Sub National Review
National Park Authorities respond to the Sub National Review
Significant changes are proposed as part of the Government’s Sub National Review (SNR). This would include giving responsibility for spatial planning to Regional Development Agencies (RDAs); amalgamating the various regional strategies that are produced into one; making the RDAs more business-led; and abolishing the Regional Assemblies. The Government has been consulting on these measures in advance of publishing a Bill, which has been promised for the next session of Parliament.
ENPAA has submitted a detailed response. In it we highlight the important economic and wider public benefits to be gained from maintaining high quality landscapes and environments. This is particularly true of sparse rural communities.
We believe the RDAs and new Single Integrated Regional Strategies (SIRS) need to place sustainable development at their heart. And we have argued the case for NPAs to continue to have a statutory role in the preparation of the SIRS. ENPAA also believes NPAs should be represented on the new Leaders Forums which are proposed for each region.
Many NPAs enjoy good partnership working arrangements with their RDAs, and we hope these can be maintained, with RDA funding continuing to support ground breaking projects in National Parks.
