging strategies, policies, development plans/local development documents at appropriate stages (to help ensure consistency high levels of protection for the AONB)

• Develops landscape and planning related Objectives and Actions Points for the AONB Management Plan

• Leads on the production and promotion of AONB-specific guidance that will influence planning policy and provide a useful tool to inform development management decisions e.g. landscape character assessments and associated landscape strategies, and design guidance.

In terms of Development Management (formally Development Control) what kind of things is the Landscape Planning Officer involved in?

The Landscape Planning Officer:

• Responds to consultation requests from LPAs on specific planning applications. For some applications e.g. those considered likely to have a significant adverse impact on the AONB, a site visit may be made.

• Looks at the weekly lists of applications submitted to the LPAs (when resource allows) to check that the AONB Service has been consulted. A document entitled ‘Guidelines for referral of Planning Applications’, written as part of a Planning Protocol (currently a Draft document), has been prepared. These guidelines will act to reduce the need for checking weekly lists in the future.

Does the AONB Service monitor planning applications?

Yes, the AONB Service does monitor planning applications but the process of monitoring is in its infancy. We are logging applications, noting our responses, checking and recording the planning decision and plotting this onto a GIS system. The purpose of monitoring is to identify trends in planning e.g. types of applications, numbers, locations etc. This information will then inform our work in the future - how we respond to applications and the types of guidance documents we produce.

I live within the Quantock Hills AONB and wish to make a planning application, where should I go for advice?

Your first port of call should be your Local Planning Authority which, if you live within the hills, will be Sedgemoor District Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council, or West Somerset Council. Each of these Planning Authorities has a dedicated planning section on their websites, offering a range of useful information such as:

• Whether you need planning permission for the plans/works you are considering.
• How to get advice before making a planning application (pre-application advice).
• How to apply for planning permission.
• Searching for planning applications on line (past and present).
• Useful policy and background information.

The links to the LPA planning pages are below:

Sedgemoor District Council:
http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2700

Taunton Deane Borough Council:
http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/irj/public/services/directory/service?rid=/guid/50a7b39f-0934-2c10-d885-9d8dd3361a14

West Somerset Council:
http://www.westsomersetonline.gov.uk/template3.asp?pid=1010&area=2

If you do not have access to the internet, you can telephone the LPA and ask to speak directly to a Planning Officer or call in to the Council offices where they have Planning Receptions.

For general information on planning, a very useful resource is the Government’s Planning Portal website. See http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/

There is also a dedicated section – “Planning, Building and the Environment” – on the Communities and Local Government website. See: http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/

A planning application has been submitted within the AONB. I have concerns/want to find out more. Where should I look?

You can search on line for planning application details, again via your LPA’s website using the links above. Once you have found the application, the supporting documentation is likely to be available to view, download and save. If you do not have regular access to the internet you can always contact your LPA by phone or visit their planning reception.

I want to comment on a planning application. How do I do this?

You can submit comments to the LPA and view comments that others have submitted (individuals and organisations) in respect of the same application. For directions on how to do this, you can contact your LPA or visit their website. If you are concerned that the AONB may not have been consulted and you feel the application may threaten the character and quality of the Quantock Hills landscape, please do call the AONB Service office and ask to speak to the Landscape Planning Officer.

Your comments and/or objections will hold greater weight if they are backed up by approved policies and guidance. Comments from individuals will be properly considered by a Planning Officer so do not be deterred from submitting comments as you may make a valid, ‘material consideration’ that others may have missed.

What types of response does the AONB Service make in respect of applications?

The AONB Service will consider all aspects of the application – type of development (e.g. commercial, domestic, conversion, agricultural), scale, style, location e.g. prominent hillside. These factors will be considered on an individual basis as well as collectively so as to make a judgment on likely impact on the landscape.

In most cases the AONB Service will submit comments and/or questions to the planning officer - offering guidance to inform the planning decision but also prompting consideration of specific issues that may not have been picked up on.

Where the AONB Service believes an application would have significant adverse impacts on the AONB, objections will be made.

Georgie Grant - January 2010