§ Mr. Hicksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the designated areas of outstanding natural beauty in the United Kingdom together with their respective sizes; and what proportion their total area represents as a percentage of the land area of Great Britain.
§ Mr. MonroAreas of outstanding natural beauty which have been designated and confirmed are as follows:
117W
Area (square miles) Gower 74 Quantock Hills 35 Lleyn 61 Northumberland Coast 51 Surrey Hills 162 Cannock Chase 27 Shropshire Hills 304 Dorset 405 Malvern Hills 41 Cornwall 364 North Devon 67 South Devon 130 East Hampshire 153 East Devon 105 Isle of Wight 74 Chichester Harbour 30 Forest of Bowland 314 Solway Coast 42 Chilterns 312 Sussex Downs 383 Cotswolds 588 Anglesey 84 South Hampshire Coast 31 Norfolk Coast 176 Kent Downs 330 Suffolk Coast & Heaths 153 Dedham Vale 29 Wye Valley 127 North Wessex Downs 678 Mendip Hills 79 Arnside & Silverdale 30 Lincolnshire Wolds 219 Isles of Stilly 7 These areas occupy approximately 9½ per cent. of the total land area of England and Wales. There are no areas of outstanding natural beauty in Scotland.
In 1979 the Countryside Commission designated approximately 780 sq miles of the North Pennines as an area of outstanding natural beauty. I am currently considering this order.
§ Mr. Hicksasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total
Total areas (sq miles) 1970 1975 1980 Areas of outstanding natural beauty*; … … … … 4,519 5,652 5,665† Sites of special scientific interest … … … … not available 5,899 5,196 These areas are not mutually exclusive. A proportion of sites of special scientific interest are located in areas of outstanding natural beauty.
It is not possible, at any one time, to give the area of sites currently under consideration by the Nature Conservancy Council for notification as sites of special scientific interest. Assessment of sites is a lengthy process involving detailed survey before boundaries can be fixed, or amended in the case of sites already notified. The Countryside Commission is currently considering six further potential areas of outstanding natural beauty. The total area concerned is approximately 1,498 square miles.
* England and Wales only.
† Exclusive of 780 square miles of North Pennines designated in 1979 but at present unconfirmed.