Park authorities call on review to give powers to protect wildlife

THE BIGGEST review of national parks since they were created is set to be urged to consider granting them powers to protect wildlife.

Members of the North York Moors National Park Authority said while its first statutory purpose of conserving landscapes was inextricably linked to wildlife, it was frustrating to have virtually no powers to defend creatures.

A meeting of the authority heard the authority’s lack of jurisdiction over the park’s fauna meant any individual could block conservation schemes.

Even bodies such as Natural England were struggling to find the resources needed to carry out all they would like to do in national parks.

Ahead of sending a report to the Glover Review, launched by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, inset, earlier this year, the authority’s chief executive, Andy Wilson, said transferring wildlife protection powers to the park authority could prove beneficial to protecting one its key assets.

He told members: “When you look at our planning powers, particularly for listed buildings, the public might not be aware how broad our powers are in terms of intervening, entering and requiring positive work to be done.

“While it is quite possible for a national park authority to have such powers, on wildlife the report suggests the panel should consider whether powers should be transferred or shared with the park authority. We are not trying to say we should have all these powers, but that we should have some to ensure that our management plan does happen.”

Member Jeremy Walker said the implication of the recommendation was that the enforcement of wildlife protection by other bodies was not good enough.

Ahead of members agreeing to call for the review to consider granting national parks some wildlife protecting powers, member Janet Frank said: “If we can’t look after the animals in the park I don’t see a point in us being here.”