A substantial real increase in grants for National Parks has been confirmed by the Government. Total expenditure by National Park authorities next year will be around £13m — an increase of 13.4% on the current year. About three-quarters of this expenditure comes from government grant.
In welcoming the increase, the Countryside Commission says that the additional money will enable the 10 National Park authorities to give higher priority to restoration work on stone walls, barns and historic buildings within the parks. There have been fears that, without more money, these distinctive landmarks might fall into further decay.
