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Defra has launched a consultation on National Park governance, that is how the National Park Authorities take into account people’s views.  You can find out more about this consultation at the Defra website or at the Peak Park website, and can respond to either or both.

Defra say:

Defra’s draft Structural Reform Plan published on 16 July delivers the coalition agreement commitment ‘to review the governance arrangements of National Parks in order to increase local accountability’.

Although the majority of the National Park Authorities have broadly similar governance arrangements, it is felt that the most effective way to undertake the Review is for each Authority to consult locally on potential changes which would work best for their areas, whilst at the same time reflecting the status of the Parks as national assets. This consultation does not therefore contain proposals for any particular structures or arrangements, but instead provides a remit for the Review on which each Authority will base local consultation.

This consultation invites comments from any organisation or individual who wishes to respond. Comments should in the first instance be directed to Defra who will forward copies to the relevant Authority for consideration. If comments are not specific to any individual Authority, these will be considered directly by Defra.

If anyone feels a collective response from our area would be useful please leave your comments below.  The consultations runs to 1st February 2011, and for the Peak Park’s press release on this

PR 716 – 10 November 2010
Governance consultation begins for national park authorities

A public consultation has been launched looking at the way members of the Peak District National Park Authority can be more accountable to local people.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed that it wants all 10 national park authorities in England to continue operating and be planning authorities for their areas.

But they have set up the National Park Governance Review to look for ways to:

• Make decisions by national park authorities more effectively
• Be more responsive to the concerns of local communities – while still continuing to meet statutory duties and operating within existing budgets
• See if different national park authorities around the country should operate in different ways to meet the specific needs of their communities.

Five questions are being asked to get the views of people in each national park on the best way forward.

Full details of the consultation and how to respond can be found at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/governanceconsultation

The consultation runs until Tuesday 1 February 2011.

Jim Dixon, chief executive of the Peak District National Park Authority, said:

This review by the Government is timely as we are already carrying out a review looking at the best way that members can lead the work we do.

We already do a great deal of work with local communities but are keen to hear ideas of how we could improve on this in the future.

As part of the consultation we have put on our website details of the work that has already taken place to make the running of the authority meetings more efficient. I would encourage everyone with an interest in the Peak District National Park to take the opportunity to respond.

At the end of the consultation period the Peak District National Park Authority will produce a summary of all responses relating to its area and any proposals for changes to governance arrangements.

Defra will consider these, along with comments relating to all national parks, and make a final decision on any changes by the end of March 2011.