Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
As an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ( AONB; German " Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty " ) are referred to standing under special protection in rural areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The main purpose of a classification as an AONB is to preserve the natural beauty of the landscape and enhance, taking into account the needs of the local population. To achieve these objectives, monitors the AONB 's governing body on compliance with special planning regulations and operates countryside.
AONB can be compared to the National Parks in England and Wales. So they have a common legal basis for the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (Law on National Parks and Access to the countryside ). However, in contrast to the national parks, the AONB do not own supervisors and are not legal entities which special regulations may be adopted to avert undesired developments. The influence of the AONB to the local administrative authorities is low. In order to increase the influence, the government issued the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which has not yet been fully implemented. With this law, the AONB should receive equal say in planning issues such as national parks.
There are 36 AONB in England, four in Wales, nine in Northern Ireland and one that exceeds the Anglo- Welsh border. The extent of the AONB varies greatly, the smallest are the Scilly Islands with an area of 16 km ², the largest the Cotswolds with 2038 km ². The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 has no legal force in Scotland. There are National Scenic Areas, which have a different legal basis and are under the supervision of the government agency Scottish Natural Heritage.
List of AONB
England
- Arnside and Silverdale
- Blackdown Hills
- Cannock Chase AONB
- Chichester Harbour
- Chiltern Hills
- Cornwall AONB Bodmin Moor
- Forest of Bowland
- High Weald
- Howardian Hills
- Isle of Wight AONB
- Isles of Scilly
- Kent Downs
- Lincolnshire Wolds
- Malvern Hills
- Mendip Hills
- Nidderdale
- Norfolk Coast
- North Devon AONB
- North Pennines
- Northumberland Coast
- North Wessex Downs
- Quantock Hills
- Shropshire Hills
- Solway Coast
- South Devon
- South Hampshire Coast
- Suffolk Coast and Heaths
- Surrey Hills
- South Downs
- Tamar Valley
Wales
- Anglesey
- Clwydian Range
- Moel Famau
- Gower Peninsula
- Lleyn Peninsula
- Wye Valley
Northern Ireland
- Antrim Coast and Glens
- Causeway Coast
- Lagan Valley
- Lecale Coast
- Mourne Mountains
- North Derry
- Ring of Gullion
- Sperrin Mountains
- Strangford Lough