Challenging the Line What can I do if I disagree with the boundary line? Expand Question What can I do if I disagree - or agree - with the boundary line? Answer The line shown on the map attached to this web site is a proposed boundary line which FLD has drawn following the commissioning of its own professional research work which has now been submitted to Natural England, the Government body responsible for protected landscapes. When Natural England decides to progress this matter they will publish a consultation document for public comment. (see Executive Summary – page 7, Designation – The Process). It is at that stage when you may wish to submit your view on the boundary line proposed by Natural England, which may be different to the one proposed by FLD. People may have a number of views on the boundary line as follows: There are 4 options: ✓ Support the boundary line and extensions in their entirety X Oppose the extension in its entirety > Propose a Greater Area for statutory protection < Propose a Reduced Area for designation For each Option you should have regard to the text in FLD’s full report; in particular Part 1 (page 39), Section 1 (Introduction), Section 8 (Legislation), Section 9 (Especially Desirable to Designate), and Section 20 (Benefits of Designation), and Part 2 (page 317) Landscape Analysis. Option 1 – Support the whole extension ✓ You may need to do nothing, but it may be helpful if you wrote to Natural England in support of the proposals. Option 2 - Oppose the extension in its entirety X You will need to explain to Natural England why you feel that the landscape proposed for inclusion into the Lake District National Park does not meet the statutory requirements set out in Section 5 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (see Section 8, para 8.1 of our report). You will have to show that the landscape does not have the ‘natural beauty’ which is a requirement to secure designation, and comment on why you disagree with the professional landscape assessment carried out by Alison Farmer Associates (see Part 2, page 341 – 371). If the landscape is judged by Natural England not to have such natural beauty the proposal would fail. It is not sufficient to say you don’t want the area to be in a National Park for a number of reasons. Your evidence can only relate to why you feel the area does not meet the test of ‘natural beauty’. Option 3 – a greater area to be designated > The provisions of Section 5 of the 1949 Act require an area proposed as an extension to a National Park, when taken with the existing National Park area, “to be an extensive tract of country which by reason of its: Natural beauty, and The opportunities afforded for open-air recreation, It is especially desirable that the necessary measures are taken to so designate. Therefore, to propose an area greater than that proposed by Natural England, it would be necessary to set out clearly to Natural England why you feel that your ‘extended’ area would meet the statutory requirements for designation and be a continuous extensive tract of landscape which would clearly be seen as the Lake District National Park. Not only would the area be required to satisfy the ‘natural beauty’ criterion but you would also have to display how the second criterion would be met, i.e. the opportunities for open-air recreation. You could do this by reviewing the data sets used to come up with the boundary and referred to in the FLD full report, or by arguing along more esoteric lines such as sense of place and tranquillity as to why an area meets the natural beauty test. Option 4 – a reduced area of extension < Again Natural England would want to see how you have approached this and why the landscape you wish to be excluded does not meet the statutory requirements of Section 5 of the 1949 Act. You would need to draw a new boundary line and clearly outline why the area you propose to omit does not meet the natural beauty tests. Just arguing you do not agree or don’t want to be in a National Park is not sufficient, you have to show that the natural beauty is not of sufficient quality to warrant designation. Complete our quick straw poll to register your view. View a summary of all responses to date... Loading…
Why does it cut out Millom? Why not Hodbarrow? Expand To be designated as a National Park an area of land has to meet certain statutory tests relating to the quality of its landscape, cultural heritage and wildlife; and the opportunities it has for recreation. Friends of the Lake District commissioned leading landscape adviser Alison Farmer to conduct an independent assessment of the area and make recommendations as to where she felt potential boundary lines should be. These are considered in our Executive Summary, which has specific sections on the Millom Peninsula and the area around the Duddon Estuary. The area including Millom and Hodbarrow has not been recommended for inclusion and in her report she sets out the detailed reasons for this. If Natural England decide to take the project further, they will have to consult on potential boundary lines and anyone wishing to make amendments to those lines can comment. The ultimate decision on the final line would be down to Natural England and the Secretary of State.
How long will it take to happen? Expand There is a process that Natural England will have to go through. This will include consulting on a proposed boundary line, and potentially a public inquiry, before making recommendations to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The last extension we worked on – for extensions to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks took approximately 12 years as the decision got caught up on Minister’s desks for various reasons. This time around Friends of the Lake District commissioned a ‘Landscape Analysis and Boundary Recommendations Report’ which was submitted with our proposal. This is a report that would normally be commissioned by Natural England as part of its evaluation process so our hope is that by commissioning and completing this work ourselves, and by already having a lot of support from many local parish councils, we may be able to shorten the timeline. We are also awaiting the recommendations of the independent Glover Review into designated landscapes – one of the things they are looking at is how to shorten the timelines for designation extensions. See weblink for detailed information on Natural England timing and process for last extension: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140605100409/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/new/northwestdesignationproject/background.aspx
What is the purpose of this, what are you trying to achieve? Expand Natural England is the body who are responsible for designating National Parks and making amendments to them. Any organisation can potentially collect evidence and ask them to review a boundary of a National Park, but to succeed, a substantial amount of evidence and resource is needed. Friends of the Lake District have a track record of success in this field. Due to our background research work and campaigning, both the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks were extended on 1 Aug 2016. This led to a group of parish councils in the Duddon area considering the issues and deciding that they would also like to be included within the Lake District National Park. This led to the formation of the Southern Boundary Partnership covering Parish Councils from Silecroft to Grange–over-Sands. However, they recognised they did not have the experience or resources needed to do this on their own and so approached Friends of the Lake District. We have been working as partners on this project for some time. The ultimate aim is to have additional areas of south Cumbria which meet the statutory tests for National Park quality added to the Lake District National Park, and to achieve this, we have to persuade Natural England to review the boundary and amend it along the lines our independent report suggests.
If only tourism and farming exist in the National Park won't it be difficult for other businesses to survive? Expand See page275 of our full report for an assessment of impacts of designation on the economy and rural development.
Won't the National Park Authority have a lack of focus on community needs? Expand As the Defra 2010 Circular relating to National Parks makes clear, working to foster the social well-being of local communities within the National Park is an important function of the NPA. The NPA is advised to work closely with agencies who have the lead responsibility for the social development of the National Park communities (para 100). The Defra working paper ‘National Park Authorities: assessment of benefits’ (May 2011) concludes that social inclusion is one of the benefits of National Park designation. This is achieved not only by promoting opportunities for understanding and enjoying the National Park’s special qualities but also through work, for example, helping to encourage rural transport services. The paper also recognises the wider role that outstanding open countryside plays in social well-being, especially countryside that is reasonably accessible from centres of population such as National Parks. The Defra working paper also cites examples of NPAs engaging actively with their communities. For example, Northumberland NPA has adopted an Action Area approach, using local distinctiveness as a framework for engaging communities and other partners in planning, caring for and managing their local landscapes. The LDNPA has created a Communities Fund referred to above. It also has dedicated Planning Officers and Area Rangers for its Distinctive Areas so communities have one point of contact, and has worked with communities on valley planning. North York Moors National Park Authority: Measuring Health and Well-being Impact (2018) calculated the Social Return on Investment (SROI) for the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA) in respect of its health and well-being impact. This is the social value created when organisations engage in activities and projects that make a difference to individuals and society. In terms of health and well-being, it is increasingly recognised that National Parks have a crucial role in connecting people with nature, raising activity levels, facilitating outdoor recreation, and providing space for tranquillity. The report estimates that every £1 invested by DEFRA generates approximately £7 of health and well-being benefits. In terms of the Lake District, the State of the Park 2018 report shows that the proportion of visitors who feel health and wellbeing benefits has increased from: 85% of visitors feeling physically better in 2015 to 93% in 2018. 80% of visitors feeling mentally better in 2015 to 94% in 2018.
What would the Lake District National Park Authority do as opposed to the current Council roles? Expand The planning function is the only service which would be transferred from the District, Borough(s) and Cumbria County if the National Park was extended. All other services are delivered by the current providers, including housing and economic development and would remain the same. Service and function Cumbria in the National Park (existing) Cumbria in the southern boundary proposed extension area (existing) Cumbria in the southern boundary proposed extension area (If designated) Change? Local Enterprise Partnership LEP LEP LEP No Local planning National Park Authority Cumbria CC South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC National Park Authority Yes Housing South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC No Building control South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC No Education Cumbria County Council Cumbria County Council Cumbria County Council No Waste collection South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC South Lakeland DC or Barrow BC or Copeland BC No Rights of way and recreation National Park Authority (on behalf of Cumbria County Council) Cumbria County Council National Park Authority (on behalf of Cumbria County Council) Yes Local Access Forum and open access National Park Authority and Cumbria Local Access Forum Cumbria County Council and Cumbria Local Access Forum National Park Authority and Cumbria Local Access Forum Yes and No Highway Authority (maintenance of roads) Cumbria County Council Cumbria County Council Cumbria County Council No Transportation Authority (public transport) Cumbria County Council Cumbria County Council Cumbria County Council No Pollution Control Environment Agency Environment Agency Environment Agency No Forestry Forestry Commission Forestry Commission Forestry Commission No Agriculture Defra Defra Defra No Wildlife Natural England Natural England Natural England No Historic environment Historic England Historic England Historic England No
Will it result in less development? Expand If the National Park was extended, planning powers would move from the District Council to the Lake District NPA. However, the NPA would continue to assess applications under the existing policies of the Districts until such times as they reviewed and adopted a new Local Plan. As such, until this happened, the policy framework for decisions would remain the same. It is sometimes perceived that being in a National Park means less applications are approved and that there is less development. In terms of the Lake District, figures for planning application approval rates are given below for 2017 Planning authority Total applications % decisions delegated to officers % applications approved Barrow BC 330 72 95 Copeland BC 392 95 98 South Lakeland DC 907 92 93 Lake District NPA 1217 92 94
Why is Walney Island not included? Expand To be designated as a National Park an area of land has to meet certain statutory tests relating to the quality of its landscape, cultural heritage and wildlife; and the opportunities it has for recreation. Friends of the Lake District commissioned leading landscape adviser Alison Farmer to conduct an independent assessment of the area and make recommendations as to where she felt potential boundary lines should be. These are considered in our Executive Summary under the Duddon Estuary section. Fuller justifications are in the full report – see page 348 onwards. If Natural England decide to take the project further, they will have to consult on potential boundary lines and anyone wishing to make amendments to those lines can comment. The ultimate decision on the final line would be down to Natural England and the Secretary of State.
What are the disadvantages of being in a National Park? Expand A concern of many people is that house prices in the National Park are unaffordable and that National Park status would make it harder for young people to own a house in the area. Evidence shows that house prices in designated areas are higher than outside. However, detailed evidence from all the planning authorities within Cumbria shows that the gap between local wages and house prices within many parts of the proposed extension area is already as great as the average prices within the National Park. The District and Borough Councils work with the LDNPA and all local planning/housing authorities across the whole of rural Cumbria to promote more local and affordable needs housing. Although the proportion of new houses is small compared to the existing stock, in all of these areas any new homes must have a local and/or affordable occupancy tie. This is essential to prevent more second and holiday homes that can result if speculative open market housing is allowed. The greatest proportion of new housing will be developed on allocated sites within and adjacent to settlements. Another concern is that the planning policies for the National Park will be more restrictive than those currently in place. However, the similarities in planning restrictions within and outside a National Park area are much greater than the differences, and that the perception of more regulation is usually far higher than the reality. The benefits of planning by an NPA identified in Defra research in 2011 were a cohesive approach to planning over the NP area and a focus on community engagement. This is not the same as saying that the approach would be more restrictive. As the body responsible for all planning matters within the National Park from strategic policy-setting to development control, the NPA take a coordinated, consistent and clear approach to their planning remit, to the benefit of all those living within. The NPA formulates planning policy in close consultation with the communities affected and special interest groups and offer a high level of support and advice to anyone wishing to make a planning application. The NPA’s work on development control compares favourably in terms of the work of other local planning authorities – figures from Communities and Local Government show that they have equivalent or higher approval rates for planning applications than other planning authorities. These figures are averages however and include the major towns of Kendal, Barrow and Whitehaven, so in reality the approval rate in the rural areas should be the same within and outside the National Park. In terms of the Lake District, figures for planning application approval rates are given below for 2017 Planning authority Total applications % decisions delegated to officers % applications approved Barrow BC 330 72 95 Copeland BC 392 95 98 South Lakeland DC 907 92 93 Lake District NPA 1217 92 94
What about increased house prices and lack of affordable housing? Expand See 'The Rationale' section - 'What are the disadvantages of being in a National Park'.
Can you own tidal water? Where will it end? Can you just keep claiming land at will? Expand The designation of an area as a National Park has no impact on the question of who owns the land. If an area meets the statutory tests for National Park status, it can potentially be designated. Many National Parks have areas of coastline within them. Natural England guidance states that where a marine boundary line is to be drawn, the boundary should follow the mean low water mark or the county boundary in the case of estuaries. Thinking has also developed to recognise that the setting of a landscape can be integral to its character. Currently the Lake District National Park covers tidal waters off the West Cumbria Coast between Drigg and Silecroft and also at the Kent Estuary crossing to near the shoreline at Arnside, following administrative boundaries, so it is not unusual at all.
Why are you doing it not the National Park Authority? Expand Natural England is the body who are responsible for designating National Parks and making amendments to them. Any organisation can potentially collect evidence and ask them to review a boundary of a National Park, but to succeed, a substantial amount of evidence and resource is needed. Friends of the Lake District have a track record of success in this field. Due to our background research work and campaigning, both the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks were extended on 1 Aug 2016. This led to a group of parish councils in the Duddon area considering the issues and deciding that they would also like to be included within the Lake District National Park. However, they recognised they did not have the experience or resources needed to do this on their own and so approached Friends of the Lake District. We have been working as partners on this project for some time. Whilst the LDNPA could if they wished ask for a review of their own boundaries, some people may find this politically unacceptable if they were seen to be wishing to expand their area.
Who decides? Expand Natural England is the body who are responsible for designating National Parks and making amendments to them. There is a process that Natural England will have to go through. This will include consulting on a proposed boundary line, and potentially a public inquiry, before making recommendations to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. We are awaiting the recommendations of the independent Glover Review into designated landscapes and one of the things they are considering is how to shorten the designation process. Natural England will not consider our request for an extension until they know the recommendations of the Glover Review – likely in October. If they do agree to take it forward and issue a consultation, then people can write to them with their views on the proposals.
Why is the line where it is? Expand To be designated as a National Park an area of land has to meet certain statutory tests relating to the quality of its landscape, cultural heritage and wildlife; and the opportunities it has for recreation. Friends of the Lake District commissioned leading landscape adviser Alison Farmer to conduct an independent assessment of the area and make recommendations as to where she felt potential boundary lines should be. These are considered in our Executive Summary, which considers the area from Silecroft to the Kent Estuary in six sections and for each area she makes recommendations as to which areas meet the tests for National Park status. If Natural England decide to take the project further, they will have to consult on potential boundary lines and anyone wishing to make amendments to those lines can comment. The ultimate decision on the final line would be down to Natural England and the Secretary of State.
Will designation lead to more tourists and traffic problems? Expand Tourists are attracted to National Parks and some people see it as an advantage of designation, that there may be economic benefits for some businesses. Extending the National Park is unlikely to lead to the extension areas being awash with a vast increase in tourists. However, other people see an increase in tourism as a negative factor. Designation in itself will bring no more money for tourism promotion, and tourism organisations such as Cumbria Tourism, local councils etc will choose to market areas currently outside the National Park whether the extension project goes ahead or not. Linked but not necessarily the full cause, some people feel that more tourists will lead to more traffic congestion. Funding for sustainable and in particular rural transport is scarce. However, in 2012 the LDNPA launched a £7 million sustainable transport pilot in association with Cumbria County Council (http://www.golakes.co.uk/travel).The NPA encourages the provision and use of public transport and provides information on public transport services. Although public transport timetables vary by season, with summer being better served than winter, National Park residents benefit from services that would be less good, or even might not exist, if there were less demand from visitors. The better public transport generally available in National Parks when compared to other similar countryside which does not have a National Park Authority provides benefits both for promoting opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the National Parks by the public but also for the economic and social well-being of local communities within the National Park.
Where/when do I write to express my support? Expand Natural England is the body who are responsible for designating National Parks and making amendments to them. There is a process that Natural England will have to go through. This will include consulting on a proposed boundary line, and potentially a public inquiry, before making recommendations to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. We are awaiting the recommendations of the independent Glover Review into designated landscapes and one of the things they are considering is how to shorten the designation process. Natural England will not consider our request for an extension until they know the recommendations of the Glover Review – likely in October. If they do agree to take it forward and issue a consultation, then people can write to them with their views on the proposals. In the meantime, if anyone wishes to write to Natural England to encourage them to take forward the process, that would be very welcome. Check our website for updates on the situation.
Why are you using pictures of areas outside the potential boundary extension? Expand Our reports use some pictures of land and places that are not proposed to be within the boundary extension. This is because we have used them to illustrate the setting of the area, for example the wider estuaries and surrounding land. We feel it is important to show the geographical context of the area to be considered and given that some people have expressed views that the boundary should be wider than currently drawn then the illustrations could prove a useful point of information.
Why has Grange been included and not Ulverston? Expand To be designated as a National Park an area of land has to meet certain statutory tests relating to the quality of its landscape, cultural heritage and wildlife; and the opportunities it has for recreation. Friends of the Lake District commissioned leading landscape adviser Alison Farmer to conduct an independent assessment of the area and make recommendations as to where she felt potential boundary lines should be. These are considered in our Executive Summary under the Furness Peninsula section for Ulverston, and Cartmel and Morecambe Bay for Grange. Fuller justifications are in the full report – see page 354 onwards for the Ulverston area, and page 366 onwards for the Grange area.
Why is Flookburgh and areas to the south outside the proposed boundary? Expand To be designated as a National Park an area of land has to meet certain statutory tests relating to the quality of its landscape, cultural heritage and wildlife; and the opportunities it has for recreation. Friends of the Lake District commissioned leading landscape adviser Alison Farmer to conduct an independent assessment of the area and make recommendations as to where she felt potential boundary lines should be. These are considered in our Executive Summary, which has specific sections on the Cartmel and Morecambe Bay area. Flookburgh has not been recommended for inclusion as she does not consider it meets the natural beauty criterion for designation. The full report sets this out on page 369. However, it is noted that this potentially leaves an isolated area of land on the southern fringes of the peninsula. This relatively small area would not have the benefit of skills and resources a National Park would bring. Natural England guidance does allow for ‘‘wash-over’ to be applied to land even though that land does not itself meet the designation criteria, even close to the boundary of a designated area’. There is some merit in seeking to apply wash-over where in longer distance views the peninsula is seen as a whole and in the context of Morecambe Bay. This will be a decision for Natural England. If they decide to take the project further, they will have to consult on potential boundary lines and anyone wishing to make amendments to those lines can comment. The ultimate decision on the final line would be down to Natural England and the Secretary of State.
What are the benefits of being in a National Park? Expand Increasing the amount of protected landscape between the current boundary of the Lake District National Park and Morecambe Bay would clearly have a benefit of helping to secure the future of the special qualities of the area. But there is a commonly held view that designation will conflict with the well-being of local communities. However, the opposite is often true. Conservation of wildlife and landscape can bring considerable economic and other benefits. For more information see p10 of the Executive Summary, and p301 of the full report