Getty ImagesA consultation has been launched on plans to expand a formal beauty salon in Surrey by 30%.
Natural England wants to place a contract to designate an additional 129 square kilometers (50 square miles) for the Surrey Hills National Landscape.
The border, first assigned in 1958, has not been reviewed over the years despite repeated calls from local activists.
All contributions from the public must be received before January 14th.
Designated the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) ahead of a name change in 2023, this is the third consultation on planned expansions of Surrey Hills.
The first took place between March and June 2023 and received 1,518 responses.
The second took place between September and December 2024 and received more than 375 responses.
A Government spokesman said: “Once made, the order, if subsequently confirmed by the Secretary of State, will result in this land being designated as part of the Surrey Hills National Landscape.”
It is one of 46 nationally protected landscapes in the United Kingdom and has the same landscape status and protection as a national park.
Its area currently covers a quarter of the county, from Farnham in the west to Oxted in the east and to the Greensand Hills near Haslemere in the south.
Jeremy Hunt, MP for Godalming and Ash, called it “absolutely fantastic news” and “the final steps before the expansion that we have all been pushing for years”.