THE Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) could be extended to include the Abberley Hills.

The AONB currently covers 105 square kilometres and stretches from Lulsley and Alfrick in the north to Bromesberrow and Eastnor in the south.

A campaign group called the Abberley Hills Preservation Society (AHPS) believes it should be extended to the north to include the Abberley Hills.

This could see villages including Martley, Great Witley and Clifton upon Teme either included within the AONB or sit near its boundary.

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AONBs are protected legally by the same legislation that covers National Parks and designation is intended to conserve and enhance an area’s natural beauty.

Inclusion as part of the AONB also tends to attract increased tourism to an area. The Malvern Hills AONB says it currently receives in the region of 1.25 million visits a year.

AHPS believes the Abberley Hills meets Natural England’s protection landscape natural beauty criteria thanks to its geology, ancient trees and woodland, and ecology including falcons, orchids and rare butterflies.

There is history on the site, too, as Woodbury Hill, near Great Witley, was the site of a standoff between the armies of Owain Glyndwr and Henry IV.

Lisa Walker and Sarah Crabbe, of AHPS, spoke about the proposal at a meeting of the Malvern Hills AONB Joint Advisory Committee last month.

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They said extending the AONB would be in line with the Government’s plan to protect 30 per cent of the land to support the recovery of nature, and would come with increased planning protections.

The next step is a consultation and details have already been sent to local groups and organisations, MPs, councillors and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

With the exception of the NFU representative, who said they wanted to consult with their members, committee members supported the proposal.

Members did query whether there were other areas around the current or proposed boundary of the AONB that should be included in the proposal.

The proposal was first made in 2015 and raised again in 2021.