New Forest National Park Authority warns of financial struggles in the face of government grant freeze until 2025

THE New Forest National Park Authority has added its voice to a warning that nature could suffer without significantly more government funding.

A letter to The Times newspaper co-signed by heads of England’s 10 national parks predicted the organisations will have to make cuts of £16m over the next three years.

It warned organisations were already seeing “service cuts and a downsizing of operations”.

The letter, signed jointly by New Forest NPA chair Gavin Parker, said: “Without significant additional government resources we simply cannot fulfil our potential.

“Properly supported, we can expand our flagship climate change projects, such as peatland restoration and tree planting, to show that nature-based solutions and developing resilience to climate change go hand in hand.”

It continued: “National parks cover almost 10% of England and attract more than 80-million visitors annually.

“These landscapes are not just beacons for conservation but are fundamental to supporting our health, education and wellbeing.”

“With Cop15 in mind, where better to showcase innovation, inspire behavioural change and chart the route to net zero with nature than national parks?”

Patrick Heneghan, deputy chair of the New Forest NPA, told the A&T that while the organisation has a balanced budget for 2022/23, it faced “financial pressures” in the near future.

He said: “We have recently launched our latest Partnership Plan for the New Forest and are working hard with a wide range of partner organisations to ensure we have sufficient resources to deliver the plan’s agreed outcomes.

“Given the financial pressures we will all be facing in the coming years, our partnership approach to delivering positive outcomes for the New Forest will be more important than ever.”

Defra said it was currently working with national park authorities to identify additional sources of funding, “particularly through private investment”.

“We value the vital role that our authorities play in protecting and enhancing our most iconic national landscapes – and that is why we currently provide £49m per year in grant funding to support their operations,” said a spokesperson.

“We understand the very challenging financial circumstances currently facing all sectors and the pressures that this is putting on our national park authorities in particular.”

Reportedly, funding for national parks has fallen by 40% in real terms over the last decade, and grants are expected to flatline until 2025 despite rising wage bills and costs.Some national parks are believed to be making plans to close visitor centres, make park rangers redundant and stop maintaining paths.