Minister for Nature visits Northumberland National Park

Mary Creagh, Minister for Nature, saw first-hand projects which address health and wellbeing, biodiversity, and rural sustainability.

She met with Northumberland National Park Authority chair Denis Mullan and officers and heard about the Authority’s enterprising approach to income generation and budget challenges.

Mr Mullan said: “We are extremely proud of Northumberland National Park Authority’s role in the region, primarily as the public authority which ensures this unique and special landscape is conserved and enhanced so it can be enjoyed by everyone.

"It has been a privilege to welcome Minister Creagh to Northumberland National Park and show a snapshot of the exemplary programmes and projects which the Authority undertakes every day.

"The visit has highlighted the innovative work we are doing to ensure Northumberland National Park stays a vibrant, sustainable, and accessible place for future generations to enjoy.”

Minister Creagh engaged directly with local businesses at the Park’s rural business hub in Hexham and spoke with representatives from the farming team about the challenges and opportunities facing farming and rural enterprise.

A visit to The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre underscored the impact of philanthropic investment in ensuring a welcoming National Park for all and the Minister joined pupils from Studio West, a mixed-secondary academy in West Denton for a learning session about careers in the green sector.

The Minister also learned how The Sill fosters engagement through education and community outreach.

The visit concluded at Greenlee National Nature Reserve near Hadrian’s Wall, where the Minister visited a landscape-scale nature recovery project. Hadrian’s Wall: Recovering Nature aims to restore wetlands, improve water quality, mitigate flood risk, enhance biodiversity, create woodlands, and restore peatlands.

Minister Creagh praised Northumberland National Park Authority’s leadership in conservation and engagement, reinforcing the significance of National Parks as places where people and nature thrive.

She said: “I was delighted to visit Northumberland National Park and meet the people who work tirelessly to protect this beautiful landscape.

“Our National Parks and green spaces are a source of great national pride, and we are committed to making these landscapes greener, wilder and more accessible to all.”