Campaign groups hail Environment Secretary’s National Parks announcement, while Farron urges further action

The move, which Liz Truss said she was “delighted” to reveal, has been the subject of a sustained campaign by the CPRE, Campaign for National Parks, the Friends of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales Society, and will protect several important landscapes.

Announcing the plans, Ms Truss said: “The Dales and the Lakes have some of our country’s finest landscapes, beautiful vistas and exciting wildlife. They are part of our national identity.”

“I am delighted to be able to announce this extension which will join these two unique National Parks and protect even more space for generations to come.”

“National Parks are fabulous national assets that welcome over 90 million tourists and contribute to our vibrant rural economy - we are committed to helping them thrive.”

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who has been pressing for action on the issue for some time, said he was “relieved” that the decision had been made. 

The MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale added: “This is good news for the environment and our tourism business but there is no excuse for allowing the process to take as long as it did to reach this decision.”

Mr Farron went on to urge further action, saying: “My big concern now is that we still have not seen the introduction of greater democracy in the way that the National Park Authorities are run that I have been calling for. It is only right that the people who will find themselves living in the National Parks from next August should be able to have a direct say in the way that the area they live in is run.”

Also responding to the news, Emma Marrington, senior rural policy campaigner for CPRE said: “It is great to hear that the Secretary of State, Elizabeth Truss, has agreed this extension, forming a ‘bridge’ that includes iconic landscapes such as the Orton and Howgill Fells in Yorkshire and large tracts of common land in Cumbria. This announcement has been a long time coming.

“Only our finest landscapes are granted National Park status. National Parks enjoy the highest level of planning protection and are exemplars of sustainable development. The challenge now is to ensure that the two National Park Authorities have the resources they need to protect and enhance these landscapes in the long-term.”