The Management Plan for the Chilterns National Landscape

All National Landscapes must publish a Management Plan and promote its implementation by a wide range of organisations, including local authorities, government agencies, community groups and landowners.

In most National Landscapes, local authorities prepare this Plan, but in the Chilterns, it is prepared by the Conservation Board on behalf of, and in partnership with, the local authorities, communities and other stakeholders who have an interest in the landscape and can help to bring the Plan’s vision into reality. The Plan usually runs for five years and is then reviewed to see if its content needs to be updated.

The current Plan for the Chilterns is “the Chilterns AONB Management Plan 2019–2024: Caring for the Chilterns forever and for everyone”. It contains a comprehensive summary of the key issues facing the National Landscape and the management policies and actions needed to conserve this special place. It was adopted by the Conservation Board in 2019, following detailed research and wide public consultation, and has been widely endorsed by local stakeholders.

Government is currently introducing a wide range of reforms and new requirements relating to National Landscapes and their Management Plans. To account for this, National Landscapes have the option to delay reviewing their plans by up to a year by publishing a “light-touch review” statement. The Chilterns National Landscape has taken up this option, and as a result, our current Plan has been extended until the end of March 2025.

We will be working with stakeholders to refresh the current Plan during 2024/25.

You can read the Plan below, or download the Plan – in full or in shorter chapters – and various supporting documents, including the “light-touch review” statement.

Download the Management Plan

icon Full Management Plan


icon Summary leaflet


icon Light-Touch Review Statement, April 2023


Read the Management Plan online

Please note that the Plan has been extended to the end of March 2025.

Individual chapters

icon Light-Touch Review Statement, April 2023


icon 1-4. Forewords, Introduction and Vision


icon 5. Nature


icon 6. Historic Environment


icon 7. Land, Woodland & Water


icon 8. Enjoyment & Understanding


icon 9. Social & Economic Wellbeing


icon 10. Development


icon 11. Implementation & monitoring


Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment

As part of the process for producing the Management Plan the Board has prepared a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening Report of the Management Plan and a Habitats Regulations Assessment. Downloads of the reports and responses from the statutory bodies are available below.

SEA Screening Report
SEA Screening Report Responses
HRA Screening Report
HRA Screening Report Responses

Related news

Chess Smarter Water Catchment team features in “The Ripple Effect”

Recently our River Chess Smarter Water Catchment team were delighted to contribute towards an ambitious digital campaign spearheaded by The Chartered Institution of Water and Environment Management (CIWEM) and in collaboration with Content With Purpose (CWP).

Chilterns to play major role in £2m ground-breaking national art project

Nature Calling will bring together local arts organisations and community groups in the Luton area.

Integrating citizen science into catchment management: Lessons learnt from the River Chess

The Chilterns National Landscape is spearheading innovative research through the Chess Smarter Water Catchment initiative, addressing one of the government’s...

Chilterns ANOB
Chilterns ANOB

Keep in touch!

Sign up for our email newsletter to ensure you never miss out on news about our work in the Chilterns National Landscape.
Chilterns ANOB

Upcoming events

Find out what's on in the Chilterns - walking or biking, food & drinks, serious trekking or a picnic on the flat - the possibilities are endless.