Weekly Herald Column – As a city of pioneers we should be proud of the UK’s first National Marine Park

5th February, 2024

Plymouth is a city of pioneers and firsts, and having the UK’s first National Marine Park is something we will look back on with pride in the future. The National Lottery Heritage fund has awarded £11.6 million to the National Marine Park, and this is huge news for our city.

It is not only a testament to the hard work of National Marine Park team but also the city council and the network of environmental groups all championing this concept.

I first proposed the campaign that delivered the designation of Plymouth Sound as the UK’s first National Marine Park back in 2017. Although it was initially Labour who backed the idea, it now enjoys support from both Labour and the Conservatives. This is where we should be on the big issues affecting our city – joined up and all working together.

This extra funding will make a huge difference. It will help more people get to the sea, improve the physical access to the water, programmes to get people swimming, rock pooling and dipping their toes into the water.

What we do with National Marine Park status is up to us. There is no path for us to follow, only fresh courses to chart.