Putting the ‘national’ back into England’s National Parks

Published: 29 July 2024

The welcome news of a proposed third National Park for Scotland, on top of the consultation for a fourth for Wales, now turns the spotlight on England. Will the new government in Westminster mark this year’s 75^th anniversary of the founding legislation for National Parks – a triumph for Atlee’s post-war Labour administration, after all – by putting the ‘national’ back into England’s ten National Parks?

After a decade of cutbacks, retreat and frustrated ambitions, this feels like a golden opportunity for Starmer’s government. Few other public bodies can match National Parks for their unique brand, popular affection and sheer reach (covering a tenth of the British land mass). They provide an ideal vehicle for the government to show that it is serious about tackling the nature and climate crises; demonstrate its support for the rural economy and forge truly sustainable local communities; and reverse the environmental destruction being wreaked on our land and water.

When the first National Parks were created in the Peak District, Lake District, Dartmoor and Eryri (Snowdonia) in the early 1950s it was a very different landscape – in almost every sense – and the architects of the new set-up could not have foreseen the massive changes ahead in farming, economic development and tourism, as well as the catastrophic impact it would have on our wildlife. The Park authorities themselves were a product of that age, often starved of resources and thwarted by powerful local authorities. But now it is time to change all that.

Seventy-five years on from their founding, Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed has the opportunity to reprise England’s National Parks so they are fit for purpose and can play a leading role in both environmental recovery and sustainable rural growth.

Here are five steps:

Make protected landscapes the flagship for the Government’s 30×30 action plan – rapid nature recovery should be at the heart of the National Parks’ agenda to show that a thriving natural world is essential for our economic and social wellbeing.
Get tough on the likes of water pollution, wildlife crime, moorland burning and so on – in other words, prioritise nature, landscape and a healthy environment over vested interests.
Strike a new deal for National Parks, so they have the powers and investment they need to not just effect transformational landscape-scale improvement but also support farming, jobs and the rural economy.
Re-shape National Park Authorities so their work is bolder, focused and outcomes-driven, with an approach that is more collaborative and inclusive.
Encourage a progressive discussion that re-imagines 21st century National Parks as places that are wilder and nature-rich, accessible and inclusive – and new designations embracing marine and possibly urban environments.

To borrow a quote from the other side of the Atlantic where they were originally founded, National Parks are one of the best ideas we ever had – so now is the moment to let England’s fly so they can really deliver for the nation.

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