Protecting beautiful landscapes for everyone should be at the heart of future Government thinking.  And the lessons of a year of recession and economic uncertainty strongly reinforce this view.

This is the assertive call from the Campaign to Protect Rural England [1] on the 60th anniversary of the Act of Parliament which gave our finest landscapes top priority [2] amid the huge challenges of the post war world. 

‘The power of beautiful places and beautiful views to lift the human spirit and inspire the best in human nature was recognised by the nation’s leaders at a time of austerity and uncertainty.  That far-sighted action has provided us with one of our greatest natural assets.  We need to secure and extend it in the years ahead,’ said Tom OIiver, Head of Rural Policy at CPRE.

‘The significance attached by politicians to the places which are now our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty came at a time of national emergency and huge challenges to society. [3]  Led by CPRE at the time [4], that view was shared by all political parties.  The protection of our finest landscapes and the promotion of their public enjoyment was one of the greatest bi-partisan achievements in England’s modern history. [5]

‘As we face future challenges of a similar scale and unprecedented pressures on our land and natural resources, Government should again give top priority to beautiful landscapes and the qualities and opportunities they offer us all,’ Tom Oliver continued.

At this key moment in the development of national policy on the future of our environment, development  and climate change, [6] CPRE is calling for a renewal of commitment to the principle of protecting and celebrating the beauty of our surroundings with a Charter for the future for our finest landscapes.

FIRST CLASS FIVE:
SECURING A FUTURE FOR OUR FINEST LANDSCAPES

• A South Downs National Park with the best possible boundary, including the Western Weald and a National Park Authority with the powers and resources it needs to fulfil its responsibilities. [7]
  
• Continued commitment in the Government’s new national policy statements to prevent damaging development in National Parks and AONBs.
  
• A well-funded, leading role for National Parks and AONBs in developing action to mitigate climate change without trashing the landscape or wildlife habitats.
  
• The opportunity for all Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to run their own affairs and set up full Management Boards as permitted by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Extension of the role of the larger AONBs such as the North Pennines and the Cotswolds to include support for public enjoyment and understanding, with the funding to match.
  
• Extensions to existing National Parks, starting with the long-awaited Lake District/Yorkshire Dales ‘bridge’ and a commitment to consider new AONBs, giving long term protection to beautiful – but vulnerable landscapes such as the English border with Wales and the Forest of Dean.

Every year, millions and millions of people find refreshment, tranquillity and inspiration in our National Parks and AONBs. [8] What’s more, the people who live in them benefit from thriving economies greatly supported by the quality of their surroundings. [9]  The benefits to people everywhere are profound.
 
With a welcome revival of home-grown tourism we need to make sure that our beautiful places stay beautiful and are memorable and enjoyable places to visit. 

But the very things which make our finest landscapes so special and effective are threatened by short term and ill-conceived pressure for development, from every quarter: poorly located leisure developments; intrusive energy infrastructure, including wind turbines and electricity pylons; damaging road schemes and a lack of adequate investment in upland farming.

‘60 years ago, this country was lucky enough to be led by forward-thinking people across the political spectrum, who knew the power for good of beautiful places. [10] Today’s leaders need to re-affirm their determination to keep our special places that way, celebrate their value and to extend and improve them for all our sakes,’ Tom Oliver concluded.

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen. www.cpre.org.uk

2. The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 was given its Second Reading in the House of Commons exactly 60 years ago this week. Introducing the Bill to Parliament on March 31st 1949, Labour Minister Lewis Silkin described it as ‘a people’s charter for the open air’.

3. The initial report, commissioned by the Government from John Dower during the Second World War, was submitted to the Minister of Town and Country Planning in 1945. This was followed by the Hobhouse report of 1947 which proposed twelve new National Parks including the South Downs.

4. A campaigning film made by CPRE, England: The Case for the Defence was produced for CPRE by Ottershaw Rural Preservation Society to draw attention to CPRE's campaign for National Parks.  The film was premiered to the press in London in February 1939, given a favourable review by the eminent Sunday Times critic Sydney Carroll, and was shown at the New York World Fair of 1939.  The film was shown in 125 London cinemas in March 1939, and a further 800 around the country later in the year. The film can be viewed at: http://www.cpre.org.uk/about/achievements/1930s

5.  The original inquiry into the case for creating National Parks was set up by the National Government in 1931 (the Addison Committee). The wartime Coalition commissioned John Gower’s report of 1945; the 1945 Labour Government passed the 1949 Act and created the first National Park (the Peak District) as well as the most recent, the New Forest, in 2005. The 1951 and 1955 Conservative Governments created all other National Parks established in the 1950s as well as the Broads Authority in 1989. AONBs have been created by both Labour and Tory Governments between 1956 and 1995.

6. The Government intends to publish up to twelve National Policy Statements on a range of strategic infrastructure policies between now and 2011, covering energy, transport, water and waste. They will cover major infrastructure development such as airports, trunk roads, wind turbines and nuclear power stations. The relationship between these National Policy Statements and the protection of nationally designated landscapes set out in Planning Policy Statement 7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas will be crucial for the future of National Parks and AONBs. CPRE has called for the protection of National Parks and AONBs and the extent of development in their surrounding countryside to be at the heart of National Policy Statements.

7. A National Park for the South Downs was proposed in 1947.  In 1999, the Government stated its intention to create new National Parks for the New Forest and the South Downs. After very extensive consultation with local authorities and the public, the Countryside Agency designated a South Downs National Park in December 2002. A Public Inquiry was held between November 2003 and March 2005 and was reopened between February and May 2008. The question of the inclusion of the Western Weald in a South Downs National Park, which CPRE strongly supports, was a key part of the re-opened inquiry. A final announcement concerning the South Downs National Park status and the boundary of any National Park, is expected from the Government very soon.

8. Most recent visitor figures from the Association of National Park Authorities estimate the total number of visitors per year to all English National Parks to be approximately 44.5 million, excluding the New Forest. The National Association of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NAAONB) conservatively estimates an annual visitor figure of 80 million (excluding a number of smaller AONBs for which no figures are available). Over the last 50 years, the total number of visits to nationally designated landscapes can be measured in billions.

9. The Campaign for National Parks report Prosperity and Protection – the economic impact of National Parks in the Yorkshire and Humber region published in 2006, shows how beneficial a high quality protected landscape is to local businesses and communities and that ‘protection and prosperity can go hand in hand’. (http://www.cnp.org.uk/docs/Prosperity%20and%20Protection%20Final%20Report.pdf)

10. An essay by historian Tristram Hunt, reflecting on the purposes behind the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act and how the issues still retain their relevance today, is available for reproduction on request from CPRE’s press office. This article first appeared in the spring 2009 issue of CPRE’s members’ magazine Countryside Voice.

11. Copies of CPRE’s Charter, First Class Five: securing a future for our finest landscapes, are available from CPRE’s Press Office, 020 7981 2880.