THE REGION’S national parks are teaming up with local businesses in a bid to help grow the rural economy.

England’s national parks say they are spreading the word they are “open for business” and have contacted Local Enterprise Partnerships with an offer to work in tandem to help attract jobs.

The initiative comes after growing concerns over the sustainability of communities in some rural parts of North Yorkshire, particularly the upper dales, where young and working age people are being driven away by a lack of affordable housing, jobs and services.

National Parks such as North York Moors are also coming under increasing pressure to open up to heavy industries such as fracking and mining.

Chair of National Parks England and the North York Moors National Park Authority, Jim Bailey, said they wished to give a “strong helping hand” to enterprises which rely on high quality environments for their business model.

“I’ll be pleased if this initiative raises a few eye-brows from those who think the national parks are something stuck in a bye gone era," he said.

“We need to make more of the thriving businesses found in some of our most beautiful areas of countryside.

“As well as being hugely important for supporting the health of the nation, our national parks attract exciting entrepreneurs and support the rural economy.

“We need to protect these wonderful places. But that need not be at the expense of giving a strong helping hand to enterprises that rely on a high quality environment for their business model. Our message is national parks are open for business.”

The proposal to LEPs involves creating high quality jobs in some of the remotest rural areas through developing local skills and infrastructure such as broadband and using the appeal of their landscape to attract new business.

The proposal has attracted the support of the English regions’ devolution champion Lord Heseltine and Defra Minister Lord de Mauley.

Lord Heseltine, said: “National parks are huge national assets that the public value.

“They are beautiful places where the environment underpins large swathes of the rural economy. I welcome the lead being taken by National Parks in working alongside Local Enterprise Partnerships and local businesses to enhance the nation’s wealth. Delivering high quality jobs, prosperity, and a high quality environment together is a Government priority.

"So I welcome this closer working to support our rural communities.”

The 90m visitors to national parks and surrounding areas each year spend more than £4 billion and support 68,000 full-time equivalent jobs, which equates to a third of all rural tourism spend in the country.