Looking after
How we work to look after the National Park, conservation, ranger services, biodiversity and policies.
- The work of the Authority
How we make decisions, the role of members and staff - Current consultations
We want your opinions on these consultations - Ranger service
What our rangers and volunteers do around the National Park - Plans and policies
Corporate plans and policies
Current Consultations
Defra consultation on changes to National Park governance
The Government is currently carrying out a public consultation as part of its commitment to “...review the governance arrangements of National Parks in order to increase local accountability.”
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is seeking the views of the public about proposed changes to legislation relating to national parks through the use of a Public Bodies Act Order.
These are to:
- make it possible for National Park authorities to include some directly elected members
- remove the need for the Secretary of State to appoint the parish members
- relax the political balance requirement on local authorities when appointing their members to a National Park Authority
- make it possible to allow parishes in subsequently specified National Parks to choose non-councillors for their seats
- apply a maximum length of service of eight years.
The full consultation paper can be seen at www.defra.gov.uk/consult/open/
The deadline for responses is Thursday 31 May 2012. They can be sent:
- by email to governance.consultation@defra.gov.uk
- by post to: Governance Consultation, Customer Contact Unit, Defra, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR.
In your response, please provide your full name and appropriate contact details, including whether your response is on behalf of an organisation.
The Peak District National Park Authority will consider its response to the consultation when it meets on 25 May.
The latest consultation builds on a previous public consultation into the governance of national park authorities carried out between November 2010 and February 2011.
In September 2011 Defra announced the findings of the consultation. They decided to:
- To pilot direct elections for some members of the Peak District and New Forest National Park Authorities
- The Environment Secretary will no longer be required to approve parish members’ appointment to National Park Authorities
- To reduce the size of some national park authorities.
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