Sixty Years of Surrey Hills AONB Celebrated at The House Of Commons

Published on: 18 May, 2018
Updated on: 24 May, 2018

A reception was held at the House of Commons to celebrate the diamond anniversary of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The event, on May 8, was hosted by The Rt Hon John Bercow MP in the State Rooms at Speaker’s House. It marked 60 years since AONB status was given to the Surrey Hills area, which stretches from Farnham in the west to Oxted and the Kent border in the east.

Picture at the reception from left: Christine Howard, Surrey Hills Society chairman; Peter Martin, chairman of Surrey County Council; Perdita Hunt, Heritage Lottery Fund; Lord Gardiner, the Minister for Rural Affairs; Anne Milton MP for Guildford; David Wright, chairman of the Surrey Hills Board; Michael More-Molyneux, Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey; Mitseh Solanki, service director at Kier; and Kenneth Bare of the Surrey Hills Society.

Guests included Lord Gardiner of Kimble, Defra Minister for National Parks; Michael More-Molyneux, the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey; and the Kier Group, who sponsored the reception and who are working in co-operation with Network Rail on the re-development of Guildford railway station.

Also in attendance was Guildford MP Anne Milton.

“The Surrey Hills was one of the first landscapes in England to be protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” Lord Gardiner said, “and I am delighted to celebrate its sixtieth year.

“With its spectacular views, beautiful villages and extensive woodlands, this landscape is a true testament to the vision of conservation and environmental enhancement that underpins our areas of outstanding natural beauty.”

David Wright, OBE, chairman of the Surrey Hills Board, added: “Our work to maintain this special part of the South East needs to be more focused than ever, as we face the many challenges to conserve and enhance the Surrey Hills for future generations.

“The Speakers House at the heart of Government is a fitting place to celebrate the value that our politicians, visitors and residents place on this nationally protected landscape.”

Surrey Hills AONB is one of 46 nationally protected landscapes in the UK, with landscape status and protection equal to a National Park. It was the first AONB to be designated in the South East of England – the very first was the Gower, South Wales, in 1956.

Responses to Sixty Years of Surrey Hills AONB Celebrated at The House Of Commons

Jim Allen Reply

May 19, 2018 at 4:46 pm

Not to worry, the 47,000 extras vehicles on the road should generate enough air pollution to destroy the plants and trees without building houses on them.
Susan Hibbert Reply

May 20, 2018 at 4:50 pm

I find it odd that the service director of the Kier Group was welcome at an event celebrating an organisation working to enhance the beauty of our area.

This is when Kier is part of Solum whose application to re-develop the land around Guildford railway tation – recently and disastrously allowed on appeal against the wishes of all local bodies including the council – will destroy the character of that part of central Guildford and ruin views from further afield, while not even improving the experience of the rail traveller.

Let’s hope the other attendees at the AONB celebration, especially our MP, are working to persuade Kier (Solum) to modify their proposal for a ‘Great Wall of Guildford’.