Cumbria County Council (CCC) has rejected plans to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks due to fears over a "democratic deficit" in decision-making.

According to the council, issues currently dealt with by elected councillors on a county or district level would be taken by unelected members of a national park authority if the proposals had been allowed to go ahead. CCC also expressed concerns that the plans, which would have affected the Eden and South Lakeland areas, could have led to increased house prices and would have brought about more stringent planning restrictions.

Southern and eastern boundaries of the Lake District, along with the northern and western sides of the Yorkshire Dales would have extended into Cumbria under proposals put to consultation by Natural England. CCC cabinet member for the environment Tim Knowles said: "While we do work closely and constructively with the national park authorities and Natural England, we feel we can't support proposals that will take decisions out of the hands of democratically elected members and could have a negative impact on some of our local communities.

"The areas that Natural England are proposing become parts of the national parks are already beautiful and unspoiled areas of countryside and this won't change if they aren't incorporated into the national parks."