National park partnership with car brand criticised

Campaigners and residents have held a protest against temporary signs that depict a national park's partnership with a car brand.

Residents in the Peak District have hit out at a brand deal, which has seen the installation of new signs with the national park's name changed to advertise a new Skoda model.

Protesters gathered at Surprise View, near Hathersage in Derbyshire, at one of the new signs to voice their opposition and called on the government to increase funding for national parks.

Phil Mulligan, chief executive of the Peak District National Park, said the partnership aligned with their values on active travel.

Skoda UK said the partnership was meant to "spark positive conversations" and to "encourage more people to get out and enjoy the Peak District in a responsible way".

Peak District National Park did not disclose the partnership fee, but described it as "a reasonable amount" which "greatly helps the authority to deliver important work".

National parks campaigner Tom Laws said: "If national parks are prepared to sell their very name to the highest bidder, then we're already on the path to industrial extraction of the most protected landscapes."

Campaigners placed an alternative placard beneath the advertising board for several hours, which "attracted support" from national park visitors, with many "unaware of the partnership" to their dismay.

The altered signs will be in place until Sunday.

Campaigners said the partnership had raised "broader questions" about how national parks were funded and whether "increasing financial pressures" were leading authorities to seek commercial partnerships that "conflict with their environmental purpose".

According to Campaign for National Parks, government funding for National Park Authorities was reduced by 9% in the 2026 financial year, contributing to an estimated 40% real-terms reduction in funding since 2010 at a time when visitor numbers "continue to reach record levels".

Harry Brook, a High Peak resident and climate campaigner, said: "The Dark Peak's internationally important peatlands have been burning for weeks, releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.

"As these landscapes continue to smoulder, it is difficult to understand why the national park authority has chosen to partner with a company whose core business relies on fossil fuel transport."

Mulligan said many people felt strongly about the national park and that it was "here for the nation, free to enjoy".

"Unfortunately, it is not free to deliver such public goods, they have to be paid for," he said.

"With our government grant continuing to be cut in real terms every year and only covering about a quarter of our operating costs, we need income from a range of sources to continue to be able to deliver critical services for the nation."

A spokesperson for Skoda UK said: "To celebrate the Peak District National Park's 75th anniversary and the launch of our new all-electric Škoda Peaq, we've teamed up with the Peak District National Park authority to help shine a light on the UK's very first national park.

"This partnership is focused on sparking positive conversations and encouraging more people to get out and enjoy the Peak District in a responsible way. Free cycle hire will also make it easier for visitors to explore the park more sustainably.

"It's a temporary celebration of a truly special place, and it doesn't change the name of the Peak District."

Speaking earlier this month, Mary Creagh, minister for nature, who has national parks in her portfolio, told the BBC the government is investing in their future.

"These are living landscapes and it's absolutely vital that they have that secure funding, which is why we've announced an increase to the national parks and landscapes of £37m a year for each of the next three years," she said.

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