Plans to expand an area of outstanding natural beauty could extend environmental protections and bring it closer to people living in towns.

Natural England announced on June 24 that the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), is to be considered for boundary expansion.

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value.

Securing this designation would allow the area to benefit from greater protections, so that more of these landscapes are safeguarded for future generations.

The Chiltern Hills AONB is north west of London and covers 660 square miles stretching 45 miles from Goring-on-Thames to Hitchin across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire.

An extension would provide direct access to high-quality natural environments from urban areas such as Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Rickmansworth and north London.

This newly designated land would provide people living in these areas with greater opportunities to access to countryside including chalk streams, beechwood forests, native woodland and wildflower-rich hills.

Allison Potts, area manager for Natural England, said: “The Chilterns represent some of the finest and most accessible landscapes in south east England. Designated to conserve and enhance natural beauty, the area is enjoyed by millions of people from across the region.”

Dr Elaine King, Chief Executive Officer at the Chilterns Conservation Board, said: “We are delighted that Natural England has chosen to consider our proposal for the Chilterns AONB to be increased in size.”

“We are also excited at the opportunity to explore new and innovative approaches by which we can tackle the impacts of climate change, reverse declines in nature, support our local businesses and improve people’s wellbeing and access to our special landscapes. This is even more important as we all work to recover from the impacts of the Covid pandemic.”

Chair of Natural England Tony Juniper said: “One thing that has become very apparent recently, and especially during the pandemic, is the enormous benefit people get from having access to beautiful nature-rich landscapes.

“These can, however, be hard for many people to access, thereby raising the question of how more can be done to bring nature and people closer together.

“On this, we see huge opportunities arising from the establishment of the England Nature Recovery Network, of which wilder national landscapes will be a vital part.”

It is not possible to give exact locations of proposed extensions at this stage. The designation process is likely to take several years and will be a collaborative process working closely with local stakeholders.

Natural England will take forward the Prime Minister’s commitment in his 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, including three other areas – the Surrey Hills, Cheshire Sandstone Ridge and Yorkshire Wolds.

These will be considered for greater protections, with potential to deliver over 40 per cent of the additional 4,000km2 required to meet the UK’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of our land by 2030.

Further details on the current boundaries of the Chilterns AONB can be found at www.chilternsaonb.org