A new statutory body, created to run the UK's Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), has been launched. Conservation Boards are to replace the 41 AONB partnerships which protect the country's finest landscapes.
The role allows them to make their own decisions and puts them in a stronger position to attract funds and support.
The Cotswolds and the Chilterns were the first areas to get Conservation Board status at a ceremony at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire on Tuesday.
The boards result from the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act which, in 2000, approved a new type of organisation to care for AONBs.
Members are nominated by local authorities - including parish councils - and the government.
Their role is:
To conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB To increase the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the AONB, ensuring that these complement the conservation and enhancement of the area. The first new boards receive their powers on 1 February 2005.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
