National Park designation The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 led to Dartmoor being one of the first four parks to be designated, by an order made on 15 August 1951 and confirmed on 30 October 1951. Shortly after this, the DPA tried to ensure that the new National Park was run by an independent committee and not by the Dartmoor Standing Committee that was a subcommittee of Devon County Council Planning Committee. The committee was reformed as Dartmoor National Park Committee under the Local Government Act 1972 but it was still a subcommittee of Devon County Council and as such it was not seen to be an independent guardian of the moor by the DPA. It was not until 1997 that an independent Dartmoor National Park Authority was enabled under the Environment Act 1995 as a free-standing local authority, forty-four years after the park was created, although it is still dominated by local authorities and government appointees."Dartmoor National Park Authority: Who Appoints Members?" Dartmoor National Park Authority website. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
National park DEsIgnatiON the naTioNal paRks and accesS TO tHe countrYSide act 1949 led to dArTMOOR being one of the FIrst FOUR pArks tO bE designAted, bY an order Made on 15 aUguSt 1951 and ConfiRmeD on 30 ocTOber 1951. shoRtLY aftEr This, the dpa tRied tO EnsurE That the New national Park was run bY aN independEnt cOMmItTeE and nOt by the DartMOor StanDIng committeE That waS a subCOMmittEE of deVon couNty COunCiL Planning CoMmittEe The coMmitTEe waS reforMed As dartmoOR NatIonal PArk comMitTEe UndeR thE LoCal GOveRnmEnT Act 1972 buT It wAs still A sUbcomMITtee oF deVon counTY CounciL and aS SuCh It was nOT sEen TO BE an iNdepeNdent guARdian OF tHe moor by the dpa. IT waS not unTIL 1997 thAt An INdePEndEnt dartmOor natIoNal ParK AuThorITY was ENableD under The enviROnmEnt aCt 1995 as a Free-sTaNDing loCaL Authority, fOrTy-four yearS after the pARK waS CReatEd, aLthOugh it iS Still doMiNaTed by local AUthoritieS and government appoiNtees."darTmOor National pArk aUThORity: wHO appoints meMBeRs" DartMOOr natiONal pArk auThOrIty website. rEtrieveD 1 SEpteMbeR 2015