Following a recent visit to the Colne Valley park that marks the boundary of Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and Greater London, I was glad to have the opportunity today to press Government Ministers on additional protection for this vital  green space in the constituency.

The importance of the park is clear to all local residents as it provides a haven for agriculture, aquaculture and for leisure. Indeed, many of my constituents and constituents of neighbouring constituencies benefit from daily access and use of the space.  Knowing that large scale infrastructure projects and wider development threaten large swathes of the Colne Valley, I am supporting a campaign to ensure the park is given greater protection befitting of this area of outstanding beauty and importance.

I challenged the Secretary of State for the Environment to provide the wider Colne Valley park with the protection it needs so that it can continue to provide its multi-faceted role long into the future.  

In their response, the Minister responding informed me that the Government’s Landscape Review highlighted the importance of Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB) in their usefulness for local communities even when compared to long established National Parks. I was delighted to be reassured that the Government is looking to work with the National Association of AONBs to better reflect their significance and they have already allocated additional funding this year to support this work.