Mendip Hills National Landscape has launched a consultation to gather feedback on priorities for the management of the countryside over the next five years. 

Shaping the 2025 to 2030 management plan, the team wants to hear from residents, businesses and visitors to the area about what they think the plan should focus on.

The consultation asks what people love about the area, and what steps the partnership can be taken to improve it.

The partnership is the overarching body that brings all the relevant authorities together that conserve and enhance the national landscape. 

The plan covers the themes of nature recovery, climate change, people, and place.

Jim Hardcastle, manager of Mendip Hills National Landscape, said: "The Mendip Hills is a distinctive and nationally important landscape, with diverse habitats supporting abundant wildlife. We know it's a place that so many enjoy and care about. 

"Such a special place requires careful and considered management. As we prepare the next Management Plan, we want to know if we're prioritising what matters most to you – the people who live, work in, and explore the area. We invite you to share your thoughts with us to help shape the future of our countryside. 

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"From the last review, we could see that people were concerned about the loss of nature, so we turned this concern into a Nature Recovery Plan for the area and a Nature Recovery Ranger who now leads practical work across the landscape.

"Visitor pressure was another key piece of feedback, which led us to employ a Sustainable Recreation Officer and install visitor counters across the area to help land managers understand how their sites are being used." 

The Management Plan is a statutory document required by Natural England under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act.

For more information and to complete the survey, visit the website here.

The consultation is open until Wednesday, October 30 2024. 

Should any further support or information be required, the project team can be contacted on [email protected] or call 0330 107 0535.