CEO’s Blog: What’s Changing for Protected Landscapes?
11th February 2022
A blog post by Lorrainne Smyth, CEO, ACTion with Communities in Cumbria.
I’ve been waiting for this document for some time, with understandable delays due to the pandemic response. And I have to say now it’s here, its underwhelming.
The Glover Report back in September 2019 made a broad range of exciting recommendations for changes in our protected landscapes - AONB’s and National Parks. Follow this link to see a summary of recommendations: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-landscapes-national-parks-and-aonbs-2018-review/landscapes-review-summary-of-findings
They included: a night under the stars in a national landscape for every child; national landscapes to be leaders in sustainable tourism; national landscapes working for vibrant communities; a new Housing Association to build affordable homes in these areas; and a new approach to co-ordinating public transport, to be piloted in the Lake District, and many others.
The response is not negative on these issues but is also not very enabling of them. For some of these changes significant new resource and improved partnership working will be needed, as recognised in the initial report.
But we have had a pandemic which has and continues to affect the economy, so opportunities are more limited. This is the response from the Government: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/landscapes-review-national-parks-and-aonbs-government-response
Here in Cumbria, Local Government Re-organisation offers a significant opportunity to do things differently. The Lake District National Park Partnership has a new management plan of the style suggested by Glover and actions that could deliver some of the recommendations.
How can your community or group be involved?
Follow the links in this piece and see what fits for your community: https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/caringfor/lake-district-national-park-partnership/management-plan
To take positive action for living in our protected landscape you could:
- Talk to ACT about a local activity you would like to take on: transport, housing, supporting enjoyment of the local area and consider sustainability issues for your community
- Think about whether you could link with an urban community - the school, the church, the community building
- Think about the welcome your community offers visitors and how that can be beneficial to everybody
Cumbria is a special place to live with lots of protected landscapes and opportunities to be involved with them.
What will you do to make a difference?
Contact Lorrainnesmyth@cumbriaaction.org.uk if you want to follow up on any of these issues.