Planning shake-up will undermine countryside protection
We are fighting proposals that would blight valued landscapes up and down the country. Campaigners are concerned that their efforts to prevent environmentally damaging development are about to be undermined by new changes to the planning system.

Left unchallenged, many of these proposed developments will have a lasting and detrimental effect on these areas. Yet the Government may be about to make it even harder for local authorities to resist development pressures by shaking up the planning system so that it gives a default ‘yes’ to development proposals.

We believe that the pro-development stance the Government is taking, alongside the scrapping of targets that steered development towards previously used sites, will undermine protection for the countryside.

Threats to Outstanding Natrual Beauty across England

Northumberland
Threat to North Pennines AONB: Opencast mining
An application to dig 140,000 tonnesof coal from site next to the AONBwas recently refused but may go to appeal

Lancashire
Threat to Forest of Bowland AONB: Onshore wind farm
13 wind turbines, each 126.5m high,are proposed in the AONB

North Yorkshire
Threat to Nidderdale AONB: Onshore wind farm
Planning application for three 80metre wind turbines a mile fromthe AONB and Yorkshire DalesNational Park

Suffolk
Threat to Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB: Pylons and overhead lines
New energy generation capacity both on and off-shore could bring associated pylons and overhead lines to the AONB

Shropshire
Threat to Shropshire Hills AONB: Pylons and overhead lines
Proposal to install pylons and overhead lines, with one possible route next to AONB

Herefordshire
Threat to Wye Valley AONB: Polytunnel development
54ha polytunnel development and associated mobile homes for workers permitted in AONB

Buckinghamshire
Threat to Chilterns AONB: High Speed 2
Although all but 2.5km of the 20.5km of the route through the AONB would either be in tunnel, cutting or along the A413 main road, this includes a 500m viaduct that could have severe impacts on the Missenden valley

Gloucestershire
Threat to Cotswolds AONB: Motorway service station
A new major motorway service station on the M5 has been approved by the council, next to AONB

Wiltshire
Threat to Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs AONB: Housing development
Permission expected for 90 houses on a greenfield site in the village of Tisbury, within the AONB

Cornwall
Threat to Cornwall AONB: Housing development
15 houses in Trevone, a small village which is unsuited to the development

Berkshire
Threat to North Wessex Downs AONB: Incinerator
A new incinerator plant proposed at Chieveley, with 85 metre high stacks

Kent
Threat to Kent Downs AONB: Lydd airport expansion
Proposal to extend runway and expand terminal buildings, aim to increase passenger capacity to 500,00pa up from
4,000 at present

Sussex
Threat to Chichester Harbour AONB: Glasshouse development
Large scale glass house development proposed next to the AONB, likely to expand in the future if approved

More about the areas under threat
England’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – under threat around the country (239K PDF)

Detailed map
MAP: Threats to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (1MB PDF)