N/A

Our involvement in National Parks

Natural England's involvement in English National Parks can be summarised under two main headings: delivery of our statutory duties and non statutory work:

Our statutory duties

  • to designate National Parks: we have a duty under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 to, from time to time, consider which areas in England meet the criteria for designation as a National Park, to consider in which order they should be designated, and to proceed with their designation at such time as we may determine.  Underpinning this duty is the power under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 to amend an order designating a National Park in England through a variation order;
  • to advise Government Ministers on any matters affecting the ability of National Park Authorities to deliver their purposes;
  • to make recommendations to Ministers on proposals to develop land in National Parks that appear inconsistent with their purposes;
  • to act as a statutory consultee on: 
    • the level and distribution of grant aid to National Parks,  
    • the suitability of candidates for appointment to National Park Authorities, 
    • draft National Park management plans, 
    • the appointment of NPA Chief Executives (National Park Officers) and their roles.          

Our non statutory work

We also support the National Parks family through:

  • financial support of the Association of National Park Authorities;
  • research, experiments and monitoring, to advance understanding of how National Parks can best deliver their functions;
  • development and promotion of policy, guidance and information relating to National Parks;
  • participation in the work of National Parks through membership of national steering groups, advisory committees etc,
  • influencing, learning from and contributing to activities at a UK, European and global level that furthers the interests of protected landscapes;
  • supporting the work of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), EUROPARC Federation, EUROPARC (Atlantic Isles section), IUCN and its World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).    

New designations

In October 2006, Natural England inherited unfinished business on designating a South Downs National Park from the Countryside Agency, one of its founding bodies.  To find out how this work is evolving visit the South Downs National Park pages of this website.