CAMPAIGNERS have reacted with delight after chancellor George Osbourne protected funding for English National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and public forests in the Spending Review.
The Campaign for National Parks has praised the decision to protect more than £350 in funding, after lobbying the government over the issue for several months.
National Parks will be given “legal flexibilities to allow them to build sustainable, long-term revenue streams and boost growth in rural areas.”
However, the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs will have to find savings of 15 per cent and the campaign group is unsure what this will mean for other parts of their work.
Fiona Howie, chief executive of Campaign for National Parks, said: “It is great news that the chancellor has listened to concerns about the future of English National Parks and confirmed their funding will be protected for the rest of this Parliament.
"We know, however, National Parks face a wide range of development threats including from new infrastructure and house building.
"We do not want these landscapes preserved in aspic, they must be thriving communities, but this will only be achieved through appropriate development."
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