A National Park in England and Wales is an area of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that is designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act (2016). Despite their similar name, national parks in England and Wales are quite different from National Parks in many other countries, which are usually owned and managed by the government as a protected community resource, and which do not usually include permanent human communities. In England and Wales, designation as a national park may include substantial settlements and human land uses which are often integral parts of the landscape, and land within a national park remains largely in private ownership.
There are currently thirteen (13) National Parks in England and Wales (15 in the UK). Each park is operated by its own National Park Authority, with two “statutory purposes”:
- To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area, and
- To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the park’s special qualities by the public.
When national parks carry out these purposes they also have the duty to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the national parks.
An estimated 110 million people visit the national parks of England and Wales each year. Recreation and tourism bring visitors and funds into the parks, to sustain their conservation efforts and support the local population through jobs and businesses. These visitors also bring problems, such as erosion and traffic congestion, and conflicts over the use of the parks’ resources. Access to cultivated land is restricted to bridleways, public footpaths, and permissive paths, with most (but not all) uncultivated areas in England and Wales having right of access for walking under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
