Consultation on the Future governance of National Parks - January 2011

Richard Benyon Esq, MP,

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs,

Nobel House,

17 Smith Street,

London, SW1P 3JR


25th January 2011

Please consider this letter as a submission to the National Parks’ Governance consultation. 

National Parks can be created by secondary legislation but there is no current means by which they can be dissolved: the de-designation of a national park and the dissolution of the park authority would require primary legislation.  Indeed, any fundamental change to the structure of a national park would equally require extensive parliamentary time.  I believe that the Government should legislate to give itself powers to alter the boundaries;  governance arrangements and indeed the continued existence of a national park by secondary legislation. 

There may be cases where it will be expedient and efficient for the duties of a national park authority to be discharged by elected local authorities and the existence of statutory powers to enable this would make it a real possibility if it was considered desirable to do so.  If primary legislation were required, however, the reality is that it would never be seriously considered. 

I do believe that there is currently a democratic deficit within national parks and that this is most keenly felt on issues involving development control.  It would certainly be desirable if parish and other local representatives did outnumber the national representatives on an authority.  I do doubt, however, that there is sufficient enthusiasm for directly elected local representatives to a national park authority.  If this were the case in my own parish, I would end up having to vote for such a representative in addition to my parish councillor, district councillor and county councillor.  I just don’t believe that the public have an appetite for this. There might be a case for the election of chairman the park board however, on a similar basis to directly elected mayors. 

 National park authorities should be encouraged to make significantly greater efforts to share resources (and thereby reduce costs) with existing tiers of local government.  The New Forest National Park Authority is sharing premises with New Forest District Council which is commendable.  I believe, however, that there should be encouragement to share services and, where appropriate, to sub contract some functions.  National park authorities should be required to consider handing the determination of planning applications over to elected local authorities and confining their own responsibilities, with respect to development control, to laying down policy.  The existence of large planning departments within a relatively small park authority can distort the whole nature of the organisation and can  the proper priorities of the organisation.

Yours sincerely,

DESMOND SWAYNE TD MP

CC:  Protected Landscapes Team, DEFRA, Zone 1/03, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, BS1 6EB.