Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales

rdf:langString Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales

rdf:langString The Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Wales (AONB; Welsh: Ardaloedd o Harddwch Naturiol Eithriadol Cymru; AHNE or AOHNE) are areas of countryside that have been designated for statutory protection due to their significant landscape value in Wales. There are currently five areas designated, four wholly in Wales and another spanning the Wales-England border, accounting for 4% of Wales' land area. The responsibility of designating areas in recognition of their national importance is devolved to Wales and performed by Natural Resources Wales (formerly the Countryside Council for Wales), on behalf of the Welsh Government. The designation is also used in England, and Northern Ireland. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty enjoy levels of protection from development similar to those of Welsh national parks, but unlike national parks, the responsible AONB bodies do not have their own planning powers, instead are performed by local authorities. They also differ from national parks in their more limited opportunities for extensive outdoor recreation. It has been proposed that the designation be renamed to National Landscapes of Wales, however, such proposals have failed to be followed through. Of the five, the Gower AONB was the first area to be designated in Wales in 1956, and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB is the most recent, designated as the Clwydian Range AONB in 1985, and expanded to the Dee Valley in 2011.