Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Kent Downs are the eastern half of the North Downs covering nearly a quarter of Kent, stretching from the White Cliffs at Dover up to the Surrey and London borders.  It is a diverse and vibrant landscape with its dramatic chalk escarpments, secluded dry valleys, networks of tiny lanes and historic hedgerows, ancient woodlands, traditional orchards, locally distinctive villages, unique and precious wildlife and many sites of historic and cultural interest to explore. All these make up a landscape that is such a valuable national asset that it was nationally designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1968.

The three main purposes of AONB designation are:

• to conserve and enhance natural beauty
• in pursuing this main objective account should be taken of the needs of agriculture, forestry, other rural industries, and of the economic and social needs of local communities
• the demand for recreation should be met in so far as it is consistent with the conservation of natural beauty and the needs of agriculture, forestry and other uses.

For more information please view the Kent Downs AONB website.

Kent Downs AONB Landscape Design Handbook

The Kent Downs AONB Landscape Design Handbook was approved as a material consideration for development control purposes on 30th August 2006. The handbook aims to provide practical, readily accessible design guidance to contribute to the conservation and enhancement of the special characteristics of the AONB as a whole, and the distinctiveness of its individual character areas.

To view the handbook please click here: Landscape Design Handbook (this link will take you to another website).