National Parks > Yorkshire Dales
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is an independent body working within the framework of local government. It spans parts of three counties (North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire) and five local authority areas.
Its purposes are:
- to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park;and
- to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the area by the public.
In pursuing these purposes, it is also required:
- to seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the National Park.
It provides some services ordinarily provided by District and County Councils. Most notably, it is the local planning authority for the National Park and determines planning applications and local policies. Other functions are, however, particular to national park authorities.
Documents
The National Park Management Plan provides an overarching framework for achieving the National Park purposes and duty. It includes specific objectives relating to landscape: http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/looking-after/achievingourvision/landscape
A Landscape Character Assessment for the National Park was produced in 2002. http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/about-the-dales/landscape/landscapecharacterassessment
