Three experiences of conservation across Britain and Ireland
Published on 1st November 2025 
Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutesTwo recent encounters prompted the preparation of this piece. The first was an email from the BMC that surprised me with a mention of Wales' efforts to set up a new National Park, apparently a manifesto commitment. It also mentions efforts to set up a South Pennines Regional Park, an initiative that has faltered. Lastly, an article in Wanderlust magazine reminded me of the setting up of Kerry Marine National Park early in 2024. Together, these stories show how policy, geography and local sentiment combine to shape what gets protected, how it is managed and why it matters. Some of it is good news that we really need more often in these precarious times. All the locations are known to me from varied explorations over the years, ensuring interest in what has happened and what is to happen yet.
Kerry: A Marine Success
Ireland's decision points in a fresh direction, adding a marine focus to its national park system. Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí was established in 2024 off the County Kerry coast as the country's first marine national park. Its boundary is dispersed across islands, offshore reefs and mainland coastal sites, linking sea and shore in a single conservation framework. It includes Skellig Michael, west of the Iveragh Peninsula, where an early Christian monastery clings to a jagged island that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It also embraces parts of the mainland such as the Inch Peninsula, where one of Ireland's most significant dune systems supports rare plants and animals including the Natterjack toad, and upland and coastal locations that underline how land and sea processes interlock along the Atlantic edge.
The park's ecological interest is varied. Habitats include limestone reefs, sand dunes and blanket bog, together with cliffs and islands that host substantial seabird colonies. Puffins arrive in season to breed, whilst storm-petrels and Manx shearwaters use offshore stacks and islands that are difficult for predators to reach. The marine environment supports seals, dolphins and other wildlife that benefit from the protection of feeding and breeding areas. Cultural heritage sits alongside nature. Beyond Skellig Michael there are underwater archaeological features including shipwrecks, and on Valentia Island the famous Tetrapod Trackway preserves the footprints of some of the earliest creatures to walk on land.
Visiting takes a different shape to that in a single-block terrestrial park. Because sites are dispersed, planning is needed to decide which places to see and how to reach them. Weather and sea conditions influence access, especially for boat trips to offshore islands. The park is open year-round at no charge, but it is framed primarily by conservation, so visitor experiences are expected to be respectful of sensitive habitats and species. Nature-based tourism has room to grow under careful management, whether through coastal walking routes, wildlife watching or guided visits that interpret the geology and archaeology of the region. The wider area already draws people to routes like the Kerry Way and to small harbours and beaches where the Atlantic setting is felt at close quarters, and the new designation helps shape how those activities unfold in the long term.
Wales: Work in Progress
The Welsh Government has committed to designating a new national park in north-east Wales, fulfilling a 2021 manifesto pledge. The suggested title honours Owain Glyndŵr and would bring the total number of Welsh national parks to four, alongside Eryri, Bannau Brycheiniog and the Pembrokeshire Coast. The proposal centres on the existing Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, formerly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, whilst extending beyond it. The most recent outline suggests an area of about 927 square kilometres and includes a sweep from parts of the north-east coast with notable dune systems, over the Clwydian hills and the Berwyn range, and into sections of north Powys. Exact boundaries are being refined through a statutory consultation process, recognising that lines on a map carry real consequences for planning, funding and land management.
The rationale for designation is framed by Wales's response to the nature emergency and the desire to embed conservation, nature recovery and climate action more deeply into public land management. National parks in Wales are expected to uphold landscape protection and enable responsible access, whilst supporting local economies through sustainable tourism and investment. Supporters argue that the proposed park could strengthen protections for habitats, give fresh impetus to biodiversity restoration and bring a profile that draws visitors and funding to an area that already attracts walkers and heritage enthusiasts. For many in north-west England, it would be reachable on a day trip, adding another option for outdoor recreation within manageable travel time.
Turning a proposal into a park involves a sequence of legal and administrative steps. Designation would trigger processes set out in Welsh legislation, culminating in the establishment of a dedicated national park authority or equivalent governance body. That authority would be expected to balance conservation with visitor management, draw up and implement a management plan, and work with local authorities and communities on planning policy, access and infrastructure. Funding is central to this, and the Welsh Government has indicated that it does not intend for existing national parks or local authorities to be financially disadvantaged by the creation of a new park. The details of the funding model are still being developed, with attention on how to resource staff, projects and visitor services without eroding other services.
Public engagement has been brisk. An initial seven-week engagement period took place in 2023, followed by a more detailed statutory consultation in 2025 on the proposed designation order and boundary. The aim is to reach a decision and, if confirmed, formally designate the park before the next Senedd election in 2026. After designation, a park authority would be formed and management plans prepared in consultation with those who live and work in the area. Clarifying the precise planning powers of the new authority relative to existing local planning functions remains a live issue and will influence how development, housing and infrastructure are handled.
Views are mixed. Conservation organisations such as the Campaign for National Parks have set out a supportive case, highlighting the chance to embed nature recovery, climate action and sustainable tourism within a high-profile framework. Some stakeholders see an opportunity to raise the region's profile and diversify the rural economy through visitor spending and investment in nature-based projects. Others are wary. Concerns voiced by some local authorities and communities, notably in parts of Powys and Flintshire, include cost, bureaucracy, potential planning restrictions, the prospect of losing local control, house-price inflation and increased visitor pressure. One survey cited in the debate reported that about 51 per cent of respondents supported designation whilst 42 per cent opposed it, capturing the sense that opinion is far from uniform.
The practical worries extend into how costs would be shared and how land use might change. Councils have raised the possibility of being asked to fund a portion of the park budget. Land managers want clarity on whether growth controls or altered guidance would apply to agriculture and forestry. People living in small settlements wonder what increased visitor numbers might mean for parking, transport and tranquillity. The Guardian has carried coverage that illustrates the tenor of some local discussions, with phrases such as "play area for townies" reflecting anxiety about being swamped by outsiders or pushed aside by a new governance structure. Balancing conservation gains with the realities of rural livelihoods is an ongoing challenge in protected landscapes and will be central to how any new authority sets its tone.
Boundary definition is another knotty part of the work. Earlier candidate areas have been refined or excluded as maps have been tested against on-the-ground considerations, from ecological coherence to administrative practicality. Getting the line right matters because it determines which communities fall inside or outside, which habitats are covered and which authorities will have to align their planning with a park-level policy. It also determines how visitor flows might be managed, which is important for fragile upland paths and sensitive dune systems that can be eroded by heavy use.
South Pennines: A Failed Experiment
Northern England saw a different approach in the South Pennines. The area between the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales is one of England's largest upland landscapes without a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designation. It has sweeping moorlands, gritstone edges, reservoirs and wooded slopes, and an industrial legacy of mills, packhorse routes and valley towns that sit close to high moors. Its wildlife interest is significant, with blanket bog that stores carbon and supports species such as merlin, short-eared owl and twite. Its proximity to cities offers a rare sense of remoteness, a short distance from dense settlement.
Rather than wait for national designation, local authorities and partners launched a "self-declared" regional park in 2021. The intention was to coordinate conservation, recreation and investment across a landscape that had long straddled administrative boundaries. Because it had no statutory basis, the concept relied on voluntary collaboration, project funding and goodwill. That model proved hard to sustain, and the organisation behind the initiative announced in late 2023 that it would close. In effect, the name and idea live on in public consciousness, but the machinery that might have given it day-to-day coherence has been wound down.
Visiting the area remains rewarding, though it differs from a statutory national park. Protections are uneven, management structures vary, and the visitor infrastructure is not as mature. Many routes cross high moorland where the weather shifts quickly, winds can be strong and visibility can drop unexpectedly. A degree of planning helps, whether for remote moorland traverses or gentler valley circuits that blend natural and industrial heritage. As a lived-in landscape, the mix of reservoirs, old works and open moor means not every route feels like a classic hill walk, which is part of its character.
If the idea of a formal designation ever returns, the legal and administrative route would be lengthy. Under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, as amended, only Natural England can recommend new National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It would first have to identify a candidate area through national assessments, then test it against criteria for natural beauty and recreational opportunities, which for a National Park must be present on a significant scale. The South Pennines would likely meet the test across the uplands, though the presence of large settlements and infrastructure in the valleys complicates any judgement on tranquillity and visual cohesion.
Should an area pass initial screening, Natural England would prepare a technical boundary and examine management feasibility. Boundaries must be defensible on physical or administrative grounds, which is not straightforward when a candidate spans many councils. Agreement across several local authorities would be necessary, and in the South Pennines that could involve at least eight, each with distinct planning policies and priorities. Extensive consultation with councils, landowners and communities would follow. If substantial objections were raised, a public inquiry could be required, as happened with the South Downs, which took years to complete before designation.
Only after that would a recommendation go to the Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for a decision. If approved, a statutory order would designate the park, a management body would be established and a management plan adopted. The whole process typically takes five to ten years, costs several million pounds and depends on sustained local and political support. Recent priorities for Natural England have been to maintain existing sites and pursue boundary changes to other AONB's, whilst government policy more broadly has emphasised local nature recovery strategies and partnerships.
The South Pennines have existing protections in the form of Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Protection Areas, which cover key moorland habitats and birdlife, and these may have been considered sufficient for ecological protection absent a landscape-level designation. Governance is another factor, as Natural England often prefers designations where a single or small number of authorities can manage coherently. A lack of unified local backing also weighs against progression. Taken together, these factors explain why a statutory effort never gathered pace and why the self-declared model, however admired, faltered when resources tightened.
Broader Implications
Set side by side, these three examples underline how different policy instruments are being applied in neighbouring jurisdictions. Ireland has successfully delivered a marine park under a banner that carries both ecological and cultural weight, from seabird cliffs to monastic heritage and palaeontological traces. Wales is following a familiar statutory path to create a new national park with clear governance and duties, though the exact balance of planning powers must still be settled and funding structures detailed. The story of England's South Pennines shows both the appeal and the limits of a voluntary approach in a complex, highly inhabited landscape where strong protections already exist for certain habitats but a landscape-scale designation remains unreachable.
For residents and visitors, these developments matter beyond the lines on a map. They shape priorities for landscape restoration, public access planning and visitor management, whilst influencing how local services evolve and how farmers, fishers and land managers are supported to adapt. Expectations shift for countryside behaviour (whether sticking to dune boardwalks to protect rare species, giving seabird colonies space during breeding season, or planning moorland walks more carefully where infrastructure is limited). Underlying all these are political choices about resource investment and the balance between human needs and nature recovery.
The coming months will show whether Wales confirms the Glyndŵr designation and how its boundary and governance are finalised. The South Pennines will continue to be an important upland despite the winding down of the formal regional park effort, and discussions about its long-term status may well return. In Kerry, the task is to turn a headline announcement into lasting protection on the water and the shore, with community involvement and science guiding decisions. Each path has its own hurdles, but the broader direction is clear. The protected landscape idea is not static, and the mix of upland ranges, post-industrial valleys, dune systems, islands and marine reefs now under consideration suggests a more varied future for how these places are recognised and looked after.
