We are working with partners to protect and improve the North West region's land to meet current and future needs.
The North West is a region of contrasts. Because of our industrial heritage, we have the highest proportion of derelict, underused and neglected land in the country. However, we also have 20 per cent of England's Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and the Lake District National Park is the largest and most popular in Britain, attracting 8.3 million visitors in 2008.
Overall, nearly one-third of the region's landscape is protected because it is nationally important, and about 81 per cent of our land use is considered to be rural.
After London and the South East, the North West is the most heavily populated region of England. This puts considerable pressure on land for housing and infrastructure development. The region is exceeding its targets for redeveloping brownfield land, and with partners we are tackling the problem of contaminated land. The number of pollution incidents with an impact on land is falling year-on-year.
