HOT TOPIC
At the end of last year, the government announced that the hunt was on for new National Park locations. But the ones we already have are in trouble, so what’s the most sensible next step?
The craggy heights of the Scafell range, the gargantuan sweeping moorland of the Cairngorms, the turquoise waters of Pembrokeshire… the UK’s National Parks are some of our most beautiful places. And we’re set to get more. Scotland has already opened the nomination process for a new National Park, asking communities and organisations to pitch their places. Wales is considering a new one along the north-east of the country, neighbouring Eryri (Snowdonia) and sweeping over the Clwydian hills and Dee Valley. And Westminster announced at the end of last year that the hunt was on for a new National Park in England as well. Natural England has been tasked with selecting somewhere that is both naturally beautiful and has the potential to connect a lot of people with nature.
That sounds like great news. Surely a new National Park is a brilliant thing. But reception to the idea in England has been somewhat lukewarm. In Wales, some are outright against it. Why is that?
It might be partly because most of us are unclear about what a National Park actually is, apart from a solid bet for a holiday destination and a probably very beautiful, rural place. And it might be because our National Parks are struggling, and have been for some time.
What is a National Park anyway?
Let’s get the most obvious bit out of the way and clarify what a National Park is. It’s important to say that it’s not the same as in Yosemite, the Pyrenees or Zambezi. That’s because any country can call an area of land a National Park, but to qualify as a National Park as the World Conservation Union (IUCN) sees it, you have to meet certain criteria and the UK’s National Parks do not. An IUCN National Park is the second highest level of protection an area of land can have (the only areas above it are wilderness reserves and strict nature reserves). But the UK’s National Parks were Category V protected landscapes – the second lowest level of nature protection – places that have been significantly altered by human activity. Think of how the Lake District has been shaped by sheep farming.
A UK National Park is essentially a beautiful rural (note, not necessarily wild) place with planning undertaken by the National Park Authority (NPA) rather than the local council. The NPA’s remit is to protect and enhance its natural beauty, wildlife and culture and to promote its enjoyment and understanding. National Parks are still largely privately owned, larg
