Chilterns AONB Boundary Review gets underway

After waiting for many years, we are hopeful that the Chilterns AONB Boundary Review project is finally moving ahead. Here at CPRE Hertfordshire, we want to see a wider area benefit from the protections of the formal AONB designation.

In January 2023, prominent landscape consultancy LUC was commissioned by Natural England to review the boundary of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

This boundary review project is a part of Natural England’s wider Landscape Designation Programme announced two years ago, to assess the desirability of creating two new AONBs and extending two existing AONBs – the Chilterns AONB and the Surrey Hills AONB. Natural England’s announcement comes after more than a decade of gathering proposals and evidence, dating back to 2011.

The current designation of the Chilterns AONB protects a specific area. The boundary defines which places need special consideration with regards to planning, development or land-use change. But the current geographical area of the AONB does not cover the whole of the Chilterns landscape, with some of the Chilterns natural characteristics extending past the existing boundary.

What are AONBs?

‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)’ is a formal designation for an area of land that is of national importance for its natural beauty. There are 34 AONBs across England.

The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949 was the original legislation that created AONBs. It came about after the Second World War in response to increasing pressure for new development. The first AONB was designated in 1956 in the Gower Peninsula, South Wales.

More recent government legislation has strengthened the protection of AONBs. For example, the Countryside and Rights of Way Act of 2000 (the CROW Act) requires protection of the land in each AONB in order to conserve and enhance its natural beauty.

The Chilterns AONB

The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was first designated in 1965. It was then extended in 1990 in recognition of its fine landscapes and unique geological, ecological and heritage features.

The Chilterns AONB currently covers 324 square miles of countryside across four counties: Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Within Hertfordshire, the AONB covers portions of Three Rivers District, Dacorum Borough and North Hertfordshire District.

Much of the Chilterns AONB is farmland, and over 20% is wooded. There are a number of precious chalk streams, and the area is rich in archeological heritage.

The Chilterns Conservation Board (CCB) is the organisation responsible for managing the Chilterns AONB, including conserving and enhancing its natural beauty, and increasing the understanding and enjoyment by the public of the area. The CCB has an interactive digital map of the AONB on their website; this also shows the existing boundary of the AONB.

Boundary review project – process and timeline

CPRE Hertfordshire is a registered stakeholder in the boundary review project, but we await further details. Here’s what we know so far.

We know that the LUC consultants will be working closely with the Chilterns Conservation Board along with Natural England, local authorities, and other partner organisations. The consultants have indicated that there will first be a detailed technical assessment following the process outlined in Natural England’s guidance. This will consider factors contributing to natural beauty including landscape quality, scenic quality, relative wildness, relative tranquillity, natural heritage features and cultural heritage.

There will be informal and statutory consultations as part of the designation process. The LUC consultants have indicated that all those who care about the Chilterns will have the opportunity to have their say in what will be a wide consultation on the proposed AONB boundary.

Statutory consultation is expected to occur in 2024, with the aim of submitting the Designation Order to the Secretary of State by the end of 2024.

What next?

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