A new five-year action plan designed to help protect and enhance landscapes across England has been unveiled by the Forestry Commission (FC).

The strategy aims to provide ways to improve policies, guidance and standards. It has also been designed to support the government in its efforts to meet its commitments under the European Landscape Convention. It is also hoped that the new plan will provide a better understanding of how woodland landscapes are planned and protected on land managed by the commission.

Roger Worthington, a landscape architect for the FC, said: "The Forestry Commission already has a lot of experience of considering how trees affect the countryside at a landscape-scale. "For example, our Forest Design Plans are sensitive to surrounding landscapes and involve consultation with local communities and industry professionals."