Part 12: Miscellaneous Section 245: Protected landscapes
This section amends the relevant sections of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (‘the 1949 Act’) in accordance with subsections (2) and (3). The changes made by this section do not apply to Wales.
	Subsection (3) inserts new wording in section 11A of the 1949 Act so that certain relevant authorities ‘must seek to further’ the purposes of National Parks in England. It provides that only the existing duty to have regard to the purposes of a National Park in England applies to devolved Welsh authorities. Subsection (3)(d) would allow the Secretary of State to make regulations which set out how a relevant authority is to comply with the new duty.
	Subsection (3)(e) confirms that the meaning of ‘devolved Welsh authorities’ is the same as that set out in section 157A of the Government of Wales Act 2006.
	Subsection (4) provides that the Secretary of State may make regulations requiring National Park Management Plans for National Parks in England to contribute to meeting any target set under the Chapter 1 of part 1 of the Environment Act 2021 and setting out how such Management Plans must further the purposes of the National Park. Subsection (4) also provides that the Secretary of State may make regulations requiring relevant authorities (but not devolved Welsh Authorities, see above for definition) to contribute to the preparation (for a new National Park), implementation or review of National Park Management Plans in England and setting out how they should do so. Subsection (4) provides that the regulations are to be made by Statutory Instrument and sets out how the regulation making powers may be exercised.
	The section also amends the relevant sections of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 ("the 2000 Act") in accordance with subsections (6) to (10).
	Subsection (6) inserts new wording in section 85 of the 2000 Act so that certain relevant authorities ‘must seek to further’ the purpose of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England. It provides that only the existing duty to have regard to the purpose of an AONB in England applies to devolved Welsh authorities. Subsection (6)(c) would allow the Secretary of State to make regulations which set out how a relevant authority is to comply with the new duty. Subsection (6)(d) confirms that the meaning of ‘devolved Welsh authorities’ is the same as that set out in section 157A of the Government of Wales Act 2006.
	Subsection (7) changes section 87 of the 2000 Act so that English AONB Conservation Boards are required ‘to seek to further’ the purposes of the AONB. Subsection (7) also provides that any Conservation Boards established in relation to a Welsh AONB are the subject only of the existing duty to have regard to the purpose of the AONB.
	Subsection (8) enables the Secretary of State to make regulations requiring English AONB Management Plans to contribute to meeting any target set under the Chapter 1 of part 1 of the Environment Act 2021 and setting out how an English AONB Management Plan must further the purpose of the AONB.
	Subsection (9) enables the Secretary of State to make regulations which would require relevant authorities (but not devolved Welsh Authorities, see above for definition) to contribute to the preparation (for a new AONB), implementation or review of English AONB Management Plans and set out how they should do so.
	Subsection (10) provides that the regulations under the 2000 Act are to be made by Statutory Instrument and sets out how the regulation making powers may be exercised.
	The section also provides for changes to sections 17A and 17B of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1998 ("the 1998 Act") in accordance with subsections (12) to (15).
	Subsection (12) provides that the Secretary of State may make regulations which require the Broads Plan to contribute to meeting any target set under the Chapter 1 of part 1 of the Environment Act 2021 and which set out how the Broads Plan must further certain of the purposes of the Broads.
	Subsection (13) inserts new wording in section 17A of the 1998 Act so that a relevant authority ‘must seek to further’ the purposes of the Broads. It also allows the Secretary of State to make regulations which can specify how a relevant authority is to comply with the new duty.
	Subsection (14) allows the Secretary of State to make regulations requiring a relevant authority (but not devolved Welsh Authorities, see above for definition) to contribute to the implementation or review of the Broads Plan and setting out how a relevant authority may or must do so.