A longstanding campaign by CPRE, Campaign for National Parks, the Friends of the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales Society to join two national parks, protecting several important landscapes, has come to fruition today with the announcement that the extension will go ahead.

CPRE and fellow campaigners welcomed the news of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Park extensions, saying it was a fantastic that the Government has finally demonstrated its commitment to the long-term protection of England’s finest landscapes.

“It is great to hear that the Secretary of State, Elizabeth Truss, has agreed this extension, forming a ‘bridge’ that includes iconic landscapes such as the Orton and Howgill Fells in Yorkshire and large tracts of common land in Cumbria. This announcement has been a long time coming,” said Emma Marrington, senior rural policy campaigner.

“Only our finest landscapes are granted National Park status. National Parks enjoy the highest level of planning protection and are exemplars of sustainable development. The challenge now is to ensure that the two National Park Authorities have the resources they need to protect and enhance these landscapes in the long-term.”

Read Emma Marrington's blog: Testing ... testing ... why has the Government gone silent on a National Park extension?