Help shape your Peak District National Park

Image ⓒ Chris Gilbert

People who care for the Peak District National Park, whose work shapes and protects its iconic landscapes or who enjoy its benefits, are invited to take part in a public consultation.

The consultation asks what people think about the Peak District National Park’s special qualities and how these are represented in the National Park Management Plan. It also asks if eight areas of impact identified in the new plan are the best themes to focus on.

The National Park Management Plan is a plan for the place and for the people who live and work in the Peak District National Park and for visitors. It encourages everyone to work together to conserve and enhance the special qualities for the benefit of all.

It is not a plan for an individual organisation or group but a partnership plan for the place. It describes for everyone what the main issues and priorities are. It then sets out how, together, those issues are going to be tackled over the next five years.

The call to join in the consultation, and help shape how the Peak District National Park is managed, comes from the management plan advisory group.

This group is independently chaired by Dianne Jeffrey who said: “We want to know if people think we are focusing on the right issues so we are asking people to join in at an early stage of updating the management plan.

“Our consultation document introduces eight special qualities and eight areas of impact where we would like to focus our work over the next five years. We believe these define what is special about the Peak District National Park and where we believe we can make the biggest difference to some of the key issues currently affecting it.”

The special qualities people are being asked to comment on include: beautiful views created by contrasting landscapes and dramatic geology; internationally important and locally distinctive habitats and species; undeveloped places of tranquillity and dark night skies within reach of millions; characteristic settlements with strong communities and traditions; landscapes that tell a story of people and industry since prehistoric times; an inspiring space for escape, adventure, exploring and quiet reflection; historic features offering visible and buried reminders of past lives; vital benefits for millions of people that flow beyond the landscape boundary.

The eight areas of impact people are being asked about are: a National Park for everyone; securing the most for the Peak District National Park; encouraging enjoyment with understanding; preparing for a future climate; enhancing the benefits that the Peak District National Park provides; ensuring a future for farming and land management; managing landscape conservation on a big scale; supporting sustainable communities.

Sarah Fowler, chief executive of the Peak District National Park said: “The comments we receive will help shape the National Park Management Plan 2018-23 so please take this opportunity to share with us your ideas of how to enhance this special place. I also encourage you to share this consultation document with colleagues, friends and anyone else who you know has a passion for the Peak District National Park.”

The consultation questions can be found at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/npmpconsultation

The survey is open to all and is available from 19 June to midnight on 31 July, 2017.