COUNCILLORS are frustrated that repeated calls for the Forest of Dean to be granted protected status are being ignored by the Government.

At a cabinet meeting last Thursday (March 10), district councillors reiterated their desire for the Forest to be designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), with the area having never been formally recognised through designation as a protected landscape.

The Forest was recommended for national protection in a report to the Government after the Second World War, with some 232 square miles of the Dean and Wye Valley identified as meriting protection.

But when the Wye Valley was designated as an AONB in 1971, the Forest of Dean was left out.

Experts at the time said the area formed a distinct landscape separate from the Wye Valley, and that designation was not necessary as the Forestry Commission had adequate powers for meeting amenity and recreation needs under the 1968 Countryside Act.

Council leader Tim Gwilliam (The Progressive Independents, Berry Hill) said council officers put in a great effort in proving the case for the Forest of Dean to be given AONB designation as part of the Glover Review of Protected Landscapes in 2019.

“When the Glover report was released in 2019 it was an exciting time for us, here was an official report for the Government that was in support of the Forest of Dean being designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which would help protect our beautiful environment”, Cllr Gwilliam said.

“You can imagine our disappointment when the Government’s response to the report was published and we found that they had remained silent on the subject.

“The Forest of Dean has been waiting for AONB status since the inception of the concept in 1947.

“If the Government does decide to move ahead and place National Parks and AONBs under one umbrella of “protected landscapes” with all the complications that may bring, there is a risk that this would leave unprotected areas, such as the majority of the Forest of Dean District, at greater risk of uncertainty of future protection and development.

“We want to protect the Forest’s beauty, history and culture while at the same time be able to flourish and regenerate. This can be a wonderful place to live, to learn, to work, to enjoy and to do business, AONB status will assist is in that aim.”

The Glover Report was published in 2019 and reviewed National Parks and AONBs in England.

The report supported the Forest of Dean district being designated a protected landscape, with the council having previously responded to the Review’s call for evidence in support of this.

The Government published its response to the Glover Report in January, but has provided no response to the recommendation for the Forest of Dean to become a protected landscape.

The response mainly focused on its wish to place AONBs and National Parks under the umbrella of “Protected Landscapes”, and to expand this to cover 30 per cent of England by the year 2030.

The council is encouraging residents who would like to submit their views on both the Glover Report and the Government’s response to complete an online survey on DEFRA’s website, which is open until April 9.

To find out more and complete the survey, go to consult.defra.gov.uk/future-landscapes-strategy/government-response-to-the-landscapes-review.