Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress Natural England have made on the proposed expansion of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Beauty; and if he will set out a timeline for a consultation on that expansion.

The Department is aware that Natural England in light of pressure on their budgets have taken the hard decision to stop work on the Chilterns boundary review. It had yet to reach the stage of sharing proposed ‘candidate areas’ publicly and as a result of having to stop the project there is no longer a planned timeline for the public consultation. Natural England are in contact with the affected partners to work through the implications of this decision over the coming weeks. Natural England continues to recognise the value landscape designations bring to people and nature and remain committed to maximising that value over the long term.