Northumberland National Park will receive £440,000 to support services such as visitor centres and park rangers, the Government has announced today.
It is one of 10 UK National Parks to benefit from an equal share of a £4.4 million grant. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) says that the funding award is in recognition of the vital role that national parks play in protecting precious wildlife and landscapes and the importance they have for tourism, the regional economy and public access.
In November, Northumberland National Park chief executive Tony Gates said that the Park was "cut to the bone" and that £1.7m alone would be used to make sure the National Park could open its doors and perform its core functions. The sum announced this morning takes the Government's grants to the the National Park above £3million and gives the Park Authority some time to reconsider plans to balance its budget and create some flexibility to invest in the priorities in the authority's new business plan, which is due to be approved by board members this month.
