“Green revolution plan is a great start”

December 4, 2020

The Authority is welcoming a Government pledge to drive forward a “green revolution” through nature recovery, job creation, climate change action and more walking and cycling routes.

A 10-point plan was unveiled last month that included a number of key measures towards a green recovery that will help both people and nature.

This was followed by significant announcements in the Chancellor’s Spending Review that have the potential to help all National Parks deliver on their purposes and duty.

Among the announcements were:

An additional £40m investment in nature recovery through an extended Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
Additional funding for National Nature Reserves.
A £0.4bn cash increase in core funding for Defra from 2020/21 to 2021/22.
An increase in the funding for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to more than £75m.
To encourage more active travel, the government is committing £257m for cycling and walking in 2021-22.

Trevor Beattie, Chief Executive of the the Authority, said: “The Prime Minister’s announcement is significant for the cultural change it signals. Gone are the old attempts at ‘greenwash’, now the environment is central to job creation and economic recovery, with the creation of a quarter of a million jobs linked to the 10 points.

“I welcome the Government’s ambition and direction of travel, but this must be just the start. We need more details and ongoing investment to ensure that the new initiatives do not proceed at the expense of existing Protected Landscapes. The announcement should mark just the start of a longer term system change in the financing of nature recovery across the whole of England.”