Concerns over claim of support for extending national park

IT has been suggested, by both Natural England and the Campaign for National Parks that there is strong public support for the proposed extensions to the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Natural England stated that 68 per cent were in favour and that this overwhelming majority included residents.

Isn’t it wonderful what can be done with percentages? When we took a closer look at the actual response to the Natural England survey, this is what we found.

Of the 2,357 who responded to the proposed extensions to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, 130 were residents. Of these, 92 were for the extensions and 32 were against.

In 2001 there were about 16,000 residents over 15-years-old living in the National Park. So those 92 constitute about 0.6 per cent of the population. Then we looked at the responses from the county councils, district councils and parish councils only to find that there was no clear majority for the extensions as 22 had agreed with the proposals and 20 had disagreed.

It is not surprising that at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority meeting in March, Cumbria county councillor Kevin Lancaster commented that Natural England’s statement that there was an overwhelming majority in favour was not representative of those he had met. He again called for a genuine test parish by parish of the views of those who will be affected by the boundary extensions.

North Yorkshire county councillor John Blackie said that the YDNPA’s caveat that the membership of the authority should be enlarged commensurate with any boundary extensions to protect local representation had been buried on page 375 of Natural England’s 400 page report. He pointed out that North Yorkshire County Council, Richmondshire District Council and many Dales’ parish councils had recorded their concern about local representation should the National Park be extended.

The way Natural England has reported the results of its survey proves that these councils were right to be very concerned about local representation and democracy in national parks.

From: Brian Rasche, Draughton, Skipton.

LIKE all residents of Draughton, I am delighted that the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (Yorkshire Post, April 7) are objecting to the wind turbines at Chelker Reservoir. These turbines, twice the height of those erected in 1991, are less than 400m from a number of dwellings inhabited by families, some with young children.

Kelda’s spokesman is wrong in what he says: the only public consultation was not held in the parish of Draughton where the turbines may be sited.

Very few residents of Draughton were sent explanatory letters from Kelda. This is one reason why they say the feedback was positive: they didn’t consult locally with those who will be most affected.

It is stretching the facts if Mark Fox thinks YWA customers will benefit. They are already paying for the huge subsidies on wind farms through their electricity bills.

The only people to benefit will be Kelda’s far flung American bank and financial house shareholders who won’t care two hoots about this project ruining lives and the impact on our beautiful landscape.