TWO Saddleworth councillors are campaigning for the creation of a new South Pennines National Park to protect and preserve the area.
Cllrs Luke Lancaster and Max Woodvine who represent Saddleworth’s North and South wards respectively, put forward a motion at November’s Oldham Council meeting asking for support.
They stated that the South Pennines was first considered for National Park designation in the original Hobhouse Committee of 70 years ago, and its suitability for such designation remains strong today.
They applauded the significant work undertaken by Pennine Prospects in campaigning for a Regional Park but said it would “not provide equal status and support as is enjoyed by the other ten existing National Parks in England.”
They called for Oldham Council’s leadership to work with local authorities, key stakeholders and others with relevant expertise to build a case for and promote the South Pennines National Park concept.
The motion was passed unanimously and Oldham Council will now present a case for National Park designation to the upcoming Natural England assessment into England’s landscapes in the 21st century.
Cllr Lancaster said: “The South Pennines takes in some of most stunning scenery of both the Red and White Rose counties, and the inclusion of many of our borough’s beauty spots undoubtedly awards greater value to the region.
“All councillors will be conscious of the need to protect our landscapes – a cause which has grown in importance over the last 18 months as people have come to appreciate the countryside more.”
He continued: “Existing National Parks demonstrate that, through higher status and support, projects can be progressed including those which have sustained healthy soils, in turn helping protect the public against flood risks, and those which have preserved ecological diversity, so we can all enjoy a greater wealth of wildlife.
“National Parks attract many visitors from far and wide to stimulate their local economies.”
Cllr Woodvine added: “A National Park for the South Pennines would strengthen our borough’s historic, cultural and societal links to local authorities, giving Oldham a much stronger voice on the northern but also national stage.
“National Park legislation and its concept – to protect the beauty such as that in our borough plus the provision of access to the countryside – possesses great, if not greater, relevance today than it did in post-war years.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.