Networks of Co-operation and Knowledge in 'Wider Countryside' Planning

Approaches to biodiversity and catchment planning increasingly recognize the importance of the 'wider countryside' rather than the more site-specific focus of traditional environmental management programmes. Biodiversity depends on the viability of ecosystems across the whole countryside, and not only in designated reserves; equally, the quantity and quality of inland waters reflect overall conditions within river catchments, as well as the hydrological conditions of specific river channels. However, planning of these wider areas involves partnerships and agreements between a range of actors, which generally must be negotiated on a consensual basis and are vulnerable to subsequent dissent. This paper examines the actor-networks which have arisen in some innovative examples of 'wider countryside' planning and assesses their durability and contribution to the attainment of environmental objectives.