Planning and development

In addition to its role supporting communities, tackling nature and climate change, welcoming visitors and so on, the Park Authority has an important statutory duty covering planning in the National Park. 

Informed by a Local Development Plan - and working closely with five local authorities - the Park Authority must ensure that development done in the National Park is appropriate and in the right place. Whilst all planning applications are made to the relevant local authority, if the application is important to the wider aims of the National Park, it will be 'called in' and decided by the Park Authority. 

The work of our planning team is informed by a number of community-led plans, including Community Action Plans (where communities identify their own priorities and tackle the issues which are important to them) and Local Place Plans (providing an opportunity for communities to feed into the planning system). These are summarised below.