National Park offers taxpayers value for money

It’s a cherished part of the region’s diverse landscape, but a study described as the first of its kind has set out the value of the North York Moors National Park in terms of pounds and pence of government funding. Rob Parsons reports.

A GROUNDBREAKING report setting out the value of the North York Moors National Park has prompted calls for the nation’s protected landscapes to be given more funding “so they can continue to benefit as many people as possible”.

The study published today is described by National Park officials as a “crucial first step” in understanding how they can best measure the true impact on the millions of people every year who interact with them.

University of York academics estimate that for every pound handed over by the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) in grant funding, approximately £7.21 of health and well-being benefits are generated for visitors and volunteers.

The report’s main conclusions are based on the principle of ‘social return on investment’, a measure of the social value created when organisations offer activities and projects that make a difference to people and society as a whole.

Quantifying such benefits in pounds and pence is far from straightforward. As an example, the health improvements from physical activity by those who visit the National Park are given a value of £6.80, the equivalent cost of a one-off fitness class at a local gym. And the study takes pains to avoid over-estimating the benefits by limiting the analysis to just visitors and volunteers and not schoolchildren, teachers or the NHS.

But its findings were welcomed by the Campaign for National Parks, which has backed the restorative power of getting people out into nature and hopes to see this reflected in the recently-announced Government review led by author Julian Glover.

Chief executive Fiona Howie said: “It is fantastic to see research that clearly sets out what great value for money the North York Moors National Park is in terms of the impact on people’s health and well-being. And this is even when the figures are almost certainly an under-estimate.

“I hope this helps illustrate to Julian Glover the need to recommend increased, multi-year funding for all of the National Parks so they can continue to benefit as many people as possible now and in the future.”

The report identifies specific benefits derived by the hundreds of volunteers in the North York Moors, including expanding social contacts and a sense of satisfaction associated with the increased self-esteem that comes from being involved in worthwhile activities.

And as well as the obvious health benefits to the nearly eight million annual visitors to the park, other “health and wellbeing impacts” include increased feelings of calmness and happiness and enhanced engagement from finding out more about its special qualities.

The park authority has had its National Park Grant funding from Defra cut in recent years, receiving just £4.235m in the most recent financial year.

Despite this, through its efforts to find other sources of funding from bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England its annual budget of £9m is its highest ever.

But authority officials say this income has to be concentrated on specific funded projects, putting increased pressure on the parts of the organisation funded by central government.

As well as the need to find new sources of funding there are other issues that could have an impact on the park’s future, including Brexit and the difference it could make to vital farming and land management schemes.

Climate change is a potential threat to the habitats and wildlife in the North York Moors, bringing with it increased erosion of coastal areas and a higher risk of moorland fires.

And policy-makers need to find a delicate balance between enhancing the environment and providing for the housing and employment needs of those who call the park home.

Richard Gunton, director of park services, said the study would “help us advance our ongoing work and our commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of as many different groups as possible.”