(AGENPARL) – lun 26 febbraio 2024 News Release
Members to approve ambitious new
work programme for National Park
Bainbridge, 26 February 2024
Members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority will meet next week to agree an ambitious £13.1m work programme for 2024/25 which represents a significant increase in expenditure to support delivery of its key objectives and ambitions.
While the Authority’s core government grant remains flat for an 8th year, Defra have provided additional Capital Funding of £500k. On top of significant external income secured by the National Park Authority through a variety of externally backed projects, this means the Authority can:
Provide £2m of grants to the National Park’s farmers and landowners through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.
Continue the Tees-Swale project, restoring peatland, hay meadows, woodland and other priority habitats across Swaledale and Arkengarthdale.
Provide new, Education and Outreach projects: Championing National Parks for everyone, and the National Citizen Service project.
Facilitate an extensive volunteers programme, young ranger, ‘Upskill Down Dale’ youth engagement programme, and apprenticeships, developing skills that lead to employment in the environmental sector.
Implement the Coast to Coast National Trail through the National Park, and a variety of other ambitions.
Derek Twine, Deputy Chair of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee said:
“The ambition in this year’s work programme is clear to see. Thanks to important income streams and the additional government capital funding, we have been able to commit to supporting farmers and landowners in accessing critical new grant funding, provide opportunities for underrepresented groups to experience the joy of visiting a National Park, and much more.
“However, the very real pressure on our core government grant funding remains and the outlook beyond 2024/25 looks much less positive. The ‘Farming in Protected Landscapes’ programme and ‘Grow Back Greener’ project are both scheduled to end in March 2025 and continuing uncertainty over the Country’s public finances in general means it’s difficult to anticipate how our core grant, currently only £5.2m, will be impacted beyond next year. As a result, all of the Authority’s plans and ambitions for the future face a degree of uncertainty”.
Images
“Through the new work programme, the National Park Authority will provide £2m of grants to the National Park’s farmers and landowners through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme”. Image of a Thwaite hay barn.
Background notes for Editors
The 2024/25 Budget paper is available to view here.
Funding for National Parks to support work programmes – such as maintaining public rights of way – remains a serious concern. The core grant received from government is less than it was 13 years ago – £5.6m in 2011 versus £5.2m in 2024, and in real terms is worth less than half what it was then. The National Park Authority continues to face budget deficits as a result and is therefore reliant on securing additional funding through a variety of externally funded projects.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of 15 National Parks in the UK. It is administered by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which has two main purposes: “to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage” and “to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Park”. In carrying out these purposes, the Authority has a duty “to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities”. The National Park Authority comprises 25 members, made up of county and district councillors and members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment to represent parishes or in recognition of their specialist skills or knowledge. 
All our work is guided by the vision for the future of the National Park set out in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan: “Through their passion for this special place, local people and businesses will keep the Yorkshire Dales National Park a thriving area. Its unique cultural landscape will be treasured for its stunning scenery, exceptional heritage and wonderful wildlife, and every year millions of people will be inspired to be a part of it.”