Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing protections for (a) the Chilterns national landscape and (b) other national landscapes under the national planning policy framework.

The government is committed to ensuring that our most important and cherished landscapes are appropriately protected so they can be enjoyed by future generations.

Planning policy is clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise the character and beauty of the countryside, and local authorities are expected to protect heritage assets which can include landscape and setting of listed buildings.

Only local authorities or the Secretary of State can give permission for development in, or affecting, a National Landscape (previously known as AONB). Local planning authorities must make sure that any proposals have regard for the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the National Landscape.

The National Planning Policy Framework states that great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Landscapes, and that the scale and extent of any development in these areas should be limited.