National Parks –
the Lake District case study -
A case study of a UK National Park |
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Think about it | |
There are 15
National Parks in the British Isles and they came into existence in 1951
following an Act of Parliament (The 1949 National Parks and Access to the
Countryside Act).
The first park created under this act was the
Peak District National Park, which is surrounded by large towns and
cities such as Liverpool and Manchester. National Parks have been created to protect Britain’s most spectacular scenery by limiting the amount and type of development that can take place. In addition, National Parks are there to offer the British people access to the countryside for recreational purposes. |
Helvellyn Mountain in England |
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Click here for a static version of the Gif above |
There
are 15 members in the UK National Park family:
A large amount of land within the National
Parks is owned by private landowners. Farmers and organisations like the
National Trust are some of the landowners, along with the thousands of
people who live in the villages and towns. National Park Authorities
sometimes own bits of land, but they work with all landowners in all
National Parks to protect the landscape.
(Source) |
Watch the videos and list the reasons why
people would want to go to National Parks Complete this exercise on the Lake District |
National
Parks are incredibly popular places, and because of this conflict often
arises.
Landowners, farmers, local residents, the Ministry of
Defence and Tourists all want slightly different things from the parks
and for this reason CONFLICT can result.
The most popular areas of the Parks are called
HONEYPOT SITES, because they attract tourists like honey attracts bears!
It is these areas where conflict can often be at
its fiercest, and decisions taken by the National Park Authority need to
reflect the views of all stakeholders.
Lake Windemere is a good example of conflict.
The 17km length of
Windermere makes it England’s longest lake and it has its own rangers
and patrol boats in the busy summer months. There is a 10mph speed limit
which came into force in 2005 to enable smaller vessels such as sailing
boats and kayaks to enjoy the lake safely, unhampered by the jet
skis,
water skiers and fast motor boats. However this decision was a
controversial one; and many local businesses had to diversify in order
to continue trading. Tourists in general bring jobs and money into the
area but increase traffic congestion and have a significant
environmental impact.
(Source)
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