A weekly newspaper has backed a bid to turn part of its patch into a National Park.

The Halifax Courier has lent its support to the South Pennines National Park campaign, which aims to upgrade the status of South Pennines Regional Park.

The park, which covers 460 miles of land in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, was previously touted for National Park status in the 1940s.

Campaigners have now declared the land an “alternative National Park”, with the Courier supporting the scheme on its front page on Thursday, pictured below.

Editor Chris Lever told HTFP: “We’ve got some spectacular, distinctive countryside in Calderdale and want to shout about it far and wide and encourage people to visit and spend money in this beautiful part of West Yorkshire as life starts to return following the Covid lockdown.

“The South Pennines National Park campaign is about all that and attracting investment to boost our businesses, help our communities and aims look after the heritage and the rural landscapes for the benefit of the towns and villages of the upper Calder Valley and neighbouring areas for generations to come.

“Working together with Calderdale Council, campaigners and others for the good of the South Pennines will rightly give the landscape and its people a voice and as the local paper, the Courier is happy to champion and back this worthy cause with publicity to ensure success.”