Review on Dartmoor National Park Core Strategy
1. Introduction
Through indicating a general trend of ongoing development approaches, an emphasis has been given to the sustainable development in the coming years. A spatial planning framework for Dartmoor National Park and its surrounding areas, the Dartmoor National
Park Core Strategy Development Plan Document 2006-2026, offers a specific vision for a
‘Sustainable Dartmoor National Park’ accompanied by the homologous sustainability objectives and detailed projects from both macroscopic and microcosmic directions. By analyzing the impacts and necessities of earlier documents, this Core Strategy provides a more sophisticated spatial strategy on sustainable development in Dartmoor National
Park from the year 2006 to 2026. Considering the variety of situations in different areas with specific characters, a series of policies, which have covered a large range, are set out to ensure their appropriateness. This review will conclude and evaluate the plan-making process of the Core Strategy, against its implementation and monitoring works. 2. Strategic Plan Review
2.1 Content of the strategic plan
Under a general vision of ‘sustainable Dartmoor National Park’, variety of development baselines were settled to process the protection and maintenance of the Dartmoor
National Park; in this case to improve the sustainability degree and contribute to environmental, cultural, social and economic development within the area. Stimulating the public awareness and enjoyment of the unique circumstance of the national park are particularly stressed, while the connection and cohesion between communities are also emphasized. Moreover, a large amount of scenarios and details are used to address the variety of issues happened in different part of the National Park. As for the implementation, general spatial development directions and priorities were provided for local authorities.
The Core Strategy defines the crucial policies on decision-making and modification processes, and further issues the guidance for essential development within the National
Park. In conclusion, this plan helps to translate the spatial vision and sustainable subjects into a number of tangible targets within detailed policy supports, which further stimulates the local sustainability by overarching guidance.
With a spatial vision that focusing on the matching between management and the
National Park’s resources, as well as the improvement of the resource utilization rate, the
Core Strategy displays 16 sustainable objectives from environmental and heritage, social well-being, economy & transport and prudent use of energy perspectives. These have later been evaluated by the Sustainability Appraisal / Sustainable Environment Appraisal
(SA/SEA). This scoping report analyzed a series of challenges that the Core Strategy would face. Hence, those specific issues were undertaken while preparing this document.
These issues have covered a large extent of aspects, which asks not merely focusing on the single practice, but also considering the interactions across disciplines. Based on the
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combination of existing strengths and weaknesses, local authority absorbed the recommendations from public and SA/SEA report, possible opportunities and potential challenges are investigated from social, environmental and economic standpoints. Thus, the core strategic aims are restated for the Core Strategy.
2.2 Evidence and the associated analysis methods
In response to a series of comprehensive principles of spatial planning approaches claimed by ODPM, and to fulfill the sustainable development requirements stated by the
Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, this Core Strategy is one of the key components of the plan-making processes for sustainable development at local level.
Meanwhile, the responsibilities of local authority are designated through the combination of two statutory National Park purposes and a
