The government is considering plans to weaken a law protecting England’s national parks.
The government is mulling over plans to weaken laws that protect England’s national parks, which could lead to more roads and homes in areas like the North Wessex Downs.
The National Landscapes Association is urging everyone to take action against this potential change, and West Berkshire Council is looking into how best to respond.
On October 16, during a full council meeting, the North Wessex Downs Management Plan 2025-2029 will be discussed, highlighting these concerns.
Currently, public bodies must aim to conserve areas of natural beauty, but the government is considering easing this duty, viewing it as a barrier to development.
This shift could reduce the requirement to merely ‘have regard for’ conservation goals, which environmentalists warn would have a 'devastating' impact on National Parks, according to Rose O’Neill, CEO of Campaign for National Parks.
Despite the government dismissing these claims as speculation, lobbying efforts are intensifying. Tony Vickers, vice chair of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, is rallying local authority representatives to adopt the new conservation plan by the end of October.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has labelled environmental protections as a hindrance to economic growth, though Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has recently pledged not to 'tarmac the countryside' for housing.
The North Wessex Downs remains an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), but from November 22, 2023, all AONBs in England and Wales will be rebranded as National Landscapes.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
