England’s countryside protections are fragmented, misunderstood and sometimes marginalised, according to the interim report of the designated landscapes review commissioned by Michael Gove MP. In a letter to the former environment secretary, Julian Glover, the review’s lead, said that governance of national parks was particularly in need of reform, claiming that boards are often too big and don’t do a good job of setting strategic direction. The full review is due to be released in the autumn. For more details, click here.