Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make funding available to expand the Chilterns National Landscape.

Natural England (NE) has the statutory responsibility for identifying areas for new or extended National Landscape designations, and has no plans to expand the Chilterns National Landscape.

Given the pressures on public finances, Defra has had to make difficult decisions about funding. Since 2025 it has not been affordable for Defra to continue funding the new National Landscapes designations programme. As such, NE have made the decision to stop work on some of the planned programme – including the Chilterns boundary review. The existing boundary for the Chilterns National Landscape is unaffected and remains in place.