Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan

NE3 The Chilterns AONB and setting

The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a nationally designated landscape and as such permission for major developments will be refused unless exceptional circumstances prevail as defined by national planning policy.

Proposals for any major development affecting the AONB must demonstrate they:

  • conserve and enhance, in accordance with criteria f-m below, the Chiltern AONB’s special qualities, distinctive character, tranquillity and remoteness in accordance with national planning policy and the overall purpose of the AONB designation
  • are appropriate to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the area or is desirable for its understanding and enjoyment
  • within the AONB areas, meet the aims of the statutory Chilterns AONB Management Plan, making practical and financial contributions as appropriate;
  • within the AONB area, have had regard to the Chilterns Building Design Guide and technical notes by being of high quality design which respects the natural beauty of the Chilterns, its traditional built character and reinforces the sense of place and local character, and
  • avoid adverse impacts from individual proposals (including their cumulative effects), unless these can be satisfactorily mitigated.

the case of major developments, actions to conserve and enhance the AONB shall be informed by landscape and visual impact assessment, having considered all relevant landscape character assessments, and shall focus upon:

  • the Chilterns AONB’s special qualities which include the steep chalk escarpment with areas of flower-rich downland, broadleaved woodlands (especially beech), commons, tranquil valleys, the network of ancient routes, villages with their brick and flint houses, chalk streams and a rich historic environment of hillforts and chalk figures
  • the scope for enhancing and restoring those parts of the landscape which are degraded or subject to existing intrusive developments, utilities or infrastructure
  • locally distinctive patterns and species composition of natural features such as chalk downland, trees, hedgerows, woodland, field boundaries, rivers and chalk streams
  • the locally distinctive character of settlements and their landscape settings, including the transition between man-made and natural landscapes at the edge of settlements;
  • visually sensitive skylines, geological and topographical features
  • landscapes of cultural, historic and heritage value
  • important views and visual amenity from public vantage points, including key views from the steep north-west facing chalk escarpment overlooking the low clay vale, and foreground views back to the AONB, and
  • tranquillity, remoteness and the need to avoid intrusion from light pollution, noise, and transport.

Any other (non-major) development can also have an impact on the AONB and its setting and will be required to meet criteria a., d. and e. above. Any development likely to impact on the AONB should provide a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) in line with the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment - version 3 or as amended.

Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan