CAMPAIGNERS have welcomed an independent review which says England's national parks – including the New Forest – should be given extra funding and better protection.

The review warns that challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and a trend towards increased urban living mean the country's protected landscapes need to benefit from fresh ideas.

Recommendations include a National Landscapes Service to act as a unifying body for the ten national parks and 34 areas of outstanding beauty.

The review coincides with increasing visitor numbers in the New Forest and plans to build about 10,000 homes on sites surrounding the national park boundary.

Debbie Tann, chief executive of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said more must be done for nature.

Ms Tann cited the "real crisis" facing the natural world and called for national parks such as the New Forest to take bold steps to "restore wildlife".

She added: “The unique habitat of the Forest is compromised daily by untenable recreational pressure. It’s time to get to grips with this challenge and put nature’s recovery at the heart of our national parks."

The chairman of the New Forest National Park Authority, Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre, said he welcomed the review.

He added: "We will consider its findings and reflect them in our National Park Partnership Plan, which is being revised later this year.

"The review emphasises the role of national parks in leading nature recovery and the response to climate change, plus the huge potential of national parks to improve the physical and mental health of the population.

"It highlights the challenges facing communities living in national parks, especially the issue of affordable housing."

Mr Crosthwaite-Eyre, a former Official Verderer of the New Forest, listed some of the specific challenges facing the national park.

He said: "An additional 10,000 homes are being built beyond the national park boundary. The ancient practice of commoning, which sustains the landscape at the core of the national park, needs support to survive, and the average house price is around 15 times average earnings."

The review was carried out by former government aide Julian Glover.

He said: "If we take action, we can make our country healthier, happier, greener, more beautiful and part of all our lives.

"Seventy years ago this year we created our national parks for a nation that had just won the Second World War. It's time to reignite that mission."

Environment secretary Theresa Villiers said Mr Glover's recommendations would be "carefully considered" by the government, with new funding debated "in the future".