Natural England are urging everyone to contribute to the review of Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- Local knowledge is being sought to help decide on the extension of Surrey Hills Area of Natural Beauty (AONB) boundaries
- Natural England is calling for everyone with an interest to contribute
- Whether you live in the Surrey Hills AONB, run a local business, enjoy visiting, care about landscapes and biodiversity, or represent an organisation – your evidence could be crucial in helping determine whether an extension is merited
The Surrey Hills is an iconic and beautiful landscape encompassing rare habitats, from chalk grassland to extensive ancient woodland and is enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors.
There has been a desire locally over many years for a review to decide whether additional areas adjacent to the existing AONB boundary should also be designated.
Earlier this year Natural England announced that the Surrey Hills AONB will be considered for boundary expansion.A formal boundary review is now underway, which will consider the case for extending the existing AONB.
Members of the public are urged to take part and contribute to Natural England’s decision making process. This stage is a ‘call for evidence’ to gather a range of data and information in a structured way. This will help to address the specific technical requirements of the formal assessment process.
Further details on the Natural England website here
Details about the review are available on the dedicated website www.surrey-hills-aonb-boundary-review.org. Anyone who wishes to comment should do so by 31st January 2022.
In Effingham the AONB in the southern part of the parish as shown in the map below, south of Effingham Golf Club.
In National Planning Policy Framework, paragraph 11 states that development provides a strong reason for restricting the overall scale, type or distribution of development in the AONB (as well as other protected areas).
Parish of Effingham