National Parks: New Perspectives scheme doubles in size thanks to generous donation

We are delighted to reveal that, following widespread interest in our National Parks: New Perspectives scheme, we've been able to double the number of £1,000 bursaries on offer to 10 - thanks to a generous donation from a longtime supporter. The bursaries are available for early career communicators (19-35) in the UK for stories based in National Parks in England and Wales. The deadline has also been extended to Monday 15 November 2021.

Chief Executive Rose O’Neill said: “Almost 50 people signed up to our pre-application workshop earlier this month and we’ve had some strong applications submitted already.Wwe want to give as many young people as possible the chance to benefit from this unique opportunity and uncover a wealth of stories - especially as conversations ramp up around COP26.

“As a small independent charity, we rely on support from individuals to enable us to campaign to protect and improve National Parks and are eternally grateful to all of our Friends and donors."

Read more about the scheme here.

National Parks pledge to be net zero by 2045 as Government unveils wider Net Zero strategy

The UK's National Park Authorities released a joint statement this month, confirming their collective commitment to tackle the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis. It will see new technologies and strategies piloted to reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sequestration through land management and nature restoration, and to achieve net zero as places (including tourism) by 2045. 

We welcome this commitment but question whether they should achieving net zero National Parks sooner, as outlined in our National Parks and the Climate Emergency report released earlier this year. 

The National Parks' announcement coincided with the release of the Government's Net Zero strategy. The strategy sets out proposals for eliminating UK emissions by 2050, decarbonising across all sectors of the UK economy. There remains uncertainty about the how ambitions will be delivered through the agricultural and land management sectors and the role of nature-based solutions. Responding to the strategy, the Climate Change Committee said “a credible strategy, led by Defra, and integrated with the challenges for how we use our land and our soil”. This must include National Parks.

National Parks UK also unveiled a new Revere initiative - a collaboration with partners Palladium, a global impact company, to leverage private finance into nature restoration with South Downs, North York Moors and New Forest National Parks the first to benefit from the investment. We welcome investment in nature based solutions to the climate crisis and look forward to more detail about how the initiative will deliver for net zero alongside the critical reduction of emissions by those investing.

"The Government must provide the right supporting framework to allow National Park Authorities to take effective climate action," said our Policy and Research Manager Ruth Bradshaw, "including ensuring that policy decisions in relevant areas such as transport and planning are consistent with a move towards net zero." Read our full response here.


Celtic Rainforest in Snowdonia National Park by Gethin Davies, SNPA

Campaign for National Parks Photography Competition 2021 - winners revealed!

In case you missed our last email, we're delighted to reveal the winners of this year's photography competition, - 'Documenting Climate Change in National Parks'.

• Main winner: Shaun Davey with his photo of Porlock Marsh in Exmoor National Park as featured in the header of this email (read our Q&A with Shaun here)
• Young Photographer of the Year: Fletcher Foot, 14, with his photo of a stonechat in New Forest National Park (read our Q&A with Fletcher here)
• People's Choice - Best Phone Photo: Simon Walken with his photo of Hope Valley in Peak District National Park (read our Q&A with Simon here)

Car park recommended for approval in Lake District National Park despite heavy opposition

We recently joined Friends of the Lake District and others to oppose plans to create an extra 150-space car park at Ullock Moss near Derwentwater and Cat Bells - but it was recommended for approval by the planning authority and is back before the council for a decision on Wednesday 3 November 2021.


Cat Bells in Lake District National Park by Ian Brown

Our Policy and Research Manager Ruth Bradshaw said: "Campaign for National Parks remains strongly opposed to plans for a new car park in open countryside in an already very popular area. Allowing a new car park here will facilitate yet more car use and will do nothing to encourage more sustainable travel. It is in direct conflict with the National Park Authority's ambitions to reduce car use to help meet its net zero target.

"It also sets a dangerous precedent for other similar developments both elsewhere in the Lake District and in other National Parks. Given the urgency of the nature and climate emergencies, it is even more essential than ever that National Park Authority members consider the longer-term impacts of the decisions they make."

Find out more about the campaign to stop a permanent car park being created here.

New National Park for Wales: next steps

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford announced plans for a new National Park in Wales in Clwydian Range and Dee Valley firstly as part of the Welsh Labour Manifesto, then again once elected in May.

The topic has since come up during several Senedd debates, with Minister for Climate Julie James MS confirming this month: "We are committed to creating a new National Park for Wales covering the breathtaking Clwydian Range and Dee Valley. Work is under way with Natural Resources Wales to develop a comprehensive designation programme that will include all the necessary assessment, engagement and consultation."

We welcome new National Parks as part of an improved network of designated landscapes across England and Wales to support a healthy and inclusive society. New designations must be accompanied by appropriate new funding to enable  all National Parks to fully achieve their purposes . We are calling for new legislation to strengthen protections for both existing, and new National Parks, in order to ensure that they are able to deliver for people, nature and climate.

Postcard from National Park Societies conference

This year’s National Park Societies (NPS) conference was hosted by the North York Moors Association (NYMA) and took place from 12 - 14 October 2021 at the Cober Hill hotel just north of Scarborough on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. Three days of thought-provoking talks, trips and conversations. It was wonderful to see so many friends in person again.

Speakers included our new Chief Executive Rose O'Neill; Tom Hind, CEO of the North York Moors National Park Authority; Tom's predecessor now environmental policy campaigner Andy Wilson; Debbie Trebilco, former North Yorkshire Rural Commissioner and Trustee of the North York Moors National Park Trust; and Kate Ashbrook, General Secretary of the Open Spaces Society.

We enjoyed some great field trips: Yorkshire's Heritage Coast (Robin Hood's Bay and Ravenscar); Management and Change in Moorland and Villages (Appleton-le-Moors and Spaunton Moor) and From Heavy Industry to the Visitor Economy (Grosmont and the North York Moors Railway).

You can read our full write up, with photos, in the next edition of Viewpoint magazine - due out shortly.

Photo: Local historian Tamsyn Naylor showing mining history of Grosmont village, by Katja Pesari

And finally...

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