How to find out if you're in a National Landscape (formerly an AONB)
Three ways to check whether your property is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, now branded a National Landscape, and how the designation affects planning permission and permitted development.
Checking a specific site?
Check a site free: your council, whether you are in a conservation area, and a basic flood check. The £9.99 site report covers everything else we can check.
Postcode, address or grid reference. England, Wales and Scotland. Free check, then the site report is £9.99, one-off.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) have been branded National Landscapes since November 2023. They are among the most protected landscapes in England, and if your property is in one it affects what you can build, how planning applications are judged and which permitted development rights you keep. Here is how to check.
The new name is a rebrand. The legal designation is still Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is why you will see both names on council websites and maps.
Method 1: Check the site with Planning Constraints
Check a site free shows which council covers the address and whether it is in a conservation area. The National Landscape (AONB) check is part of the site report (£9.99, one-off), which covers everything we can check within 500 m of your pin, for 30 days. The report link never expires.
- Open the site checker
- Search for your postcode or address
- Review the free result, then open the site report for the National Landscape check
- The boundary is shown on the map
We show what we found, what came back clear, and where a source couldn't be checked. Some councils don't publish every dataset, so ask the council where it matters. National Landscape boundaries are national data from Natural England rather than council submissions.
Method 2: Check Natural England's MAGIC map
Natural England maintains the MAGIC map, the official mapping tool for environmental designations in England. Search for your location and switch on the AONB layer to see the boundaries.
Method 3: Searches during a purchase
If you are buying, ask your solicitor whether the searches they order will report National Landscape status. It is better to know before you offer if you plan to extend. Planning Constraints is not an official search.
What is a National Landscape?
An AONB is an area designated for the outstanding quality of its natural beauty: landscape, wildlife, geology and cultural heritage. The purpose of the designation is to conserve and enhance that natural beauty.
England has 34 National Landscapes, covering about 15% of the land area. They include the Cotswolds, the Chilterns, the Surrey Hills, the Kent Downs and the Northumberland Coast. The South Downs is not on that list: it became a National Park on 31 March 2010, replacing the former Sussex Downs and East Hampshire AONBs, and National Parks are a separate, similarly protected designation.
The rebrand took place on 22 November 2023 in England and Wales. Wales has its own AONBs, which are also branded National Landscapes but sit under Welsh law and Planning Policy Wales. Scotland has no AONBs. Its equivalent is the National Scenic Area, protected through NPF4 and the local development plan.
A stronger duty since the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023
The name changed but the law did not stay still. Section 245 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 strengthened the duty on public bodies in England. Relevant authorities, including councils, must now "seek to further" the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of an AONB, rather than only "have regard" to it. Welsh devolved authorities keep the lighter "have regard" duty.
How National Landscapes affect planning
A higher bar for development
The National Planning Policy Framework, in the version published on 17 August 2026, groups National Parks, the Broads and National Landscapes as "Protected Landscapes" (policy N4). It says that:
- development should be limited in scale and extent, and sited and designed to avoid harm to the area's special qualities
- substantial weight should be placed on conserving and enhancing natural beauty
- proposals for major development should be refused other than in exceptional circumstances and where they are in the public interest
Whether a scheme counts as "major" is a judgement based on its nature, scale and setting, not only the usual 10-home threshold. The policy adds explicit weight for wildlife and cultural heritage in National Parks and the Broads.
Reduced permitted development rights
National Landscapes are "Article 2(3) land", the same group as conservation areas and National Parks, so some householder permitted development rights are restricted:
- Larger rear extensions: the larger home extension scheme (the 6 m and 8 m prior approval route) is not available
- Side extensions: they need householder planning permission
- Loft conversions that extend the roof: the permitted development route for roof extensions does not apply, so you need planning permission
- Cladding: you cannot add stone, render, timber or other cladding under permitted development
Check the detail with your council or a lawful development certificate before you start work. An Article 4 direction can remove further rights.
Design and landscape sensitivity
Even for development that is not "major", councils assess the effect on the landscape:
- Materials and colours should suit local landscape character
- Height and scale should respect the setting
- Views into and out of the area are a material consideration
- Lighting is scrutinised to protect dark skies
Management plans
Each National Landscape has a management plan that sets out priorities for conserving and enhancing the landscape. Councils should have regard to it when assessing applications.
Does it affect value?
Many buyers see the protection as a benefit, because it limits new development nearby. It can also make extending or developing your own property harder and more expensive, which some buyers count as a drawback. Think about your own plans before you offer.
Summary
Three ways to check whether you're in a National Landscape (AONB):
- Site report: check a site free, then add the National Landscape check in the £9.99 site report
- Official mapping: Natural England's MAGIC map
- During a purchase: ask your solicitor whether their searches report it
If you are in one, planning applications get closer scrutiny, some permitted development rights are lost, and major development needs exceptional justification.
Sources
- Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, section 245: the duty to "seek to further" the purposes of protected landscapes (England)
- Lincolnshire County Council: AONBs renamed National Landscapes and National Landscapes Association: England, for the November 2023 rename, the 34 National Landscapes and the 15% figure
- The South Downs National Park Authority (Establishment) Order 2010, for the National Park taking effect on 31 March 2010, and Sussex Downs AONB for the revoked AONBs
- National Planning Policy Framework (17 August 2026), chapter 19, policy N4
- Planning Portal: planning permission for extensions and loft conversions, for Article 2(3) land
Can you extend? Check permitted development and the rules on your street.
Check a site free for your council, whether you are in a conservation area, and a basic flood check. The site report (£9.99, one-off) adds everything else we can check within 500 m of your pin, for 30 days, with the source for each finding.
We show what we found, what came back clear, and where a source couldn’t be checked. Some councils don’t publish every dataset, so ask the council where it matters. Planning Constraints is a screening tool, not an official local authority search or professional advice.