Breadcrumbs
DEFINITION OF NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARIES (AP 00/30)
Summary and Recommendations
At its 10 February meeting the Board agreed a new policy for applying the statutory criteria for designating national parks (AP 00/3). We need to ensure that this new policy is reflected in the detail of the decisions we make in taking forward designations, in particular in how we define boundaries. This paper recommends the application of new criteria for defining boundaries heavily based on the criteria published in the Hobhouse report but developed to reflect the Agency's current approach to National Park designation.
Criteria for designation
1. The decisions on the boundary of a National Park are guided by:
a. the statutory criteria, as defined in Section 5(2) of the 1949 Act. These allow the Agency to decide that, within a sweep of countryside, there is land which is eligible for designation;b. the detailed criteria which define just how the boundary line (to be included in the designation order) is drawn. For National Parks designated in the 50s and 60s the main source of guidance was the "Hobhouse" report (see annex 1).
2. For a particular Park, specific local factors
may be taken into account in applying these.
"Hobhouse" criteria
3. The "Hobhouse" criteria (annex 1) were defined in 1947 in a report to Parliament by the National Parks Committee chaired by Sir Arthur Hobhouse. They were used by the National Parks Commission in setting and the Countryside Commission in reviewing National Park boundaries.
4. They have largely stood the test of time and
include factors which are still relevant today. However the Board's
new approach to the designation of National
Parks, changes to National Park Authority duties under the 1995
Environment Act and changes since 1947 in our understanding of a
number of issues addressed
(notably definitions of landscape character and quality, the
changing make up of the rural economy and technical advances in
land restoration/reclamation) suggest that the Agency should
develop the "Hobhouse" criteria further.
Conclusion
5. We therefore recommend the Board to agree a revised approach (annex 2), which would apply to all future National Park designations and boundary reviews.
6. This approach should be widely promulgated in our consultations on boundaries to explain how we have arrived at our proposals. These will be the criteria against which we will defend a boundary line should the designation order be challenged at public inquiry. We should also inform the Minister of this approach since it would be unfortunate if he, in considering whether to confirm any designation order, were to adopt a different approach than the Countryside Agency has followed in making that order.
July 2000
Annex 1
HOBHOUSE CRITERIA
The Hobhouse Report of 1947 (Report of the National Parks Committee to Parliament Cmd 7121) identified the following criteria for identifying National Park boundaries.
"The following considerations should, in our opinion, be taken into account in the precise definition of National Park boundaries.
(a) The first criterion should be the inclusion of areas of high landscape quality.
(b) Wherever possible, an easily distinguishable physical boundary should be chosen, both for administrative reasons and for the convenience of the visiting public. Roads and railways frequently provide such a boundary.
(c) Where County, District and Borough boundaries follow suitable lines, it may be administratively convenient to adopt them. In the majority of cases, however, they are unsuitable, since they follow no defined physical feature, may be subject to alteration and seldom conform for any considerable distance to the limits of landscape value.
(d) Towns or villages should not normally be cut in two by a National Park boundary. The inclusion or exclusion of a marginal town or village should be dependent on its character and beauty and its present or potential value for the accommodation of visitors.
(e) Unsightly development on the edge of a National Park should generally be excluded, but the possibility of its modification or screening should not be overlooked where the immediately surrounding country claims inclusion.
(f) Quarrying and mining of important deposits on the margins of a National Park, which could not, in the national interest, be strictly controlled, should normally be excluded from the Park, except where the deposits are likely to be worked out within a reasonable time and surface restoration seems practicable and desirable.
(g) Features of scientific, historic or architectural value (eg Nature Reserves, important archaeological sites and Ancient Monuments) which are situated on the margins of a National Park should be included where practicable.
In general, boundaries should include, as far as possible, any
features which are part of the rural economy and community life
within the Park, and should normally exclude areas where the needs
of urban or industrial development conflict with, or outweigh, the
essential values of the Park. The boundary of a National Park
should not, however, be regarded as a sharp barrier between amenity
and recreational values within, and disregard of such values
outside."
Annex 2
THE COUNTRYSIDE AGENCY'S APPROACH TO DEFINING NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARIES
1. The Countryside Agency shall first determine in broad terms that an area of land meets the statutory criteria for designation as defined in S5(2) in the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, in respect to the Agency's policy in applying.
2. It shall then in drawing a National Park boundary take account together of the following considerations.
a. Areas of high landscape quality coherent with the character of the area of land identified by the Agency for designation should be included. Landscape quality includes visual and intangible features and values and embraces natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage. It is interpreted as the extent to which the landscape demonstrates the presence of key characteristics and the absence of atypical or incongruous ones, and by its state of repair and integrity.
b. Areas to be included may be of differing landscape character, as quality will be the key determinant rather than homogeneity. A variety of landscape character can be an important factor in the overall amenity of the Park. Usually however there will be some unifying factors, such as land use, ecosystems, historical or cultural links which bring differing character areas together to be included into a National Park.
c. Areas which provide or are capable of providing a markedly superior recreational experience should be included. Recreation in this context means countryside recreation related to the character of the area: that which allows people to enjoy and understand the special qualities of the Park, without damaging it or conflicting with its purposes. It does not mean recreation which will materially diminish enjoyment of the Park by others. Therefore it will generally be quiet recreation, including for example walking, riding and cycling; enjoying natural history; visiting features of historical interest and countryside sports.
d. Boundaries should include land and settlements which contribute to the rural economy and community life within the Park, in so far as that economic or social activity contributes to the special qualities of the Park and its purposes. Areas should be excluded where activities, in particular urban or industrial development, conflict with or outweigh the essential values of the Park.
e. Wherever possible, an easily distinguishable physical boundary should be chosen, both for administrative reasons and for the convenience of the visiting public. Roads and railways frequently provide such a boundary.
f. Where County, District, Borough and Parish boundaries follow suitable lines, it may be administratively convenient to adopt them. In the majority of cases, however, they are unsuitable, since they follow no defined physical feature, may be subject to alteration and seldom conform for any considerable distance to the limits of landscape value.
g. Towns or villages should not normally be cut in two by a National Park boundary. The inclusion or exclusion of a town or village should depend on whether it contributes to the character of the Park, including its economy and community life, and its present or potential value for visitors; eg provision of accommodation, access to public transport, information or other services. Large settlements should generally be excluded as a National Park Authority should not be over burdened with responsibility for planning in urban areas.
h. Unsightly development on the edge of a National Park should generally be excluded, but the possibility of its modification or screening should not be overlooked where the immediately surrounding country claims inclusion.
i. Land shown in the adopted minerals and local plan as to be worked for the quarrying and mining of important deposits on the margins of a National Park should normally be excluded from the Park unless there is a realistic expectation of restoration to a land use and quality which contributes to Park purposes. This approach should also extend to major industrial and commercial developments shown in adopted local plans at the time of designation.
j. Features of scientific, historic or architectural value (eg Nature Reserves, important archaeological sites and Ancient Monuments) which are situated on the margins of a National Park should be included where practicable.
3. The statutory criteria (S5(2)1949 Act) point to the duty to designate where both high landscape quality and recreational opportunity exist. This does not mean that all land within the park must necessarily satisfy both criteria (a) and (c). But there should be a high degree of concurrence, in view of the Agency's policy for designation (established in February 2000).
4. The definitive boundary of a Park should not be regarded as a sharp barrier between areas of differing quality. It should be recognised that in most situations there will be a transition of amenity and recreational quality across a sweep of land: the boundary chosen should be an easily identifiable feature within this transition.
