THE Council for the Protection of Rural England Forest of Dean District is calling for the Countryside Agency to add strong planning protection to their agenda for Special Status for the whole of area, right down to the Severn and across to Dymock.

The local branch says it welcomes the work undertaken by Forest Voice in bringing the issue of Special Status back on the agenda for public consultation with local communities and feel that now is the time to emphasise the utmost urgency in protecting the unique landscapes and traditions of the district.

The local CPRE group feel that this needs to be achieved through declaring the whole of the district an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with the added enhancement of the Integrated Rural Development (IRD) currently under public discussion by Forest Voice.

Anne Prufer, chairman of the local group said: "At the present time only some of the district is declared a Special Landscape Area and this in itself is a relatively low grade non-statutory designation granted by the district and county councils, so when it comes to legal challenges by a developer at Planning Appeal, there is little strength in this designation in comparison with the statutory designation of enhanced ANOB, if it were written into our local and county plan.

"Enhanced AONB Special Status would help to protect the Forest's unique traditions and character because enhanced ANOB would recognise that the traditional working is part of the culture and identity of the Forest heritage is a positive, unique asset and would be central to seeking enhanced AONB status from the Countryside Agency."

The Forest CPRE are very concerned about the future of the whole of the Forest of Dean District and particularly in the relatively low protection of its magnificent landscapes in the planning process.

It recognises that there is statutory legislation relating to the core Forest but it appears to be unrelated to modern-day planning control which is used to decide how and where factories and houses are built and used.

Anne Prufer said: "The landscape of the Forest of Dean District has been created by hundreds of years of diverse working practices. This is the culture of our working landscape.

"From the glades of the Forest to the outstanding vista landscapes that sweep down from the escarpment to the River Severn and River Wye, the ridges and valleys that gradually open up to the rolling countryside around Newent, so celebrated by the Dymock poets, all need protection, but in a way that conserves this traditional working landscape whilst taking on board the economic and social needs and aspirations of present day local communities.

"This is why we will be recommending enhanced AONB Status to the Countryside Agency."