England to Open New National Park to Preserve Nature

People exercise in Victoria Park in east London on April 24, 2020. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)
People exercise in Victoria Park in east London on April 24, 2020. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)
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England to Open New National Park to Preserve Nature

People exercise in Victoria Park in east London on April 24, 2020. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)
People exercise in Victoria Park in east London on April 24, 2020. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)

England will get a new national park as part of a government set of "nature pledges" to give greater access and protection to the countryside.

According to BBC, Natural England will consider a list of possible sites, which could include the Chilterns, the Cotswolds and Dorset.

Some environmentalists gave the news a cautious welcome, as government funding for national parks has fallen in real terms, forcing service and staff cuts.

Funding worth £15m was also announced for a range of protected landscapes. That will be shared by England's 10 existing national parks and 34 National Landscapes, formerly known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The package forms part of the government's final response to a 2019 review that criticized how such protected landscapes were managed and funded.

Julian Glover, the author of the Landscapes Review, which had called for three new national parks to be created, in the Chilterns, Cotswolds and Dorset, said he was thrilled to have "real progress backed with some extra money to help our national landscapes and national parks do more for people and more for nature.”

"They are beautiful places that lift our souls and should be full of life but we now need to find new and greater ambition to support a nation which needs them to thrive," he added.

But Dr. Rose O'Neill, chief executive of the Campaign for National Parks, said the existing parks had suffered a 40% cut in real terms funding since 2010 and were being "financially throttled.”

“"Today's investment will go some way to easing the burden in the short term but the next crisis could be just around the corner," she said.

Parks across the country have had to make cuts to staffing levels and visitor services as their core grant from government has fallen in real terms.



Princess Kate Makes Rare Consecutive Public Appearances after Cancer Diagnosis

 Kate, Princess of Wales, left an Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP)
Kate, Princess of Wales, left an Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP)
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Princess Kate Makes Rare Consecutive Public Appearances after Cancer Diagnosis

 Kate, Princess of Wales, left an Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP)
Kate, Princess of Wales, left an Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh attend the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP)

Britain's Princess Kate attended the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in London, her second public appearance in two days, as she gradually returns to public duties after her treatment for cancer.

She watched from the balcony of a government building as members of the royal family, including King Charles, and politicians laid wreaths at the Cenotaph war memorial in central London.

The Princess of Wales was wearing a black hat and jacket adorned with red poppies, which are worn by Britons as a symbol of respect for those who have lost their lives in conflict.

On Saturday, she appeared at the Festival of Remembrance at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Kate said in September she had finished chemotherapy, but her path to full recovery would be long. At the time, the 42-year-old said she would be carrying out a handful of public engagements later in the year.

Before this weekend's events her last public appearance was in October when she met the bereaved families of three young girls who were murdered at a dance class in northwest England.

The ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial is held on the nearest Sunday to Nov. 11 to mark the end of World War One, and pays tribute to those who lost their lives in conflict

Kate's husband William, who is heir to the throne, said during a visit to South Africa last week that the past year had probably been the "hardest" of his life after Kate and his father Charles were diagnosed with cancer.