CONSERVATION BOARD

2011/2012 A N N U A L R E V I E W O F T H E Chilterns Conservation Board

Caring for the Chilterns

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD t has been another very full year for Conservation being achieved. Developing the Cycleway has also enabled Board members and staff, with the looming threat of the Board to work more closely with many tourism Ithe proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) railway inevitably businesses which we welcome. dominating much of the workload. The Board is taking a leading role in exposing the weakness of the case for HS2 As for all in the public sector, the financial climate is and in providing evidence of the huge and irreversible challenging but the Board is, so far, coping well. We are impacts it would have on the Chilterns AONB. We have grateful for the continuing support of the local authorities great concerns about the validity of the Environmental in this area, which are of course suffering their own cuts. Impact Assessment for the railway which is being squeezed We are also delighted that over 25 parish and town councils into a very short timescale by HS2 Ltd. Engagement by have given financial support to the Board. Government and HS2 Ltd with local communities along the route in the Chilterns has not always been Our partnership with The Chiltern Society effective and the Board, along with many continues to be vital and a stimulus for others, has doubts about how seriously much constructive work to care for the local concerns will be taken. The route Chilterns. At Government level the light changes announced in January, touch arrangements with DEFRA are working incorporating a longer tunnel through the well and are a sign of confidence that the, AONB, were an improvement but shallower still relatively new, Conservation Board is cuttings to the north of the tunnel will well established and being managed make the route noisier and more visible. efficiently.

On a more positive note, the popularity of the Chilterns Cycleway increased even more in its second year. There has been good feedback from users and businesses along the route and it is clear that one of the aims of the Cycleway project, to increase visitor spending in the AONB, is Mike Fox, Chairman

BARTON-LE-CLAY M1 THE CHILTERNS - Hexton

AN AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY Lilley HITCHIN DUNSTABLE LUTON he Chilterns was designated as an Area of Outstanding

Natural Beauty in 1965, in recognition of its beautiful Whipsnade Ver T landscape which is amongst the finest in the country. Grand Union Canal Markyate HARPENDEN Aldbury The Chilterns AONB covers 833 sq kms and stretches TRING Gade Gaddesden AYLESBURY from Goring in south through HEMEL HEMPSTEAD WENDOVER and Bedfordshire to Hitchin in BERKHAMSTED M1 Bulbourne PRINCES M25 Hertfordshire. It has a population of 80,000. RISBOROUGH CHESHAM

CHINNOR Gt. Missenden M40 PRESTWOOD

Colne The primary duties of the Chilterns Hughenden Chess STOKENCHURCH Stream AMERSHAM WATLINGTON Misbourne Conservation Board are to River Thames HIGH CHORLEYWOOD BENSON WYCOMBE conserve and enhance the BEACONSFIELD Hambleden natural beauty of the AONB WALLINGFORD Brook Wye MARLOW and, in so doing, to increase M40 River Thames the understanding and HENLEY-ON-THAMES M25 GORING enjoyment by the public of its M4 special qualities and to foster the economic and social well-being of M4 READING N 0 5 10 Kilometeres local communities. 0 6 Miles ISSUES AND TRENDS ne of the purposes of an annual review is to pick Following two long and cold winters when the demand for out those changes which are notable and may be wood fuel rocketed, the milder winter this year resulted in Opart of a longer trend which we need to identify much lower demand. It is probably fair to assume that this and react to. Teasing those out from the short term blips is was a blip and that the long term trend is definitely to use tricky but part of the art. more wood fuel and, as more high tech wood burning systems are installed, that demand is likely to keep growing The past year was once again dominated by the proposed and to be more predictable. This should help bring more high speed railway and, again, we were left with the small woods into management as the economics stack up impression that the importance of the environment was better than for many years. being played down and the notional gains to the economy exaggerated. This was all despite the Secretary of State for The Chilterns Cycleway has passed its first anniversary and the Environment commending the newly launched National early indications are showing its popularity with good Ecosystem Assessment (NEA), one purpose of which is to feedback from accommodation providers and a billing on ensure that the value of the environment is given full the BBC website as one of the top ten cycle routes in the weight whenever considering any development. It seems UK. We hope it is no blip either as recreational cycling that the application of the NEA to HS2 is a test of whether continues to grow in popularity and the reputation of the the Government intends to take it seriously or not. Chilterns Cycleway goes further afield.

We were also alarmed recently to read that the Secretary The uncertainty of the impact of the Government's draft of State for Transport thought we could mitigate the loss of planning policies was eventually lifted. The revised version ancient woodland by replanting it. Once again it was a was a great deal clearer and more robust than the early wake up call as to how poorly we protect our ancient draft. The intent to safeguard AONBs from inappropriate woodland - less than 20% of it is designated as an SSSI. In development seems to be intact – perhaps the greater fact, we know that the national inventory prepared in 1991 concern is to ensure that development visible from the is not accurate. We have spent the last two years re- Chilterns is also appropriate. The massive, and highly surveying all ancient woodland and have identified another visible, new factory being built near suggests 1,200 hectares, bringing the total to over 11,000 hectares - we need to remain vigilant. an astonishing 13% of the AONB.

Steve Rodrick, Chief Officer

Ancient woodland at Sibleys Coppice near South Heath which will be partly destroyed by HS2 1 Conservation and Land Use

une 2011 saw the publication of the Government's much-heralded White Paper on the natural environment: 'The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature'. The first environment white paper for over 20 years, building on the JLawton Review, cemented a raft of new terms in our lexicon including Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity Offsetting and Green Infrastructure. Already a range of initiatives and pilot projects have emerged and the Conservation Board is engaged with four new Local Nature Partnerships (LNPs) which, in future, will represent the collective voice of environmental organisations at a county level.

While for some, the white paper was seen as a 'rearranging of the deck chairs', the Conservation Board welcomes the recognition of the value of our designated landscapes and conservation initiatives at a landscape scale.

The Board's bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a four In November the Board published the third State of the year Chilterns Commons Project was successful, with Chilterns Environment report to inform its own work and £400,000 awarded in June 2011, which secured another to influence wider decision making. £100,000 from other partners. Project Officer Rachel Over 50 people attended the Chalk Grassland Managers' Sanderson was appointed in August, and the Project Day in June at Dancersend and Aldbury Nowers nature launched in September at Totternhoe Knolls with over 80 reserves near Tring. Topics included the benefits and people in attendance. management of scrub for butterfly populations, ant hills,

scrape creation and sward enhancement. Chilterns Commons Network activity – four e-bulletins,

site visits and support for practical works - continued The Board contributed to the management of over 50 ha alongside the new Project. of chalk grassland this year across eight sites including

Oakley Hill, Prestwood LNR, Houghton Regis chalk pit and 150 people attended the 'Our Common History' seminar in Millfield Bank. January, enjoying a number of very interesting

presentations on the rich history of commonland in the Over 70 professionals and enthusiastic volunteers Chilterns. attended the annual Chilterns' scrub bash, hosted this

year by the National Trust at Dunstable Downs. Field Farm, Lewknor, hosted the Chilterns Farmers'

Forum in February where 30 gathered to hear Chiltern A number of Chiltern farms opened to the public for farmers update on their farming sectors, enjoy a light Open Farm Sunday on 12th June – five of these events hearted quiz and tasty local produce. were supported by the Board and the events proved

popular.

2 Launch of the Chilterns Commons Project at Totternhoe Knolls Woodlands

he Chilterns is one of the most heavily wooded areas in the UK with 21% woodland cover. A full re-survey of ancient woodland was completed in early 2012. This work was jointly commissioned by the Conservation Board, TNatural England and Forestry Commission. The survey was also extended to cover all of Chiltern District, Dacorum Borough, Wycombe District and South Bucks District. The Board has been campaigning to stop the loss of ancient woodland which will occur if the high speed railway is built.

The survey identified that the total area of ancient The Board's primary means of promoting woodland woodland in the Chilterns AONB is 11,058 ha, up from management was by providing office accommodation and 9,827 ha – an increase of over 12%. financial support to the Chiltern Woodlands Project. With this support the Project: Over 45 delegates attended the Woodland Forum organised jointly with the Chiltern Woodlands Project. Gave advice to 53 woodland owners covering 572.5 ha of woodland. Displays of timber processing equipment were featured at the Chilterns Countryside Festival, attended by nearly Arranged four walks attended by over 110 people and 6,000 visitors. gave nine talks to about 350.

Held two training days on woodland archaeology attended by 18 trainees.

Organised four workshops and visits on managing woodland for timber production for 40 woodland owners, funded by LEADER. Two information sheets were published on the AONB website.

Published one edition of News of the Woods and e-news updates.

Bailey Wood, an ancient woodland near Chalfont St Giles

Historic Environment

he full report on the Historic Landscape Characterisation of the Chilterns was made available on the new AONB Twebsite, along with the full colour summary document The Making of the Chilterns Landscape.

The Walk Back in Time programme included a total of 84 The Board provided support to the Chiltern Woodlands history-themed events. Project which ran two training days on woodland archaeology. 2,000 leaflets promoting People and Places of the were distributed and there were 11,109 visits to the People and History pages on the AONB website.

150 people attended a seminar on the history of commons organised by the Chilterns Commons Project in January.

The Board distributed two editions of Chilternsaetna, a newsletter about the historic environment of the Chilterns.

Grants from the Chilterns AONB Sustainable Development Fund supported a publication on the history of local chalk industries and a leaflet on suffragettes in Buckinghamshire. Nuffield Place in – home to car manufacturer William Morris – opened to the public by the National Trust in 2012 3 Chalk Streams

n 2011-12, another dry year increased the pressure on the Chilterns’ already stressed rivers. Groundwater levels, below normal at the start of the year, declined throughout spring and summer causing many rivers to dry up in their Iheadwater reaches by June. Winter proved to be one of the driest on record with just 12% of average recharge to the aquifer occurring. In February the Chilterns were officially in drought and by March 2012 groundwater levels had fallen to their lowest ever recorded levels and all the area's chalk streams were suffering significant environmental stress.

A water vole survey along the River Chess was completed In October, working in partnership with the in September by BBOWT and the Chilterns Chalk Streams Environment Agency, the Wild Trout Trust and Project. The survey revealed that the population had volunteers from Revive the Wye, the Project completed recovered to the size recorded in 2001, prior to the 97% a habitat enhancement scheme on the River Wye at crash in numbers as a result of predation by North Kings Mead in Loudwater near High Wycombe. American mink. 40 delegates attended the 14th Annual Forum of the The Project, working in partnership with the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project, which was held in Environment Agency, began work on two water meadow Chalfont St. Peter in the Misbourne Valley in June. restoration projects on the Rivers Chess and Misbourne. Contractors began work in March on the Misbourne 14 visits were made to sites along six of the Chilterns' scheme near Little Missenden to restore the river and rivers to give advice on river and riparian management create wetland habitat. and to assist with the development of enhancement schemes. A new advisory leaflet for landowners along The Project provided advice and funding to support tree the River Wye was also produced. work along the River Ver at Riverside Road Watercress Beds Nature Reserve in St. Albans and the River The Project created a Drought Watch page on the AONB Misbourne at Higher Denham. It also supported access website, gave a series of talks to local groups and took improvement work along the Chess Valley Walk in part in a number of interviews for radio and television Chesham by Chesham Town Council. to raise awareness of the developing drought situation.

Working in partnership with the Thames River The Trout in the Classroom project continued at two Restoration Trust, a successful bid for £38,000 was made schools in the Chess Valley. to the Rivers Trust's River Restoration Fund to carry out a weir removal scheme on the River Chess at Sarratt Bottom.

4 The River Misbourne at Chalfont Mill in May 2011 and April 2012, showing the effect of a dry year Information and Interpretation

he AONB website was completely re-built to make it more effective and up-to-date. A new interactive map greatly improved the provision of visitor information and the Board's social media sites such as Twitter and YouTube Twere fully integrated. The website is completely managed by the Board's staff, enabling frequent updating and the provision of time-limited information.

The new website was launched in September with 26 press releases and eight letters were sent to the local improved visitor information, integration of social media media, generating at least 100 press articles and and a new online shop. There were 178,974 visits to the mentions, 19 radio interviews and nine TV interviews. AONB website during the year, an average of 14,915 per Four articles written by the Board were published in local month. Over 35,000 leaflets and other publications were and national media. downloaded. Five electronic Board newsletters were circulated. Four The AONB Twitter and Facebook pages continued to grow editions of the Commons Network Newsletter and two steadily in popularity. editions of the Chilternsaetna newsletter on the historic 2,000 leaflets promoting the People and Places section environment were distributed. of the AONB website were distributed and two talks The South East Protected Landscapes Sustainable Tourism given. Project, titled Our Land, was launched by Kate Humble in 13,000 each of two editions of the Board's magazine October. By March 15 Chilterns businesses had joined with Chalk and Trees were distributed. plans in place for major recruitment during summer 2012.

89 delegates representing 38 organisations attended the The Board was awarded a Gold by the Green Tourism Chilterns Annual Forum in November 2011 at Amersham Business Scheme. Rugby Club. 124 copies of The Chilterns AONB Management Plan 2008- Over 50,000 walking, cycling and general information 2013 were downloaded from the AONB website. leaflets were distributed via libraries, information The Board continued to support the National Association centres, visitor attractions and at events. of AONBs and contributed articles for its Outstanding The Board had a stand at six major local shows during magazine. the summer.

Walkers on The Ridgeway National Trail near Ivinghoe Beacon 5 Planning and Development

n July the Government published for consultation a draft of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This set out to replace a significant number of Planning Policy Statements and Planning Policy Guidance Notes. Along Iwith many national bodies and other organisations, the Board formally responded to the consultation with strong objections. The NPPF was approved in March and many changes had been made which ensured that the final version was much better than the draft, though still considered not to be as good as the advice which it had replaced.

There were joint overall winners of the Chilterns Buildings The Board was consulted on over 170 planning Design Awards, offered together with The Chiltern applications; detailed comments were submitted on 36, Society. These were the extension and refurbishment of a of which over 70% were determined in line with the house at Speen and the reconstruction and restoration of Board's comments. a Victorian farm complex to accommodate a modern business at Chorleywood. A highly commended award was The Board was directly involved in the provision of given for the restoration of a market office and its training for local authorities, professional and conversion to a museum at Tring, and a special project educational bodies attended by over 100 delegates, and award was given for the extension and refurbishment of a contributed to other events attended by over 550 sailing clubhouse at Weston Turville. people.

Formal comments were submitted on 20 development The ninth annual Chilterns Planning Conference was held plans and other documents ranging from national policy in Berkhamsted in Dacorum Borough and attended by 45 consultations to local development plan documents, delegates. The theme was 'Renewable energy and including proposals by both the owners and operators of protected landscapes – a conflict of interests?' The Luton Airport. afternoon field trip to the HG Matthews Brickyard at Bellingdon proved an inspiration to many delegates. With pressures from development outside the AONB mounting, the Board prepared and adopted a position A total of 30 attendees attended the two Planning Forum statement entitled 'Development affecting the setting of events. the Chilterns AONB'. Activities and Learning

inancial pressures meant that it was more important than ever that our public events and educational activities paid for themselves and generated an income for the Board. Through a combination of charging the public to Fattend events, requesting donations, selling merchandise and contracting out our services to other education projects, this area of our work generated an income of over £10,700.

The Activities and Learning Officer took on the provision The Board supported higher and further education with of public events at Natural England's Aston Rowant field trips organised for Brookes University and National Nature Reserve and also school visits to the Reading University, plus one Bucks Adult Learning Reserve in conjunction with visits to Field Farm, session. Lewknor. 11 school sessions were delivered and an The fifth Chilterns Countryside Festival at the Ashridge evening Lantern Walk in October attracted over 200 Estate, jointly organised by the Board and the National visitors, bringing in income of over £500. Trust, had over 100 stands promoting locally produced Education activities were also delivered at whole-day food and crafts and local environmental organisations. school events at Englefield Estate near Reading (two Nearly 6,000 visitors attended, and a net income of over days) and Ewelme Park Estate near Henley (one day). £4,600 was generated.

£1,025 was generated through education consultancy More than 500 people attended over 30 red kite talks work for Natural England-funded projects that were given to local organisations. delivered by third parties. 23 'Wildlife on the Move' events were held in conjunction In partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council's with Hobbs of Henley Ltd, Field Farm Lewknor and School Improvement Service, a Key Stage 2 history and Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway. Over 500 geography Chilterns-wide resource pack for local people attended these trips. schools, Understanding the Chilterns in Place and Time, The sales of red kite-themed merchandise generated a was launched. Free copies were distributed to all state net income of over £2,100 which was invested in wildlife schools within and on the boundary of the AONB. awareness-raising work. 6 18 active volunteers helped with walks, talks and events. Recreation and Access

number of National Trust countryside sites in the Chilterns developed new facilities and activities to cater for different audiences, ranging from outdoor play facilities for children to bike hire and new family cycle trails. AThe Chilterns Cycleway has been very popular. A Visitor Survey showed high levels of repeat use by local cyclists and high levels of visitor spend from staying visitors using the Cycleway for short breaks.

Access for all improvements took place at a number of locations in the Chilterns, with new easy-access routes at the Ashridge Estate, Ivinghoe Beacon and Coombe Hill. Several new stile-free routes were also developed.

The Chilterns Cycleway was very well-used and a Over 20 members of the Disabled Ramblers took part in number of improvements and activities took place a seven mile walk in July 2011 organised by the Board, including: with input from volunteers. The walk started from Dunstable Downs and passed through Whipsnade. two additional day rides were developed and added to the Chilterns Cycleway website, one starting from A number of Chilterns Country Walks were updated and West Wycombe and one from Wendover. reprinted, including the West Wycombe/Bradenham Walk, the Galley Hill Walks from Streatley near Luton Cycleway signage was improved at 16 different and the Iron Age Fort walk from Cholesbury in Bucks. locations along the route. The Conservation Board undertook an access audit for two cream-tea bike rides were held, attracting 18 the Woodland Trust at Penn Wood, to evaluate existing cyclists. access routes and facilities for visitors and to identify The annual Chilterns Access Conference was held in improvements. The Board also worked with the Forestry March 2012 at Bellingdon Village Hall near Chesham, Commission to identify two new easy access trails at attracting 70 delegates from 36 different organisations. Hodgemoor Woods. There were presentations on the access challenges on Three new stile-free walks were devised in conjunction Chilterns’ commons, a round-up of activities from The with The Chiltern Society and the National Trust. The Chiltern Society and the Ramblers' Association, an walks start at Greys Court and Mapledurham in update on the National Trails review and information on Oxfordshire and can be downloaded from the Chilterns Defra's 'Paths for Communities' grant scheme. AONB website.

Disabled Ramblers walk at Dunstable Downs 7 FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2011/2012 This report is based on the Financial Statement approved by the Board on 21st June 2012. The Audit Commission had not completed its audit at the time of publication of this Annual Review. A copy of the auditor's report will be available from the Board when it is published and will be posted on the Board's website.

Expenditure Income

Countryside Management £268,780 Defra £472,003 Recreation and Access £ 44,973 Local Authorities (3) £105,085 Planning and Development £ 83,953 Defra -SDF (4) £ 31,842 Promotion and Awareness £155,511 Other (5) £204,512 Governance(1) £ 40,241 Management and Administration(2) £136,985 Other costs £ 7,629

Total £738,072 Total £813,442

The expenditure includes VAT which the Board is not able to Balance carried forward £ 75,370 reclaim. To Restricted and Earmarked Reserves £ 75,370 To General Reserve - Notes (1) Includes members' allowances, personnel and legal costs (4) Grant aid from Defra for the Sustainable (2) Includes premises, office costs, IT and finance charges Development Fund (SDF) (3) Local authority contributions to core costs (5) Includes local authority and others contributions to projects

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FUND he Chilterns AONB Sustainable Development Fund supports projects which enhance the Chilterns and people's enjoyment and understanding of the area. During 2011-12 it made grants totalling £35,503 to support 22 local Tprojects. The monies in the Fund are provided by Defra. The total value of the projects supported was over £186,000.

Examples of projects supported include:

£863 to Queensbury School in Dunstable to set up bee £1,500 to Sunnyside Rural Trust for the purchase of hives in the school grounds so that pupils can learn water tanks to store rainwater collected from firsthand about the importance of these insects. polytunnels at Hemel Food Garden.

£500 to Colin Cartwright for the production of a booklet celebrating the activities of suffragettes in Buckinghamshire.

£3,000 to the Anne Carpmael Charitable Trust for a new visitor centre at the Withymead Nature Reserve by the Thames near Goring.

£762 to Tring Together to support Tring Spring Fayre, a two week programme of events celebrating the town and its surrounding countryside.

£600 to the National Trust for a natural play trail in woodland at Dunstable Downs.

£390 to Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway for a bicycle rack.

Children meet young animals at 8 the Tring Spring Fayre Board staff and Chairman Mike Fox on a Christmas walk in the Wormsley Valley near Stokenchurch CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERS FOR 2011/2012

Mr Mike Fox* Chairman Appointed by the Secretary of State Cllr Mr Bill Storey* Vice Chairman Dr Heather Barrett-Mold Mr Mike Fox* Mrs Bettina Kirkham+ Mr Kevin Mayne* Appointed by Local Authorities Dr Simon Mortimer Mr Ray Payne* Cllr Mr Richard Pushman* Buckinghamshire C C Mrs Helen Tuffs Mr John Willson+ Cllr Mr Bill Storey+ Hertfordshire C C Cllr Mr David Nimmo-Smith Oxfordshire C C Elected by Parish Councils County Cllr Mr Chris Richards+ D C Mrs Mary Goldsmith Bedfordshire Cllr Mr Jeremy Ryman* Chiltern D C Mrs Shirley Judges* Buckinghamshire Cllr Mr Ian Reay Dacorum B C Mrs Barbara Wallis+ Buckinghamshire Cllr Mr Dave Taylor Luton B C Mrs Margaret Jarrett+ Hertfordshire Cllr Mr David Barnard+ North Herts D C Mr John Griffin* Oxfordshire Cllr Mrs Marion Mustoe* Central Bedfordshire C Mrs Julia Wells Oxfordshire Cllr Mr Alan Walters* South Bucks D C Cllr Mrs Anna Badcock South Oxfordshire D C Executive Committee Cllr Mr Brian Norman+ Three Rivers D C Board members marked with an asterisk * Cllr Mr Roger Emmett+ Wycombe D C Planning Committee Board members marked with a + Mike Stubbs (National Trust) and Gill Gowing (Chiltern District Council) are co-opted.

OFFICERS Chief Officer Steve Rodrick Conservation and Landscape Officer Neil Jackson Finance Officer Chris Smith Chalk Streams Officer Allen Beechey Planning Officer Colin White Commons Project Officer Rachel Sanderson Countryside Officer Kath Daly Administration Officer Donna Hunter Activities and Learning Officer Cathy Rose H R Advisor Sally Charman Information and Interpretation Officer Claire Forrest Clerk to the Board Deirdre Hansen Access Officer Annette Venters

9 CONSERVATION BOARD Caring for the Chilterns Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in South East England

London and the South East Region MILTON Banbury KEYNES National Parks

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Cotswolds Main Urban Areas Aylesbury

OXFORD Chilterns Amersham Abingdon High Wycombe GREATER 0 50km North LONDON READING Gravesend Margate Wessex

Downs Bracknell Chatham Newbury Canterbury Kent Downs Woking Aldershot Sevenoaks Maidstone Deal Reigate Basingstoke Guildford Andover Surrey Hills Crawley Royal Ashford DOVER Tunbridge Cranbourne Wells Chase Folkstone Winchester and High Weald West Wiltshire Downs South Downs

New Southampton Hastings Forest Chichester BRIGHTON Bognor Worthing Eastbourne PORTSMOUTH Regis Chichester This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised Harbour reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. ©The Countryside Agency 2003 Licence No. 100018881 Isle of Wight

There are 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK and they show huge diversity, from the Isles of Scilly to the extensive moors of the North Pennines. The National Association for AONBs is an independent body which promotes the family of AONBs in England and Wales.

www.aonb.org.uk www.defra.gov.uk

Acknowledgements The Board would like to thank all the volunteers that contributed to its work during 2011/2012.

CONSERVATION BOARD

Chilterns Conservation Board office The Lodge, 90 Station Road Chinnor Oxon OX39 4HA Tel: 01844 355500 Fax: 01844 355501 Email: [email protected] Website: www.chilternsaonb.org The Board’s office at The Lodge, Chinnor

Download copies of this report from the website www.chilternsaonb.org

Photos supplied by: c Chilterns Conservation Board, John Morris, Chris Smith, Ian Rolfe and Edwin Mitchell-Finch

Cover photos (front) - Cyclists in Turville, - View towards Ivinghoe Beacon, - Countryside Festival at Ashridge

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty