Changes to National Parks

[norseman]

National Parks.
I must not have been keeping my attention focused because I missed the news on the National Parks. Both the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks are to be extended and joined up into a mega-park, covering most of Northern England as Protected Land. However, I would take it even further. The North Pennines are an AONB [ Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ], a higher classification than National Park and, with a small tweak could include the Durham Dales. Further, there would be a narrow corridor between this super-park and the North York Moors which are already a National Park - pity, but I can see no way to add the N.Y. Moors directly, because the corridor has the A1/A1M and the A19 plus the East Coast Mainline.
This will be/could be the REAL Northern Powerhouse, a genuine Green Powerhouse of the best landscapes in Europe, if not the world and I would have a much larger tract to wander in. [ btw it would include the old Heartlands of the Brigantes ]

The additions are about the size of the Isle of White !

[blackraven]

Originally Posted by norseman

National Parks.
I must not have been keeping my attention focused because I missed the news on the National Parks. Both the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks are to be extended and joined up into a mega-park, covering most of Northern England as Protected Land. However, I would take it even further. The North Pennines are an AONB [ Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ], a higher classification than National Park and, with a small tweak could include the Durham Dales. Further, there would be a narrow corridor between this super-park and the North York Moors which are already a National Park - pity, but I can see no way to add the N.Y. Moors directly, because the corridor has the A1/A1M and the A19 plus the East Coast Mainline.
This will be/could be the REAL Northern Powerhouse, a genuine Green Powerhouse of the best landscapes in Europe, if not the world and I would have a much larger tract to wander in. [ btw it would include the old Heartlands of the Brigantes ]

The additions are about the size of the Isle of White !

norseman - It's always a very good thing when parks and nature reserves are extended to include more land. For one it provides a protection for a greater amount of wildlife. Secondly, it preserves nature for us and other generations to enjoy. Where I live they increased my taxes because a millage was passed to preserve a large wooded acreage. The only draw back is they had to put in trails and a parking lot to let people enjoy it as well as the wildlife, which is fine as long as people respect the natural environment.

It is becoming increasingly harder to fund the care of large parks. The last time I went to a large park and brought my bike to ride the park entrance fee was $5.00. Then when I went just recently it had increased to $7.00. Now I see on the news that all the parks will be increasing their admittance fee to $10.00. I know the parks need funding, but there will be less people actually going into the park, thus funding the parks with the higher entrance fees. I mean I don't need to pay $10.00 to go for a bike ride. But I admit I like going where I can ride on trails away from roads that have vehicle traffic on them.

[Belle]

the other problem with national parks - is property prices. I live just outside the Cumbria one and my flat is cheap cheap cheap. It doubles in value a few miles down the road. How locals afford to live?

And it is not just that - that breaks down community, natural way of working on the land and so on.

But then, without these green belts, protections and so on, things don't look good for the wildlife and the land.

I'm rambling. Sorry.