Issue - meetings

Councillor Connett to move:

Our precious National Parks, including Dartmoor and Exmoor, are loved by millions and used by many thousands of people.

The LOCAL Park Authorities comprise LOCAL representatives who know and serve the community and keep LOCAL oversight of Dartmoor National Park and Exmoor National Park.

Government is understood to be considering setting up a National Landscape Service which would centralise services under one, nationally run, new organisation.

A National Landscapes Service that effectively replaces individual National Park Authorities would not be a positive reform:

·       It is contrary to the Government’s ‘levelling-up’ agenda which involves government decentralising power and working more directly with local partners and communities.

·       The 2019 Conservative Party Manifesto stated that “the days of Whitehall knows best are over” (p.26) and pledged to give communities of all sizes far more control. This Council questions how a centralist National Landscapes Service would achieve this.

·       The move is contrary to international good practice in the management of protected landscapes which emphasises the importance of management being undertaken with and through local people and mainly for and by them.

·       Locally run and locally managed National Parks are able to respond in the most appropriate way to their own unique qualities and without the burden and red-tape of national management.

Therefore, this Council urges Government not to proceed with a National Landscape Service or to take any step which will remove local engagement and involvement in our precious national parks and Council instructs the Chief Executive to write urgently to the Prime Minister and local Members of Parliament serving Devon and Somerset setting out our support for our local National Parks.

In accordance with Standing Order 6(6) the Notice of Motion was referred, without discussion, to the Cabinet for consideration.

(Councillor J Hook declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being an employee of Dartmoor National Park).

Councillor Connett MOVED and Councillor Dewhirst SECONDED

Our precious National Parks, including Dartmoor and Exmoor, are loved by millions and used by many thousands of people.

The LOCAL Park Authorities comprise LOCAL representatives who know and serve the community and keep LOCAL oversight of Dartmoor National Park and Exmoor National Park.

Government is understood to be considering setting up a National Landscape Service which would centralise services under one, nationally run, new organisation.

A National Landscapes Service that effectively replaces individual National Park Authorities would not be a positive reform:

·         It is contrary to the Government’s ‘levelling-up’ agenda which involves government decentralising power and working more directly with local partners and communities.

·         The 2019 Conservative Party Manifesto stated that “the days of Whitehall knows best are over” (p.26) and pledged to give communities of all sizes far more control. This Council questions how a centralist National Landscapes Service would achieve this.

·         The move is contrary to international good practice in the management of protected landscapes which emphasises the importance of management being undertaken with and through local people and mainly for and by them.

·         Locally run and locally managed National Parks are able to respond in the most appropriate way to their own unique qualities and without the burden and red-tape of national management.

Therefore, this Council urges Government not to proceed with a National Landscape Service or to take any step which will remove local engagement and involvement in our precious national parks and Council instructs the Chief Executive to write urgently to the Prime Minister and local Members of Parliament serving Devon and Somerset setting out our support for our local National Parks.

In accordance with Standing Order 6(6) the Notice of Motion was referred, without discussion, to the Cabinet for consideration.