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
Home
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~54~RS~)
BBC NEWS CHANNEL
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
