National Parks in Wales should be given a ‘third mission’ to contribute to the economic and social welfare of their communities in addition to their conservation and planning roles. This is a major recommendation in the IWA’s report Living With Our Landscape, published to mark the 60th anniversary of the creation of the National Parks in 1949.
The report says that although designation of protected landscapes has traditionally been made within an England and Wales legislative framework, devolution now allows for a separate Welsh perspective. The report says National Parks should be encouraged to become more proactive in promoting their economic infrastructure with initiatives in farming, tourism, jobs and housing. It argues that this would involve a major shift in the function of Welsh National Parks beyond their traditional core function of conservation, access and public understanding.