Chilterns AONB Boundary Review Update January 2023
LUC are delighted to have been commissioned by Natural England to review the boundary of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), as part of Natural England’s Landscape Designation Programme. This project will assess natural beauty and the desirability of extension of the AONB around the whole boundary.
Kate Ahern, Ed White and Rebecca Greatrix of LUC
Kate Ahern, LUC Landscape Planning Director says:
“We know and love the Chilterns through our past work within the AONB. We are looking forward to getting started on the boundary review and assessing areas for extension of this beautiful landscape.”
LUC will be working closely with the Chilterns Conservation Board, Natural England, local authorities and partner organisations through a Management Advisory Group and a Technical Advisory Group.
This first task is the detailed technical assessment following the process outlined Natural England’s guidance which considers factors contributing to natural beauty: landscape quality, scenic quality, relative wildness, relative tranquillity, natural heritage features, and cultural heritage.
We are developing a stakeholder engagement plan for the informal and statutory consultation as part of the designation process. People who love the Chilterns will be given an opportunity to have their say on the proposals with wide consultation on the proposed draft boundary. Statutory Consultation will take place in 2024 with the aim being to submit the Designation Order to the Secretary of State by the end of 2024.
We will keep people updated on progress.
If you have any comments or questions, please send them to chilternsaonbboundaryreview@naturalengland.org.uk.
Related news
New lighting guidance launched to help protect the Chilterns’ dark skies
We are excited to announce the launch of the Chilterns Lighting Planning Guidance.
New planning guidance launched to protect fragile chalk streams
We are excited to announce the launch of the Chilterns Chalk Streams Planning Guidance.
New toolkit empowers communities to conserve and enhance the Chilterns National Landscape
This month we published an online Neighbourhood Planning Toolkit to help communities take action to conserve and enhance their local area.
Update June 2025
Unfortunately, Natural England has now confirmed the cancellation of the Chilterns Boundary Review project due to national budget cuts. This decision brings the project to a close, and no further work will be undertaken at this time. However, we will continue to work closely with Natural England, and will be urging Ministers to identify the funding needed to complete this important work in the future.