Months of scrutiny by partners over future of the park

THE YORKSHIRE Dales National Park Authority is not alone in drawing up the most important plan in its 64-year history.

Talks initially began on the new five-year management plan more than 12 months ago when the authority and 12 other partners discussed the park’s challenges and priorities.

These 13 public, private and voluntary groups formed a steering group and consulted with the public last May to gauge their views on life in the park.

Having considered the responses, six evidence papers were drafted to inform discussions about what the plan should include. As well as presenting facts, figures and trends about the economy, communities, resilience and tourism and access, the papers examined the Dales’ cultural landscape and wildlife to show just what is at stake.

The park contains 17 nationally important habitats and well over 100 nationally important wildlife species. It has 31 per cent of the country’s limestone pavement, 26 per cent of its upland hay meadows and 58 per cent of all upland calcareous grassland.

The steering group will publish its plan at the end of this month. It will then go to a public consultation in the spring to inform any revisions before the final plan is formally adopted in June.

Also on the steering group are the district councils for Craven, Eden, Richmondshire and South Lakeland, Lancaster City Council, the Dales Farmer Network, the Dales Rural Estates Network, Dales Tourism Business, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission, Natural England and the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.