Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB) Variation Project Second Consultation

Overview

Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB) Boundary Variation Project – 2^nd Consultation

This webpage contains information and the online survey for those wishing to respond to the second statutory and public consultation for the Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB*) Boundary Variation Project.

Links to all the relevant documents and figures as well as details on all of the online and physical engagement events and document locations for this second consultation can be found on this website.  Please read on to be signposted to these.

The webpage for the 1^st consultation is now obsolete, but if you need to refer to it and any of the previous documentation you can find the link here: Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Boundary Variation Project - Defra - Citizen Space.

*AONBs were recently rebranded as National Landscapes; however, when designating, Natural England still legally designates an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  To avoid confusion, the reports and documents attached to this webpage refer to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONBs, throughout. If additional land is subsequently designated, it would then be branded as part of the Surrey Hills National Landscape.

Background

Natural England is the public body responsible for conserving and enhancing the natural environment in England. One of Natural England’s statutory duties is to assess whether an area should be given special status and protection by designating it as a National Park or National Landscape. The purpose of such designation is to conserve and enhance an area’s natural beauty, and the designation is made using statutory powers in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

In June 2021, Natural England announced an ambitious new programme to assess four areas for possible designation as National Landscapes. This includes the extension of two existing National Landscapes, the Surrey Hills and the Chilterns, and the consideration of two new areas, the Yorkshire Wolds and the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge.

The Surrey Hills National Landscape boundary has not been reviewed since its original designation in 1958 but there have been various calls locally to reconsider the boundary. Some areas of countryside outside but adjacent to the National Landscape boundary are designated as Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) by local authorities in recognition of their value at a county level. Following a series of landscape evaluation studies and a formal request by the Surrey Hills National Landscape Board, Natural England began exploring whether certain areas adjacent to the Surrey Hills National Landscape should be included within the designation.

Progress so far

For a summary of progress on this project so far, please see the flow charts below.

In 2021 Natural England began work on the Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB) Boundary Review by conducting an early call for evidence that helped build an understanding of potential areas to extend the boundary. Our specialist landscape consultants then undertook technical assessments of the landscape, identifying distinct extension areas (see steps 1 to 4 of flow chart).

Statutory and Public Consultation (2023)

In 2023 Natural England held a statutory and public consultation for our proposed extension to the Surrey Hills National Landscape (step 5 of the flow chart). We have since reviewed the consultation responses. During our analysis work we revisited our initial assessments and undertook additional field work, especially where a review of the boundary was required. We have now produced a detailed analysis report which presents the findings of the consultation and analysis process (step 6 of the flow chart).

Of the 1518 responses, an overwhelming majority were supportive of the proposed extensions.  Every proposed extension area attracted respondents who wished to comment on the detailed boundary and a small number of responses did not agree with the proposed extensions.  You can find the consultation analysis report and analysis tables with accompanying figures below.

The evidence provided through the consultation process presented an opportunity to include additional land in the Surrey Hills and this has been reflected in the analysis tables and accompanying figures.

Further fieldwork has now been completed on an area of land to the west of the Surrey Hills National Landscape in East Hampshire (step 7 of the flow chart below). This land was highlighted through the consultation process as having the potential to qualify for designation.

Our revised proposals include:

• 27 additional areas as a result of boundary reviews
• 13 minor deletions of previous proposed boundary extensions as a result of boundary reviews
• 3 additional areas within East Hampshire as a result of an additional assessment

Why your views matter

We now wish to hear your views on the further proposed changes to the boundary and on the East Hampshire assessment we have undertaken and are therefore carrying out a second consultation. This consultation will run from the 17^th September 2024 until the 10^th December 2024, lasting 12 weeks.

The purpose of this consultation is to seek your views on proposed boundary changes and whether the proposed areas in East Hampshire have the qualities required for inclusion within an AONB, whether they should be designated and whether the proposed boundaries are appropriate.

Further information is available within the technical documents listed below, which you can find via links on the next page:

• Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB) Boundary Variation Project Consultation Analysis Report and associated appendices 1-21 (July 2024). These documents contain a detailed analysis of responses and the reasons for our proposed changes;
• Second Consultation Index map and detailed maps -Figures 12b-29b;
• Surrey Hills National Landscape (AONB) Boundary Variation Project East Hampshire Evaluation (Aug 2024). This document contains a detailed assessment of land in East Hampshire.

The second round of consultation will be limited to additions and deletions to the proposed extension areas, including the land in East Hampshire, which will be clearly identified within the documents that have been produced for the consultation. It will not be necessary to repeat responses that have already been submitted in the first round of consultation for a proposed extension area.    

Before providing your response, please read the Consultation Document for this second consultation which provides further background and information on the revised proposals. You may then either provide a response via this online platform or request a paper copy of the response form to be posted to your address (please request by either emailing the project mailbox at: surreyhillsaonbboundaryreview@naturalengland.org.uk or telephoning the Enquiries Line at 0300 060 3900).

Consultation events

During the consultation, we will be holding three online webinars for statutory consultees, stakeholders and members of the public. The webinars will provide information about the project so far and to explain how you can participate in this second round of consultation. The three webinars will be at the following times:

Webinar 1 - 18th September, 14.00. Link to Eventbrite booking page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/surrey-hills-national-landscape-aonb-boundary-variation-webinar-1-tickets-1007492706807

Webinar 2 - 19th September, 19.00. Link to Eventbrite booking page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/surrey-hills-national-landscape-aonb-boundary-variation-webinar-2-tickets-1007498353697

Webinar 3 - 24th September, 10.00. Link to Eventbrite booking page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/surrey-hills-national-landscape-aonb-boundary-variation-webinar-3-tickets-1007499647567

All webinars will cover the same content and we will upload a recording of the presentation to this website for those that are unable to attend a webinar.

In addition, we will also be holding two face to face drop in events where you will be able to view the maps and reports and speak to a member of our team. We will be updating this page with more details on these two drop-in events shortly. Please note, that whilst the project team will be available to answer questions about the proposals and advise on how to respond to the consultation, we will not be collecting consultation responses at the events. 

1^st face-2-face all day drop-in event: East Hampshire, time and location TBC (more details will be provided on this webpage shortly)

2^nd face-2-face all day drop-in event: East Surrey, time and location TBC (more details will be provided on this webpage shortly)

Consultation Documents

All of the documents associated with this consultation are available to view or download from this website. Please click through to the next page to find these.  If you would like to view a physical (hard copy) version, details of the locations these can be viewed and face to face events can be found further on in the survey.

How to get in touch

The consultation events provide an opportunity for attendees to understand the proposals in more detail and how to respond to the consultation, If you are not able to attend the events, have any further questions or would like to request a physical copy of the consultation document, please reach out to the project team via:

• Emailing the project mailbox at surreyhillsaonbboundaryreview@naturalengland.org.uk; or,
• Telephoning the Enquiries Lines at 0300 060 3900.
• Writing to us at: Meg Johannessen, Natural England, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF

What happens next

After this second round of consultation finishes we will analyse the consultation responses (step 9), the proposals will be reviewed and where necessary, proposed boundaries amended to take account of any further relevant evidence received.

If no fundamental objections arise which cannot be overcome, and assuming no identified boundaries need to be altered as a result of the consultation, the next stage will be to draw up the draft Variation Order. A Variation Order consists of the legal documents required to vary an AONB boundary. Natural England will then publish the Variation Order in the London Gazette and other papers as required by Section 83(2) of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Natural England Board approval will be sought for the draft Variation Order prior to publication of the Notice period (step 10).

The Notice Period allows anyone who wishes to do so to make representations to Natural England, objecting to, supportive of, or proposing amendments to the proposal, and stating the grounds on which they are made.

Following the Notice Period, a further period of response analysis will be undertaken, and any further consequent changes made to the draft legal Order (step 11). Natural England Board approval will then be sought to allow the Order to be finalised and submitted to the Secretary of State for confirmation (step 12). If there are any unresolved objections, these will be submitted to the Secretary of State with the Order, who has discretion to call a Public Inquiry, before deciding whether or not to confirm the Order.

It is important to note the Secretary of State may choose to confirm the Order, confirm with amendments, or reject the Order. It is not possible to say how long the Secretary of State's decision will take. The Secretary of State may also call a Public Inquiry to assist in their decision making in relation to whether the designation should be confirmed or not or amended. A Public Inquiry provides a further opportunity to explore any remaining unresolved objections to assist the Secretary of State in their decision making.