Former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion calls for national parks extension (From Craven Herald)

Former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion calls for national parks extension

11:00am Sunday 28th October 2012 in News

Former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion has added his voice to those who want to extend two of England’s largest national parks.

He has called on the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson to expedite proposed extensions to the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District national parks so they join at the hip.

The poet, novelist and biographer inspected the proposed extension areas as the guest of the landscape charity Friends of the Lake District.

He said: “The boundaries of the national parks were arbitrarily drawn and missed this amazing green landscape. It would be a good idea to extend the park boundaries, not just for preservation reasons but to enhance farming, tourism and other aspects of life.”

It is more than two years since the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was asked to trigger a public inquiry to look at the expansion.

Now that Caroline Spelman has been replaced by Mr Paterson, campaigners are eager that he progresses the proposal.

“The new Secretary of State should move the extension of the parks up the political agenda and get on with the public inquiry,” said Sir Andrew.