New Guidance for Welsh National Parks

19 March 2007  

The Council for National Parks (CNP) (1) has welcomed a new Policy Statement for the National Parks in Wales, which was launched today.

The Statement sets out a strategic agenda for the National Park Authorities (NPAs) in taking forward the Welsh Assembly Government’s social inclusion and sustainable development objectives, and provides guidance on how they can help tackle the causes of climate change.

This eagerly awaited statement was officially launched by the deputy Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside Tamsin Dunwoody AM in the Pembrokeshire Coast.  The statement aims to provide clear, strategic guidance for the National Park Authorities (NPAs) and a wide range of organisations who are based, or undertake work, within or near National Parks.

Oriel Price, Wales Policy Officer for the Council for National Parks, added “The new Policy Statement is a very welcome and long awaited piece of the policy jigsaw that provides guidance for those that work and live in these beautiful landscapes, as well as those who care about their future.  As a country with one of the highest percentages of protected areas (2) it is vital that there is a shared vision in Wales for the future of the parks, including how they can be exemplars of sustainable development, for example on land management, transport and wildlife conservation.  We look forward to working with the Assembly Government and the NPAs to help take this vision forward”.

After four years the content of the Policy Statement will be reviewed by the Welsh Assembly Government, in consultation with key stakeholders, and a revised/updated statement produced.

Notes to editors

1.       The Council for National Parks (CNP) is the national charity that works to protect and enhance the National Parks of England and Wales, and those areas that merit National Park status, and to promote understanding and quiet enjoyment of them for the benefit of all.

2.       20% of Wales is designated as a National Park.  There are three National Parks in Wales: Snowdonia, the Pembrokeshire Coast and the Brecon Beacons.

3.       The Statement will be available on the National Park pages of the Welsh Assembly’s Government website at http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/env_cons_management/countryside_coastal_access/np_wales/?lang=en

Contact: Oriel Price, Wales Policy Officer, Tel 01495 724751/07779 718244

For press queries please contact:
Ruth Chambers, Head of Policy on
020 7924 4077 ext. 222