Years
In the 2015 Spending Review the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the funding for National Parks and AONBs (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) would be protected. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently confirmed that the protection will be in real terms and that there would be additional funding for the recently announced extensions of the Yorkshire dales and Lake District National Park. The announcement means that Dartmoor National Park Authority now has a protected grant settlement for the financial years 2016/17 to 2019/20.
Peter Harper, Chairman of Dartmoor National Park said:
“We have just received confirmation that our budget will be protected for the next four years (2016/17 – 2019/20). This is excellent news for the Authority, those who live and work in the National Park and the millions of people who visit the National Park. I would like to record my thanks to our Minister Rory Stewart OBE MP and the Secretary of State Liz Truss for their personal support and confidence in the work we do.
After five years of deep cuts that saw our income decline by over 40 per cent we now face a period of financial stability that will provide an opportunity to plan ahead and re-focus our efforts on sustaining the National Park for the benefit of current and future generations.