A new future for the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

We are delighted by yesterday’s announcement that Natural England will be exploring extending the Chilterns AONB boundary.

Over the past decade CPRE Hertfordshire staff and volunteers have been involved with the Chiltern Conservation Board in developing the proposal for this extension.

This is great news for the future of the Chilterns and an important first step in protecting more of Hertfordshire’s beautiful countryside from unwanted development. We look forward to continuing to work with the Chilterns Conservation Board and other local groups in the area to enhance and protect our countryside.

We now need to see the Government follow through on this and on its other commitment that “At no time has the Government proposed building on the Green Belt (or on Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty)”. But while this extension to the Chilterns AONB is cause for celebration, the rest of the government response to the Glover Review has left us, well, a little underwhelmed. 

Read CPRE’s full comment here.