Stop The Cuts

We’re campaigning to end the destructive cuts to National Park budgets in England.

National Parks in England have been starved of resources, suffering a brutal 40% funding cut since 2010. While a recent £15m package for nature is a welcome boost, it has been completely undermined by a simultaneous 9% cut to National Parks’ core budgets this year – making it nearly impossible for them to deliver the vital services and protections they are tasked with. This is unacceptable. If we don’t act now, we risk losing the very essence of these iconic places forever.

National Park authorities funding has been cut to the bone, leading to agonising decisions such as selling off publicly owned land and closing visitor services, and limiting the key role these areas could play in reversing biodiversity decline and tackling the climate emergency.

These cuts must stop, will you write to your MP in Westminster to demand action? Use our quick and easy tool below.

Cuts in numbers

  • 40%

    Budget Cuts

    National Parks have faced a 40% cut to their budgets in real terms since 2010

  • 9%

    Further cut in 2025/26

    With the changes in National Insurance contributions and other rising costs, the overall impact of the cuts closer to 20%.

  • <1%

    of the Defra Budget

    That's the amount of money National Parks in England receive

Impacts of the budget cuts

Lake District National Park Authority has handed over the management of the UK’s first national park visitor centre, Brockhole-on-Windermere, which originally opened in 1969.

Dartmoor National Park Authority has terminated its One Planet Dartmoor, the Sustainable Development Fund and its Action for Wildlife Initiative, which covered climate change, biodiversity and grants for local communities.

Northumberland National Park Authority has stopped its climate change and apprenticeship programmes; closed its sustainable business support and two of its three visitor centres.

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has ended its events, branding, geodiversity, climate change, education and public transport programmes and stopped its Definitive Map (Rights of Way) designations.

North York Moors National Park Authority has stopped its flood prevention work, work on Green Lanes, climate change mitigation and adaptation work and managing its Definitive Map.

The Broads Authority has closed three of its six tourist information centres and withdrawn from virtually all rights of way maintenance.

Crib Gogh, Eryri

Welsh National Park budgets

Although Welsh National Parks have received a 5% core grant funding increase in the 2025/26 budget, as well as an additional £1.5m allocated to Designated Landscapes through the Ffermio Bro programme, the strain on National Park Authority budgets remains acute.

There is an urgent need for a long-term funding settlement which is sufficient to meet the challenges of today. Without commitments from Welsh Government to restore funding levels in the next term of government, National Park Authorities in Wales are at risk of job losses, the reduction in core services and a squeezed capacity to deliver nature and climate restoration programmes.  If we don’t act now, we risk losing the very essence of these iconic places for future generations. 

Image: Crib Goch, Eryri © Rachel Roberts

Make your impact go further

Ceibwr Bay in the Pembrokeshire Coast

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Images: Mam Tor, Peak District © Chris Hepburn