A BID to expand the Dedham Vale has been submitted.

The Stour Valley Partnership has applied to extend the boundary of the Dedham Vale area of natural beauty, part of Constable Country, towards Sudbury.

The bid, which includes why the partnership believes the landscape meets the criteria for natural beauty, has been sent to Natural England.

It has secured the support of MPs including Braintree’s Brooks Newmark, as well as Dedham Vale Society, the Colne Stour Association and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.