NCA Platform, Database & Atlas project

Tender description

This project is a key component within Defra’s and Natural England’s wider programme of work including supporting the creation of resilient landscapes. The outputs and evidence from this project will directly inform a range of strategic work included within Natural England’s statutory remit for the conservation and enhancement of England’s landscapes, and how and why they are changing. Key policy areas are: • the Defra 25 Year Environment Plan Indicator G1: Changes in landscape and waterscape character. • Conserving and enhancing all landscapes (including obligations under the European Landscape Convention for monitoring landscape change) • Statutory duties for the designation and advice relating to protected landscapes, including responding to proposals within the Glover Landscapes Review for enhanced monitoring of landscape change. This project includes 2 strands of work (detailed below) that need to develop closely to complement each other and be brought together as integrated products. The project involves a short review of previous work undertaken through pilot projects, followed by development and roll-out of a new National Character Area (NCA) profile platform, alongside development of a supporting database, change atlas and dashboard. This project will lay foundations for future phases to expand both products (subject to future funding). The initial package involves tight timescales requiring capacity for work strands to run partly in parallel; it will also require some innovative and creative input to help deliver the outputs in an engaging and exciting way.