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The Lake District Local Access Forum Annual Report 1st April to 31st March 2008
The Forum’s Vision
The Lake District National Park is a place in which visitors and local people can share the exploration, enjoyment and understanding of the diversity of the Park’s countryside and heritage. The provision of access will be clear to understand, be respectful of land ownership and management, meet users’ particular needs and promote responsible and harmonious behaviour. It will make an increasing and positive contribution to the sustainability of the Lake District’s environment, communities and economy.
Chairman’s Summary
This is the 6th Annual Report of the Lake District Local Access Forum. The Lake District Local Access Forum is one of 81 Local Access Forums (LAFs) in England and Wales and eleven in the North West Region of England. We are Statutorily prescribed independent bodies, introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000.
Our main function is to advise our appointing authority, the Lake District National Park Authority, on the improvement of public access to land in that area for the purpose of open air recreation and the enjoyment of the area. In carrying out our functions we must also have regard to the needs of land management and the desirability of conserving the natural beauty of the area for which it is established, including the flora, fauna and geological and physiographical features of the area. In order to do this as equitably as possible the forum’s members must be representative of both users of local rights of ways or access land, and owners and occupiers of access land or land encompassing local rights of way.
That’s the theory, but we are never sure that we have been as effective as we could be. We are small team of volunteers who give our time and experience freely. Being volunteers ‘staffing’ a statutory body isn’t easy. The time of every member is precious and limited, and we are not alone amongst LAFs in regularly questioning our value to the bodies we advise. That questioning is healthy.
This year’s work included the launching of the Cumbria Rights of Way Improvement Plan and offering advise to the National Park Authority and Cumbria County Council on the new Cumbria Countryside Access Partnership initiative.
An open and accessible access network as part of the overall fabric and function of the area plays a special role in the communities of the Lake District and the wider Cumbria, not just for health but also for the rural economy. Consequently we appealed to Natural England to continue the Access Management Grant Scheme to assists in relieving the burden of overstretched local authorities in areas that otherwise may not be given such a high priority and can be subject to cut-backs. We also expended considerable time in preparing a response to Access to Coast in England, which resulted in us also expressing concerns that the government appeared not to have taken due notice of the advice.
We also developed a closer relationship with staff at Natural England to ensure that proposed planting of woodland and scrub on Mungrisdale Common did not have any negative impact on access in that special area.
The forum would welcome more interest from general public. All forum meeting are open to the public and by arrangement members of the public may ask questions and were appropriate, the chairman will invite public participation. Meetings are well advertised in local papers and on the Lake District National Park Authority’s website.
In the next year we anticipate that one of the most significant matters that will be before us will the consultation on the National Parks Boundary Review and the access implications of those proposals.
As chairman I have appreciated the manner in which members have remained focused and have applied their various skills and knowledge, and appreciated the secretariat service and support provided by the National Park Authority for our work. Providing and applying good advice remains a challenge for us all.
Geoff Wilson Chairman.
For more information about the forum checkout the website at this link and members of the public are welcome to all meetings of the forum.