We are very pleased to hear that from Tuesday 7th July, the Secretary of State (via Lord Gardiner) has confirmed Natural England’s legal Order to designate three extensions to the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (SC&H AONB). The three new boundary extensions will increase the size of the existing AONB by approximately 38 sq. km or 9.5%. This decision comes after the Minister considered the responses submitted to Natural England during the consultations and Notice period last year, the latter having been forwarded on to him with our formal submission. The extensions were confirmed without any changes and take immediate effect.
The areas now confirmed as forming part of the SC&H AONB are:
- the Stour Estuary including the estuary itself, northern estuary valley slopes at Brantham and the majority of the southern estuary valley slopes in Essex;
- the Freston Brook Valley, a tributary of the Orwell Estuary which extends inland from the existing AONB boundary westwards and includes surrounding plateau woodlands; and,
- the Samford Valley, a tributary of the Stour Estuary, which extends further inland from the existing AONB boundary at Stutton Bridge and includes some areas of neighbouring Shotley Peninsula Plateau.
If you would like to have further information with regard to the decision, including maps indicating the new boundary you can find these at