In 1947, Sir Arthur Hobhouse delivered a report to the UK Government on the establishment of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

[2] The creation of the parks and AONBs was seen as a "recreational gift to Britain's returning Second World War service men and women".

However, it was decided that due to the industrial heritage of the region, it would not be appropriate to list the site for protection under either National Park status or as an AONB.

Writing in The Telegraph, Gove stated that the intent was to review their function but not to "diminish the protection of natural areas, but to strengthen it in the face of present-day challenges."

[14] In 2018 Pennine Prospects was awarded Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) for training and providing information in the designation of a Regional Park, the first of its kind in the country.

[15] As part of this process, the park was announced in September 2021, under a "self-declaration" scheme, though without official recognition from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).