The aim of the Geodiversity Audit and Action Plan

The principal aim of this plan is to provide the framework necessary for informing the sustainable management, planning, conservation and interpretation of all aspects of the geodiversity of the Northumberland National Park and surrounding area well into the future. As the first comprehensive plan for a National Park it is intended to serve as an example of good practice for National Parks and other protected areas in Great Britain.

The Government’s Policy and Planning Statement 1:

Delivering Sustainable Communities requires that plan policies and planning decisions should be based on up-todate information about the environmental characteristics of an area. These characteristics include the relevant biodiversity and geological resources (geodiversity). Recommendations and action points for any aspect of geodiversity can only be meaningful and credible if they are devised in the light of a sound, modern understanding of the areas earth science. Accordingly, the key elements of the area’s geology are outlined here in sufficient detail to inform and underpin specific recommendations and action points. They also enable a user, who may not be a trained geologist, or who may be unfamiliar with the area, to appreciate the relevance and contribution each element makes to its geodiversity.