What do you think of Exmoor National Park? I posed this and other questions in a direct appeal for your views. I would like to publicly thank everyone for helping me by completing the forms. I have already presented the facts to the Minister responsible - Hilary Benn - and I believe that the Government will now have to sit up and take real notice. We received responses representing several thousand individuals. We also received responses running into many hundreds from people who do not live in my constituency but wanted to take part. Below you can absorb the hard statistics. It should make difficult reading for the National Park who emerge as unrepresentative of your views, unwilling to listen  and operating an unfair planning system.

SURVEY OF RESIDENTS’ ATTITUDES IN THE

EXMOORNATIONAL PARK

CARRIED OUT BY IAN LIDDELL-GRAINGER, M.P.

IN APRIL/MAY 2009

           

       This survey was designed to provide an accurate picture of local residents’ perception of Exmoor National Park Authority.

•       1.            How long have you lived in the Exmoor National Park?

                         Average number of years:  25.26 years

                       Shortest time lived on Exmoor:  6 months

                       Longest time lived on Exmoor:  93 years

         

•       2.       How many people in your household? 

 ­­­­­­

                        2417 responses were received

        

•         3.       Do you consider yourself as living “on Exmoor”? 

                        Yes:                  94.41%

                  No:                    4.72%

                  Don’t know:       0.71%

                  No reply to the question:  0.16%

        

•        4.      Do you feel your views are being represented by West Somerset Council?

                   Yes:                 16.36%

                  No:                  47.29%

                  Don’t know:     32.42%

                  No reply to the question:  3.53

• 5.      or by Exmoor National Park Authority?

                        Yes:                 23.68%

                  No:                  49.10%

                  Don’t know:     22.74%

                  No reply to the question:  4.48

• 6.       Do you believe that all Government appointees to the National Park Authority should be local people?

                    Yes:                 75.14%

                 No:                  21.64%

                  Don’t know:      1.89%

                 No reply to the question:  1.33%

• 7.        Do you believe they should be paid for their services?

                  Yes:                 58.54%

                  No:                   23.92%

                  Don’t know:     16.13%

                  No reply to the question:  1.41%

 

• 8.            Do you believe the National Park planning system is fair?

                  Yes:                20.77%

                  No:                  54.99%

                  Don’t know:   22.90%

                  No reply to the question:  1.34%

• 9.            Do you feel the National Park Authority should be providing a better range of housing within the park, including affordable housing for    young, local families?

                  Yes:                  74.43%

                  No:                   17.16%

                  Don’t know:      5.98%

                  No reply to the question:  1.97%

• 10.    Do you believe the National Park Authority should be concentrating its financial resources more on community-based projects which benefit local people, rather than on   conservation, environmental projects and interpretation schemes?

                  Yes:                 56.73%

                  No:                  27.22%

                  Both:                 7.00%

                  Don’t know:     6.77%

                  No reply to the question:  2.82%

• 11.    Do you think the National Park Authority listens to your views and opinions?

                  Yes:                  21.32%

                  No:                    51.85%

                  Don’t know:     23.92%

                  No reply to the question:  2.91%

• 12.    Do you agree that the quality of life within the National Park has declined over the last 10 years?

                  Yes:                39.03%

                  No:                 20.14%

                  Stayed the same:  26.12%

                  Don’t know:  13.61%

                  No reply to the question:  1.11%

• 13.    Do you think more needs to be done to encourage tourists to come and visit Exmoor? 

                  Yes:                56.41%

                  No:                  35.25%

                  Don’t know:     6.29%

                  No reply to the question:  2.05%

• 14.    Do you consider farming to be an industry which is vital to the long-term prosperity of Exmoor?

                  Yes:                  95.75%

                  No:                    2.60%

                  Don’t know:      1.26%

                  No reply to the question:  0.39%

 

• I obtained a full debate in Westminster Hall just before Christmas and received some clear indications from the Minister that the Government doesn't like the look of what is going on.

Read the transcript in full:

(We are not responsible for the content of external web sites)

• http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/
• http://www.exmoorsociety.com/
• TOURISM