We are fortunate to be surrounded by amazing countryside, with meadows aplenty and footpaths and bridleways criss-crossing our landscape. Exploring the countryside holds so many health benefits, and our countryside should be protected, enhanced, and accessible to everyone.
Any development within our villages needs to be environmentally and socially sustainable. Buildings should include environmentally sustainable features as standard (e.g. solar, car charging, rain water capture, and ground source heat pumps), and all development needs to be controlled to strategic small scale sites, enabling our villages to grow sustainably, whilst respecting and enhancing the character and identity of the surrounding countryside.
The Pegsdon Hills (which are within Shillington parish) are part of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). When the AONB was designated in 1965 it was recognised that the Chiltern Hills contain some of the finest landscapes in the country which are worthy of protection at the highest level. The Pegsdon Hills are recognised by others, including the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire as "One of the jewels of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” and that the “steep chalk hills offer some of the best views in the county". An expansion of the AONB would be advantageous for local businesses and our natural environment and it would give vital recognition to our natural sites and green spaces - helping to tackle climate change and protect against inappropriate development.
