DARTMOOR campaigners and authorities have welcomed the news that national park budgets are going to be protected over the next five years.

In the spending review last week, Chancellor George Osborne announced that the Government would not be cutting funding for national parks in England, however he did announce departmental savings which could effect the amount each park receives.

Despite welcoming the news of protected funds, national parks could still face cuts – many are still waiting to hear how the £350-million worth of funding will be divided between AONBs, national park authorities and the Forestry Commission.

The Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the body that provides Dartmoor National Park (DNP) with their funding, will have to find savings of 15% which has raised questions for other parts of their work.

National parks will however be given ‘legal flexibilities to allow them to build sustainable, long-term revenue streams and boost growth in rural areas.’

A spokesperson for DNP said: ‘This is welcomed news for English national parks. We are still waiting for information about what this means for Dartmoor but if it is real terms protection then it would be an excellent commitment.

‘This also provides us with the opportunity to strengthen out legal powers which is a real vote of confidence for what we are doing.’

Fiona Howie, chief executive of Campaign for National Parks said: ‘It is great news that the Chancellor has listened to concerns about the future of English national parks and confirmed their funding will be protected for the rest of this Parliament. National parks are nationally important assets which deliver important environmental, social, economic and cultural benefits to both local communities and the nation and it’s wonderful that their value has been recognised.

‘We know, however, national parks face a wide range of development threats including from new infrastructure and house building. We do not want these landscapes preserved in aspic, they must be thriving communities, but this will only be achieved through appropriate development. So we will be looking at the wide range of announcements made to fully understand the implications on our designated landscapes.’