Following Jonathan Lord MP’s successful campaign to get Natural England to carry out a Boundary Review of the Surrey Hills AONB, Mr Lord was delighted to visit Wanborough Fields with fellow Surrey MPs to meet local residents, Councillors and representatives from the Surrey Hills committee.
The MPs in attendance were (from left to right):
- Angela Richardson MP
- Claire Coutinho MP
- Jeremy Hunt MP
- Chris Grayling MP
- Jonathan Lord MP
The Surrey Hills AONB boundary has not been reviewed since its original designation in 1958. Some areas of countryside outside the AONB boundary, such as in Wanborough, are designated as Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) by local authorities which means they do not have the same protection against Green Belt development that areas in the AONB have. This essential review will look to move these AGLV into the protection of the Surrey Hills AONB which provides well renowned walking trails and cycling routes, a rich cultural heritage, vast agriculture as well as precious green space for local residents to enjoy.
Jonathan Lord MP commented: “Areas of Great Landscape Value adjacent to the Surrey Hills AONB have long been considered worthy of upgrading to the higher designation, forming as they do a continuous, sweeping landscape that must be conserved and enhanced for future generations. I was delighted to visit Wanborough Fields with my fellow Surrey MPs to learn more about the benefits of this review for areas such as Wanborough and I am grateful for their support with this important campaign.”
