Valley Planning

Valley Planning supports an equal partnership approach, between upland communities and agencies, so that future challenges, across common geographical areas, can be met with maximum intelligence and resource. This Valley Planning approach, initiated by ACT in Borrowdale in 2010 and Wasdale in 2012, was further developed in the Ullswater catchment in 2013. ACT was contracted by the Lake District National Park Authority to facilitate the first stages of this initiative.

The Commission for Rural Communities report of 2010 ‘CRC High Ground High Potential A Future for Englands Upland Communities’ headlined that the future of valuable assets held in our upland environment are dependent upon the sustainability of upland communities.

Ullswater Valley Planning

At a Valley Planning meeting held in Glenridding in February 2013, 82 residents and agency support officers met to discuss the future needs of the community. Eight key areas of work were identified and at second meeting in March actions were prioritised and working groups formed to take these forward. These groups will continue to meet throughout 2013 and 2014, with the support of local National Park rangers.

The four leading concerns are:

• Management of the environment: Maintaining the balance
• Water: A common-sense approach
• Employment & Economy: Employment-led sustainable development
• Heritage: Ullswater heritage is special and needs to be protected, developed where appropriate, and communicated more widely.