Big funding cuts undermine National Parks

ALMOST daily, we are reminded of the importance of taking exercise in the countryside and the vital part that open spaces and the natural world play in our health and wellbeing.

But some of the most beautiful and valuable places that provide us with space to exercise, and landscapes to admire, are under pressure.

Exmoor National Park Authority announced yesterday that it is considering urgent money-saving measures due to a funding gap.

In a statement, the park authority, whose heather moorland, deep wooded valleys and magnificent red deer herd straddle the SomersetDevon border, warned that “tough proposals will have to be considered”.

It admitted that cuts could potentially “impact the ‘rights of way’ network, visitor and outdoor activity centres and staff”.

Those are precisely the elements of the national park which play such an important role in providing those life-affirming services and are, as the park authority goes on to say, “a vital part of maintaining and protecting park resources and projects”.

Exmoor National Park receives £1 million less grant funding than it did in 2010, and will have to make a further £500,000 worth of cuts by 2025 to deal with the spending gap, the statement explains.

Sarah Bryan, Exmoor National Park’s chief executive, said: “These are really difficult times for us.

“We manage a beautiful landscape, working with farmers and the local community, but the Authority now risks having to close up to two of our three visitor centres, make redundancies ‘right through the organisation’, and no longer being able to manage 1,000km (620 miles) of paths.”

Sarah continued: “I’ve worked in National Parks for nearly 30 years, and I’ve never seen it anywhere near as bad as this.

“The Authority could also be forced to sell land that belongs to the nation such as woodland and moorland and to increase charges in certain areas.

“This would be a huge disadvantage to people on low incomes who have found landscapes like this invaluable, particularly in the last few years during Covid.

“The average cost to visitors per year is relatively very little, but the benefits to physical and mental wellbeing are priceless.”

Similar pressures are being felt in other National Parks across the country.

Stand by for more announcements like this in the days and weeks ahead.