CPRE joins call for new vision for the future of National Parks

On the 75th anniversary of royal assent of the revolutionary National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, we join other organisations which collectively promoted that law, calling for a new vision from government.

Hailed as a People’s Charter, the 1949 Act was to enable everyone, no matter their background, to immerse themselves in the wonders of nature. This vision has never been more relevant. As we celebrate 75 years of National Parks, we must look to their future. Today, we join other organisations in calling for a renewed People’s Charter.

National Parks must be wilder and more accessible, where wildlife is in abundance and supported by effective and proper policies and protections for nature at landscape scale. Communities must be supported to thrive through the green economy and all damaging activities prohibited. We need to unleash the potential of our public-path network across England and Wales. Every citizen, regardless of age or background, must feel welcome and able to benefit from access to our great natural heritage.

We support government reforms which prioritise nature recovery, bolster National Parks and encourage access to the countryside for all.

Building on a historic legacy

Following years of campaigning, in 1949, our organisations convinced a new Labour government to pass a ground-breaking new law, part of the post-war renewal.

The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act has had a huge legacy. It established the nature protections we have today (sites of special scientific interest, national nature reserves), defined and protected paths across England and Wales, and established the National Parks and National Landscapes.

Like the NHS, National Parks and access to the countryside are much beloved by the nation; offering opportunities to connect with nature and improved health and well-being. National Parks still contain some of the rarest species on the brink and the last fragments of precious habitat – such as chalk streams, temperate rain forest and flower-rich hay meadows. Access to the National Parks and the countryside provides us with hope and inspiration, but reform is needed to ensure these assets and opportunities deliver for nature and secure what the nation needs today.

Now on the 75th anniversary of this seminal Act, we have the opportunity to build on Labour’s historical legacy for National Parks and access to the countryside. We call on Government to renew the People’s Charter.

Dr Rose O’Neill, Chief executive of Campaign for National Parks said:

”When drawing up the first laws to protect National Parks, legislators could not comprehend the nature and climate emergency. Our Health Check shows that nature in England’s National Parks is in rapid decline and there are also large inequalities in who visits and governs National Parks. We should rightly celebrate the 1949 legacy, but to secure the future, we urgently must invest in our National Parks and reform them, with strengthened powers to set a clear mandate for nature and fix broken governance. A new National Park in northeast Wales offers a welcome opportunity to create an exemplar for nature, climate and communities.’

Roger Mortlock, CEO of CPRE, the countryside charity said:

‘When Sir Patrick Abercrombie founded CPRE in 1926 he called for ‘a bold and wide policy’ for National Parks. Today, as we celebrate the enormous contribution of national parks, we’re calling for stronger long-term policies and protections for them. We need a strategic approach to land use, to ensure these most treasured landscapes are protected for future generations.’

CPRE is a member of the Campaign for National Parks council, a committee working together for nature-rich National Parks for everyone. It includes CPRW, the Welsh countryside charity; Friends of the Lake District; National Trust; Open Spaces Society; Rambers; RSPB and YHA (England and Wales).