The responsibility of designating areas in recognition of their national importance is devolved to Wales and performed by Natural Resources Wales (formerly the Countryside Council for Wales), on behalf of the Welsh Government. The designation is also used in England, and Northern Ireland. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty enjoy levels of protection from development similar to those of Welsh national parks, but unlike national parks, the responsible AONB bodies do not have their own planning powers, instead are performed by local authorities. They also differ from national parks in their more limited opportunities for extensive outdoor recreation. The Welsh Government had proposed that the designation be renamed to National Landscapes of Wales, however, they did not follow through with the proposals. In November 2023, all AONBs across England and Wales were to be renamed "National Landscapes".[2]
The Hobhouse Report by Sir Arthur Hobhouse, published in July 1947 to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning, proposed 52 conservation areas in England and Wales, of which under the term "Western", eleven are wholly in Wales, and a further three are situated around the Wales-England border. These areas were selected for their "outstanding landscape beauty" and home to "great scientific interest", which was deemed worthy of protection and management through statutory designation. The Hobhouse Report alongside the 1945 Report to the Government on National Parks in England and Wales by John Gordon Dower, would contribute to the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 which created the National Parks and set up the designation later to become "Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty".[3]
Conservation areas proposed in the 1947 Hobhouse Report; with their proposed size; likely to be wholly in Wales:[3]
Conservation areas proposed in the 1947 Hobhouse Report; with their proposed size; but extent into Wales unknown, may be only in England or extend into Wales:[3]
Shropshire Hills — 192sqmi (500km2) (existing Shropshire Hills AONB stops at England-Wales border, may been proposed as cross border; existing AONB spans 310sqmi (800km2))
Forest of Dean and Wye Valley — 232sqmi (600km2) (existing Wye Valley AONB crosses the England-Wales border; spanning 126sqmi (330km2) in both countries) (Forest of Dean was not designated as AONB at the time, and if designated separately would be wholly in England[4])
*May be wholly in Wales or extend further through the Clun Forest into England.
Designation of the AONBs
AONBs were first designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, and prior to devolution, were designated on behalf of the UK Government.[5]
The first AONB to be designated with the status in Wales was the Gower AONB in 1956, designated for its classic limestone coast and local natural habitats, it was also the first AONB designated in the UK.[6] This was followed by parts of the Llŷn Peninsula to be designated an AONB in 1957, with 55 miles (89km) of the AONB's coastline also designated as a Heritage coast.[7] The coasts of Anglesey were designated as an AONB in 1966, with its status confirmed the following year, the status was awarded to the Anglesey Coast to protect its aesthetic appeal and the various landscapes and habitats from inappropriate development.[8] The Wye Valley, spanning parts of both Wales and England, was designated in 1971, to protect the AONBs various features including: limestone gorges, native woodlands, hillforts, castles and the first Cistercian Abbey in Wales.[9] The Clwydian Range was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1985 by the Secretary of State for WalesNicholas EdwardsMP; with proposals to extend it to the Dee Valley by the Countryside Council for Wales and local councils announced in 2010,[10] and approved in November 2011 expanding the AONB to become the current Clwydian Range and Dee Valley.[11]
2015 review
In 2014, Carl SargeantAM, then Minister for Natural Resources, commissioned for a Review of the Designated Landscapes in Wales, to "ensure that [Wales'] designated landscapes are best equipped to meet current and future challenges while building upon their internationally recognised status".[12]
In July 2015, the Welsh Government commissioned review paper, produced by an independent panel chaired by Professor Terry Marsden of Cardiff University ("Marsden review") was published, providing 69 recommendations[12][13]
The initial report called for grouping the AONBs with National Parks as "The National Designated Landscapes of Wales", but opposed any plans to make AONBs and National Parks a single designation, and instead, both designations are "the equivalent designations" with identical Statutory Purposes and Duties, with a further initial recommendation for renaming AONBs to "National Landscapes".[14]
The review detailed three "statutory purposes":[13]
Conservation — "To conserve and enhance the distinctive landscape[lower-alpha 3][13] and seascape qualities of the area"
Human Well-being — "To promote physical and mental well-being through the enjoyment and understanding of the landscape of the area"
Sustainable Resource Management — "To promote sustainable forms of natural resource management and economic and community development which support the cultural heritage of the area."[13]
and recommended a reclarified Statutory Duty, replacing the current "have regard to" duty in existing public bodies, to be replaced with a "single and clear duty" — "To contribute to the delivery of the three Purposes of the National Designated Landscapes".[13] The Sandford Principle was also recommended to be retained in the review, which confirms the primacy of conservation in the AONBs should conflict with other duties arise.[14]
It also proposed that AONBs should become statutory consultees on planning applications that are considered to have an impact on the "special qualities" of the AONBs. The authors of the report recommended that the management bodies of the AONBs and national parks should maintain their purposes, in conserving the landscape, promoting physical well-being, and promoting sustainable economic and community development. But the report states that the bodies have to improve their understanding of the local economy, in particular the tourism sector.[15]
The Marsden review also recommended that the Welsh Government empower AONBs and national parks to become centres of innovation and a catalyst for development for regions of rural Wales, but within the designated landscapes' "environmental limits", and to set performance targets for the managing bodies of the designated landscapes.[15]
Other recommendations in the report include: extending AONB boundaries to cover adjacent sea areas, reducing the regulatory burden of audit, creation of bodies (including a National Landscape Committee, National Partnership Board and Local Partnerships), the introduction of a Partnership Plan for each area, remove the political balance requirement on AONB boards (revised to have local authority, national and “local” appointees allocated proportionally), and finally provide a core grant from Welsh Government for all designated landscape areas (whilst increasing scrutiny and diversity of their overall revenue budget through pan-Wales strategy using indicators and targets).
A final report of the Review of Designated Landscapes in Wales was published in November 2015. The report's new recommendations include; no change of name (as mentioned below) or legal status of AONBs or national parks in Wales, strengthening the supporting and delivery role of other bodies, and creating a National Landscape Committee.[17]
In March 2018, Hannah Blythyn AM, then Minister for Environment, stated no changes were to be made on how AONBs operate in Wales, including the proposed name change.[18]
Proposed renaming
The initial Marsden review proposed that Wales' five AONBs be renamed to the "National Landscapes of Wales".[14][19]
The proposals met criticism from AMs, MPs, volunteer groups, and tourist trade organisations, with South Wales West AM Peter Black describing the move to be "misguided" and "should be ignored".[20] Black also questioned how redesignating would work on the Wye Valley AONB, shared with England where renaming may not be applied.[20] With opposition from Gower (home to Wales' first AONB) being increasingly vocal in their opposition.[20] Critics describe the re-branding to be a potential turn off for tourism to the areas, and describe the AONB naming to have years of brand integrity.[19][20] A Welsh Government spokesperson said that any renaming of the areas would be subject to a full public consultation. Supporters of renaming describe the term "AONB" to be "unusual" due to it being overly descriptive and emotive. Other supporters support the rename to include "Wales" in the title to provide some distinction to Wales' areas over AONBs remaining in England and Northern Ireland.[21] The renaming was also proposed for AONBs elsewhere in the United Kingdom, and followed through by the Cotswolds AONB which rebranded itself to the Cotswolds National Landscape in 2020.[22][23] In November 2023, all AONBs across England and Wales were to be renamed "National Landscapes".[2]
A later published finalised review by Marsden removed the recommendation for renaming AONBs, recommending instead that "The Welsh Government should retain the names of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) as the key designations of the National Landscapes of Wales". With the existing designations being within a consistent and resilient nomenclature, coined in the report to potentially be "The National Landscapes of Wales", reaffirming as initially recommended, that both AONBs and National Parks be "The Equivalent Designations" within this one group.[12]
2017 review
In 2015, Carl Sargeant AM, then Minister for Natural Resources, set up a Future Landscape Working Group, chaired by Dafydd Elis-Thomas AM for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, and aimed to explore the recommendations from the Marsden review and report findings in 2016.[15] The group included representatives from the AONBs, National Parks, various environmental groups, and business and government officials.
The "Future Landscapes" review was published in May 2017.[16] It set out a new plan for AONBs and National Parks, advocating that they should go beyond their current duties for improving conservation and amenities, by becoming "drivers" of sustainable natural resource management (as set out in Welsh legislation), provide a benefit for the wider public and private within and beyond their designated areas, realising the economic potential of local communities, promote green growth and ecosystem resilience.[14] For governance of the areas, the review recommended that bodies and partnerships of the AONBs work across their boundaries together with Natural Resources Wales and local partnerships to promote the social, cultural, and economic value of the areas, and improve sustainable usage of the areas.[14] Following publication, Lesley Griffiths, then Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, thanked the group for their work, and stated that "the next step is to deliver against the ambition, not in isolation, but together as part of the collaborative approach".[14]
Critics of the report state that, it fails to mention the "Sandford Principle" which was a key recommendation in the Marsden review. The principle means that whenever there is a conflict between recreation in designated landscapes and the authorities' duty for the conservation of the area, conservation takes priority over recreation. Some AMs have voiced their fears that the report can lead to legislation that removes the extra protections awarded to designated landscapes, and could allow developments, in particular, focused on green infrastructure such as wind farms, to be built within the protected areas. Which critics describe would "detract from the purpose" of the areas' designated status.[24] The Snowdonia Society, stated the report lacked clarity and echoed the concerns that the report lacked an emphasis on the primacy of conservation, noting that the word "Conservation" was absent in the Future Landscapes document.[14]
In 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas' UK Assessment Panel, expressed concerns over the Future Landscapes report commissioned by the Welsh Government. The panel stated that the new report diluted the importance of conservation in the designated landscapes as recommended in the Marsden review, and stylises the landscapes as "catalysts for regional development in rural areas", rather than from an environmental point of view. The panel concluded, that if the report's recommendations are acted upon, it would be "impossible for the panel to continue to accord international recognition to Wales’s national parks and AONBs as protected areas", and that Wales' National Parks and AONBs would be less protected and weaker than those designated in the rest of the United Kingdom.[25][26]
In March 2018, Minister for Environment Hannah Blythyn AM stated no changes were to be made on how AONBs operate in Wales.[18]
Re-naming
On 22 November 2023, it was announced all AONBs in England and Wales would be renamed to "National Landscapes".[1]
Management
Powers for the designation and management of AONBs are devolved to Wales, under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW Act).[27][5] Under Section 82 of the CRoW Act, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) holds the right to designate any area of Wales, that is deemed to be of "outstanding natural beauty" worthy of conservation and enhancement that is not within a National Park, to be an AONB, following approval from the Welsh Government.[28][29][5] NRW advises the government on any areas it deems suitable for AONB status, awards partnership funding to AONBs, and advises planning and development that may have an impact on the AONB.[30]
Each AONB has a dedicated AONB officer, other staff, and alongside other AONBs in the United Kingdom are collectively represented by the "National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty" (NAAONB).[31]
AONBs are classified as a Category V landscape by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[32]
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has overall responsibility for AONBs nationally in Wales but the AONBs are locally managed by local authorities with the support of Joint Advisory Committees (JAC), local communities and partnerships.[5]
Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, local authorities are responsible for developing an AONB management plan. This plan is constructed in consultation with the advisory committees and an AONB partnership–which reports and advises the local authorities–in the development and completion of the AONB Management Plan. The management plan sets out the policies the local authorities want to enact for the management of the AONB and how these policies would be implemented and achieved, providing a framework of permitted activities in the AONB. The management plan is required to take into consideration various issues of the AONB and not be limited to only environmental priorities, but also to analyse and address social and economic issues in the AONB. The 2000 act mandates that management plans have to be revised no less than every five years, with Natural Resources Wales (formed from a merger including the Countryside Council for Wales in 2013) providing funding for AONB management to the local authorities, allocated based on the AONB's management plan's policies. Local authorities or joint committees are required to notify NRW when they are intending to publish their management plan. The same act places a duty on public bodies; including private utility companies to respect efforts made to conserve, protect, and enhance the AONB's natural beauty.
The AONB designation shares the same status in terms of planning with national parks, however, unlike national parks, AONB's cannot undertake their own planning operations. Instead, the powers are awarded to the relevant planning authorities of the local unitary authorities on behalf of the AONB.[5]
The National Association of AONBs as part of their efforts to increase awareness of AONBs in local communities, successfully negotiated in 2014 to have the boundaries of AONBs in England shown on Google Maps. The Welsh Government, as of 2021, has not released data of AONB boundaries to be used by Google on Google Maps.
Five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) have been designated in Wales, one of which, the Wye Valley AONB, straddles the Anglo-Welsh border.[33] The areas are:
Gower AONB (Welsh: AHNE Gŵyr) – which spans 188km2 (73 square miles) of the Gowerpeninsula. The AONB covers almost the entire peninsula (excluding some eastern urban areas), and is located within the City and County of Swansea on the south-west coast of Wales, on the north side of the Bristol Channel. Referred to colloquially as 'the Gower', it was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an AONB in 1956.[34]
Llŷn AONB (Welsh: AHNE Llŷn) – which spans 155km2 (60 square miles) or around a quarter of the Llŷn Peninsula,[35] covering much of the coastline and the ex-volcanic hills. The peninsula extends 48km (30 miles) into the Irish Sea from mainland north-west Wales, and south-west of the Isle of Anglesey. The AONB was created in 1956, and is one of the most scientifically important in both Wales and the United Kingdom.[36]55 miles (89km) of the AONB's coastline is Heritage coast.[37]
Anglesey AONB (Welsh: AHNE Ynys Môn) – which was designated as a AONB in 1966, in order to protect the aesthetic appeal and variety of the island's coastal landscape and habitats from inappropriate development. The AONB covers most of Anglesey's 125 miles (201km) coastline, as well as inland areas, such as Holyhead Mountain and Mynydd Bodafon.[38] The AONB covers around 221 square kilometres (85sqmi), about a third of the county, making it Wales' second-largest AONB, and largest until 2011.[38]
Wye Valley AONB (Welsh: AHNE Dyffryn Gwy) – which was designated in 1971, is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales, with the Welsh section wholly within Monmouthshire.[39] It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in Southern Britain. The River Wye (Welsh: Afon Gwy) is the fifth-longest river in the United Kingdom.[40] The upper part of the river passes through the settlements of Rhayader, Builth Wells and Hay-on-Wye, but the area designated as an AONB surrounds only the 58-mile stretch lower down the river,[39] from just south of the English city of Hereford to Chepstow in Wales.
Cambrian Mountains — launched in November 2006, the campaign by Cambrian Mountains Society[43] to make the area an AONB, campaign on the basis that AONB status would "boost the local economy, and help agriculture, heritage and culture".[44] The area's bid to become a national park has been in the works since the 1960s, reaching the Welsh Office in 1973, where it was ultimately rejected. The campaign continues to propose that the area should become a national park, advocating for any type of environmental protection for the area.[45][46][47] Welsh ministers expressed openness to the idea in 2023, however progress on the bid would be delayed to 2026 as ministers focus on a Clwydian Range and Dee Valley national park.[48]
Ceiriog Valley and Y Berwyn — The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) started the consideration of the area into an AONB in February 2011 alongside proposals for the then Clwydian Range AONB. A final report published in March 2012, concluded that AONB status for Y Berwyn (which includes the Ceiriog Valley) is "desirable for the statutory purpose of conserving and enhancing the area’s natural beauty", but further work is to be done by the CCW to investigate alternatives to AONB status before a final decision is to be made.[49]
Expansion of the Gower AONB — first proposed in 2005, the Gower Society calls for an extension of the Gower AONB, and submitted a proposal to the National Assembly for Wales in March 2012.[50][51] The Gower Society have also proposed for the AONB to become a national park, however such proposals have not been acted on by the Welsh Assembly Government.[52]
Gwent Levels — In July 2019, John GriffithsAM for Newport East called for the area to be awarded AONB status following the scrapping of the proposed M4 relief road, which if followed through would've passed through the proposed area. Griffiths states that AONB status would protect the area from similar proposals.[53] The Gwent branch of the Wales Green Party sponsored a petition to make the area an AONB.[54]
Towy Valley (Tywi Valley) – In April 2023, the Carmarthenshire Residents Action Group launched a campaign for the Towy Valley to become an AONB to protect the area from "harmful developments", with proposed electricity pylons used as an example.[55][56]
Mid Wales – In April 2023, a petition was launched for a Mid Wales AONB covering the Upper Wye Valley and the water catchment areas of at least the rivers Irfon, Ithon and Elan.[57][58]
Rating
In November 2021, a Which? review listed Gower as the top-rated AONB in Wales (10th in the UK); followed by Wye Valley (15th), Llŷn (20th), Clwydian Range and Dee Valley (21st), and Anglesey (26th).[59]
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. On 22 November 2023 the AONBs in England and Wales adopted a new name, National Landscapes, and are in the process of rebranding.
National parks of the United Kingdom are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape across the country. Despite their name, they are quite different from national parks in many other countries, which are usually owned and managed by governments as protected community resources, and which do not usually include permanent human communities. In the United Kingdom, an area designated as a national park may include substantial settlements and human land uses that are often integral parts of the landscape. Land within national parks remains largely in private ownership. These parks are therefore not "national parks" according to the internationally accepted standard of the IUCN but they are areas of outstanding landscape where planning controls are a little more restrictive than elsewhere.
The Cambrian Mountains are a series of mountain ranges in Wales. The term Cambrian Mountains used to apply to most of the upland of Wales, and comes from the country's Latin name Cambria. Since the 1950s, its application has become increasingly localised to the geographically homogeneous Mid Wales uplands, known in Welsh as Elenydd, which extend from Plynlimon (Pumlumon) to Radnor Forest in the east and Mynydd Mallaen to the south. This barren and sparsely populated 'wilderness' has been referred to as the Desert of Wales. The area includes the sources of the River Severn and River Wye and was unsuccessfully proposed as a national park in the 1960s and 1970s. The highest point of the range is Plynlimon, at 2,467 feet (752 m).
The national parks of Wales are managed areas of outstanding landscape in Wales, United Kingdom where some forms of development are restricted to preserve the landscape and natural environment. Together, they cover 20% of the land surface of Wales and have a resident population of over 80,000 people. Each National Park Authority is a free-standing body within the local government framework.
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and whose physical geography is characterised by a varied coastline and a largely upland interior. It is bordered by England to its east, the Irish Sea to its north and west, and the Bristol Channel to its south. It has a total area of 2,064,100 hectares and is about 170 mi (274 km) from north to south and at least 60 mi (97 km) wide. It comprises 8.35 percent of the land of the United Kingdom. It has a number of offshore islands, by far the largest of which is Anglesey. The mainland coastline, including Anglesey, is about 1,680 mi (2,704 km) in length. As of 2014, Wales had a population of about 3,092,000; Cardiff is the capital and largest city and is situated in the urbanised area of South East Wales.
The Clwydian Range is a series of hills in the north-east of Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north; the highest point is 554 m (1,818 ft) Moel Famau. The range forms the north-western part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Llŷn Peninsula extends 30 miles (50 km) into the Irish Sea from North West Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the historic county of Caernarfonshire, and historic region and local authority area of Gwynedd. Much of the eastern part of the peninsula, around Criccieth, may be regarded as part of Eifionydd rather than Llŷn, although the boundary is somewhat vague. The area of Llŷn is about 400 km2 (150 sq mi), and its population is at least 20,000.
The Wye Valley National Landscape is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales.
The geology of Wales is complex and varied; its study has been of considerable historical significance in the development of geology as a science. All geological periods from the Cryogenian to the Jurassic are represented at outcrop, whilst younger sedimentary rocks occur beneath the seas immediately off the Welsh coast. The effects of two mountain-building episodes have left their mark in the faulting and folding of much of the Palaeozoic rock sequence. Superficial deposits and landforms created during the present Quaternary period by water and ice are also plentiful and contribute to a remarkably diverse landscape of mountains, hills and coastal plains.
Llanferres is a village and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales. At the 2001 Census the population of the village was recorded as 676, increasing to 827 at the 2011 census.
The Isle of Anglesey is a county off the north-west coast of Wales. It is named after the island of Anglesey, which makes up 94% of its area, but also includes Holy Island and some islets and skerries. The county borders Gwynedd across the Menai Strait to the southeast, and is otherwise surrounded by the Irish Sea. Holyhead is the largest town, and the administrative centre is Llangefni. The county is part of the preserved county of Gwynedd.
Wales, a country that is part of the United Kingdom, contains protected areas under various designations. The largest designation by land area is Wales' three national parks, followed by the five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Cornwall National Landscape covers 958 square kilometres (370 sq mi) in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom; that is, about 27% of the total area of the county. It comprises 12 separate areas, designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 for special landscape protection. Of the areas, eleven cover stretches of coastline; the twelfth is Bodmin Moor. The areas are together treated as a single Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): all AONBs have been rebranded as National Landscapes since November 2023. Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 places a duty on all relevant authorities when discharging any function affecting land within an AONB to have regard to the purpose of conserving and enhancing natural beauty. Section 89 places a statutory duty on Local Planning Authorities with an AONB within their administrative area to produce a 5-year management plan.
North West Wales is an area or region of Wales, commonly defined as a grouping of the principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey in the north-west of the country. These principal areas make up the entire preserved county of Gwynedd, and parts of Clwyd. It is bordered by Denbighshire, in North East Wales to the east, Powys, and Ceredigion in Mid Wales to the south, and the Irish sea to the north and west. It is the more mountainous, rural, and sparsely populated part of the north Wales geographic region.
The natural resources of Wales have contributed substantially to the economic wealth of the United Kingdom from pre-Roman times to the present. Wales has a complex and varied geology with a wealth of natural minerals. Although Wales has been strongly associated with the coal industry, it has also been the world's leading supplier of slate and of copper at different times. The country lies along the western side of Great Britain and is buffeted by the prevailing South-Westerly trade winds which bring year round rain and wind but also maintain an equable temperate climate. The combination of climate and physical geography and geology have given rise to many different types of landscape and biomes rich in species variety.
The Wales Way is the name collectively given to a series of three tourist routes in Wales, UK, promoted by Visit Wales, the government agency charged with promoting tourism in the country. The three routes are the 180-mile Coastal Way, the 75-mile North Wales Way and the 185-mile Cambrian Way. The Wales Way was launched in late 2018.
The coastline of Wales extends from the English border at Chepstow westwards to Pembrokeshire then north to Anglesey and back eastwards to the English border once again near Flint. Its character is determined by multiple factors, including the local geology and geological processes active during and subsequent to the last ice age, its relative exposure to or shelter from waves, tidal variation and the history of human settlement and development which varies considerably from one place to another. The majority of the coast east of Cardiff in the south, and of Llandudno in the north, is flat whilst that to the west is more typically backed by cliffs. The cliffs are a mix of sandstones, shales and limestones, the erosion of which provides material for beach deposits. Of the twenty-two principal areas which deliver local government in Wales, sixteen have a coastline, though that of Powys consists only of a short section of tidal river some distance from the open sea. Its length has been estimated at 1,680 miles (2,700 km).
The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) located in north-east Wales, covering the Clwydian Range, and the valley of the River Dee.
The Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest in Wales is a non-statutory heritage register of 58 landscapes of outstanding or special historic interest published in two volumes. It was produced by a partnership between Cadw, the Countryside Council for Wales, and the International Council on Monuments and Sites working in collaboration with the Welsh Archaeological Trusts and several other organisations with the intention of aiding in the protection and conservation of the most important and significant historic landscape areas in Wales.
A national park has been proposed to replace the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB in the north-east of Wales. Proposals for the then Clwydian Range AONB, established in 1985, to become a national park were first raised in 2010. In the 2021 Senedd election, Welsh Labour committed to establishing Wales' fourth national park in the north-east. Following Labour forming the next Welsh Government, the government commissioned Natural Resources Wales to develop proposals for the new national park.
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