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.
