The Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks will expand.
The government's Environment Secretary Liz Truss confirmed the news on a visit to the Wensleydale Creamery this morning.
The Dales will become 24% larger; whilst the Lakes will grow by just 3%.
The new boundaries will mean the National Parks are virtually joined up.
From August next year, the Lake District will include the Birbeck Fells and Whinfell Common to the east; and Helsington Barrows to Sizergh Fell - as well as part of the Lyth Valley - to the south.
Meanwhile, the likes of Barbon, Middleton, Casterton, the Leck and Firbank Fells - as well as stretches of the River Lune - will be taken in by the western boundary of the Yorkshire Dales.
It brings to and end years of uncertainty for people living in the affected areas on issues like property prices and planning.
Martin Holdgate, President at Friends of the Lake District: "Of course we are delighted that the Secretary of State has finally confirmed the designation orders for the extensions to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. These are, and always have been, areas of superb scenery that deserved National Park status years ago. Friends of the Lake District has worked for years to achieve this outcome, and we are pleased that our efforts have borne fruit but now everyone must work together to ensure we reap the benefits."
Douglas Chalmers, Director of Friends of the Lake District, said: "This really is a momentous decision, and one that reflects the wishes of many people. And now the real work starts. Everyone has been saying that designating this land will bring additional economic, environmental and community benefits to the area, and we now have to make sure that this happens.
"In the Secretary of State’s announcement, Mrs Truss said, “National parks are fabulous national assets that welcome over 90 million tourists and contribute to our vibrant rural economy – we are committed to helping them thrive." It is reassuring to have such a positive statement on Government’s support for National Parks going into the future.
"Let’s savour this moment, but then start working to ensure that those in the areas start to see the benefits."
However, not everybody's happy with the new boundaries.
CLA North Regional Director Dorothy Fairburn said: “We share the ambitions of boosting rural growth and caring for our landscapes, but we are clear that the flexibility for change – which is critical for a modern, working countryside – should not be stifled.
“We are disappointed that the Public Inquiry and the Secretary of State appear to have ignored the views of many of our members who own and manage over 100,000 acres of land affected by this decision, and who also run many rurally-based businesses, some of which are involved in the visitor economy.
“Our members take their stewardship of the land seriously and responsibly, demonstrating high quality conservation and public benefits that run hand in hand with their commercial farming and forestry management.
“Draconian planning rules and other regulations in national parks can stifle rural enterprise, ultimately at the expense of people who derive their living from the land, and this is very worrying.
“This area is largely a manmade landscape and we call on the park authorities to now work in partnership with rural businesses to help them prosper and benefit, rather than suffer from the new designation.”
BELOW: The confirmed expansions of the Lake District National Park (pink) and Yorkshire Dales National Park (green). For more detailed images, click here.
