THE SOCIETY
OUR VISION
SOS was formed in 2007 to protect and enhance the AONB and the additional AONB Project Area.
We seek to encourage and assist the appropriate authorities and other interested parties to help preserve the area for generations to come.
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WHAT WE DO
We work with planning authorities, communities, parish councils and individuals to promote and ensure that sustainable and appropriate development occurs.
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We provide recommendations and responses to the local authorities on behalf of our members.
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We endeavour to protect and enhance not only the natural landscape but also the built environment of the AONB.
OUR COMMITTEE
We are fortunate to live in or near to the Shotley Peninsula enabling us to enjoy the area's undulating landscapes that melt into two of the most picturesque rivers in England.
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Our Committee is made up of volunteers who are passionate about investing time and energy into protecting the AONB.
WHAT IS AN AONB?
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a landscape which is considered so precious that it is protected for the nation.
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The criteria for designating an AONB include valuable wildlife, habitats, geology and heritage, as well as scenic views.
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There are 40 AONBs in England and Wales. AONBs have existed since 1949.
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The natural fabric of these important places is fragile, so the primary purpose of all AONBs is to conserve and enhance the landscape.
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The care of AONBs is entrusted to the local authorities, organisations, community groups and the people who live and work within them.
SHOTLEY PENINSULA AND HINTERLAND
The Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a low-lying coastal landscape of astonishing variety, stretching from the Stour estuary in the South to Kessingland in the North, and covering 403 square kilometres.
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Its unique mixture of shingle beaches, crumbling cliffs, marshes, estuaries, heathland, forests and farmland makes the AONB a very special place to live, work and visit.
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As a Society our particular focus is on the Shotley Peninsula and Hinterland, as far inland as the A12 and including the Orwell Estuary to the north and Stour Estuary to the south. This includes land which falls within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB and land within the AONB's Additional Project Area.
This area is characterised by high quality agricultural land along the spine of the Peninsula and the valley sides which slope down towards the open water of the estuaries. As a 'peninsular' landscape between two estuaries, it has a strong association with water and has been bypassed by road and rail through the centuries giving rise to a sense of isolation and rural remoteness.
An Annual General Meeting is held at the Suffolk Food Hall in April, at which the official business of the Society's is undertaken. In addition our Chairman updates members on current issues and what the Society has planned for the coming year.
We also hold a summer party for members and potential new members at a different location every year and somewhere that celebrates the beauty of the Peninsula.
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PATRON: Griff Rhys Jones
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CHAIRMAN: Tom Hill
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TREASURER: Stephen Clark
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SECRETARY: Rodney Chadburn
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COMMITTEE: Susanna Bishop, Simon Hewitt,
Penny Hughes - Stanton, Chris Mayhew,
Jonathan Martin, Oli Paul, Tony Roberts
Peter Ward