CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES. 445 



(unless generated on the spot by water) which at a later date may tempt the 

 purveyors of current to seek for a local market, and promote development. 

 The third type of zone would be in the nature of normal village or town 

 areas, with extensions to include tracts which are suitable for what are 

 called ' residential areas.' The proper ' industry ' of a National Park will 

 require headquarters, and there are always certain people who wish and 

 are able to retire to live amid scenery which naturally falls within the 

 National Park's periphery. Both these needs can be supplied, and a good 

 example of what is meant can be seen in Keswick for the former, and the 

 area between Keswick and Bassenthwaite for the latter. Full town- 

 planning control, including of course that of the design and materials of 

 elevations, must be exercised with thoroughness and reality, and there 

 must be no indeterminate straggling and sprawling, just because road 

 frontage may happen to be available. Here, clearly, there will be probable 

 claims for compensation ; in normal parts of the country the axiom may 

 be stated that to group building on certain lands and to banish it from 

 others will not diminish the total value of the land. What is diminished 

 in one part is enhanced in another ; the only difficulty is the unevenness 

 of incidence on private ownership. But in a National Park it may be 

 essential to limit development for the sake of the major object — the 

 national enjoyment of wild scenery and country. 



§5. 

 It is worth while considering for a moment what sort of organisation 

 should plan and control an area which it is decided should be a National 

 Park. Clearly the usual group of local authorities which join together 

 for a regional planning scheme would be insufficient for the purpose. If 

 funds for compensation or purchase or maintenance are to be forthcoming 

 from national sources, the nation will require some say in the way they 

 are used. There should be a central body to co-ordinate the work but 

 not to control all the areas : these should be under local management, 

 upon which should be represented the local authorities, including, of course, 

 the county councils ; the specially interested national societies such as 

 the C.P.B.E., National Trust, Rural Community Councils, Commons, 

 Open Spaces and Footpaths Preservation Society, Society for the Promo- 

 tion of Nature Reserves, Society of Antiquaries, Society for the Preservation 

 of Ancient Buildings, the Holiday Fellowship, &c., also the local societies 

 where these are of sufficient standing. It would probably also make for 

 smooth working to have representatives of the landowners and of the 

 owners of water and mineral rights. A comparatively simple addition 

 to the existing Town Planning Act (which is about to be amended) could 

 be made to provide for this widened type of ' Responsible Authority.' 

 The bulk of the machinery of this Act (in spite of its misnomer) i? applicable 

 to such special areas ; and especially valuable is the fact that each scheme 

 prepared, when approved, has the status of an Act of Parliament. 



§6. 



It would require a long paper to describe and to give reasons for the 

 most suitable areas for National Parks; the C.P.R.E., in its evidence* 



8 Published by C.P.R.E., 17 Great Marlborough Street, London. 



