What we do

We are the Chilterns National Landscape.

Our vision is that the Chilterns will be cared for, forever and for everyone. A place where people are inspired by its distinctive natural beauty, space and tranquillity, to enjoy and care for the landscape. A place where natural beauty and cultural heritage is celebrated and enhanced. A place which gives space for nature to flourish and which provides us with the ingredients for healthy living, such as clean water, healthy soils and thriving wildlife. A place where communities live, work and breathe. A haven for people and wildlife.

The Chilterns National Landscape is cared for by the Chilterns Conservation Board (CCB), an independent public body set up through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The CCB doesn’t own or manage land itself, but works with those who do, such as farmers, non-governmental organisations, community environmental groups, utility companies, local authorities and developers. Together, we find ways to conserve and enhance the special qualities of the Chilterns, and to enable people to understand and enjoy them. The Chilterns is such a diverse area – from species-rich chalk grassland to ancient woodlands, iron age hillforts to bustling market towns, it is full of life and character, which we aim to enhance and protect.

We work to promote sustainable tourism and business in ways that are compatible with the conservation of nature and wildlife in the Chilterns and across our boundaries. We also strive to influence planning and development in the AONB to ensure that decisions, new plans and land-use changes are right for both the local landscape and the local people.

Our guiding tool is the Chilterns AONB Management Plan, which sets out the vision, policies and actions for the management of the Chilterns from 2019 to 2024, helping all those with a responsibility for the AONB to care for it for current and future generations. From influencing planning applications to uncovering prehistoric remains, instigating citizen-science wildlife surveys to protecting rare chalk streams, all that we do is driven by our Management Plan.

Follow the links below to find out more about the work we do to conserve and enhance the Chilterns.