Meanings
- A concept in the management of protected landscapes in the United Kingdom, where the need for conservation is balanced with offering access to the public.
It may become necessary to restrict traffic, since it is law under the Sandford principle that where there is apparent conflict between a national park's dual functions of conservation and promoting public enjoyment, then greater weight must be given to conservation.
2021 December 1, Anthony Lambert, “The measures to develop leisure”, in RAIL, number 945, page 49
Origin
Named after John Edmondson, 2nd Baron Sandford.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Sandford principle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sandford%20principle
“Sandford principle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sandford%20principle. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Sandford principle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sandford%20principle.
Source: Sandford principle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.