Intention 5.1: Balance opportunities for enjoyment with conserving a fragile environment

To balance opportunities for enjoyment with conserving a fragile environment we provided a refreshed Countryside Code underpinning a Peak District brand which all relevant partners could promote equally and consistently. #PeakDistrictProud (#PDP) shares the positive ways in which people can help care for the national park; from taking home your litter and avoiding BBQs, to keeping your dog a lead.

Throughout 20/21 the focus has been on providing clear messages to all visitors around government guidelines and responsible behaviour in the countryside. On the 1st April 2021, a new national Countryside Code was officially launched by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales. All our partners will support and promote the new national Countryside Code messages and #PeakDistrictProud actions will be used to complement these national messages as they are promoted.

#PeakDistrictProud continues to provide a foundation for cross-stakeholder working within the National Park. The newly formed Peak District Communicators Forum, convened by the Authority, will be using #PDP as the basis for visitor messaging alongside the Countryside Code to provide local relevance and ownership. It will also underpin activities such as the Peak District Ambassadors scheme that will be implemented during the first part of 2021/22.

We welcomed the support from partners and communities who pitched in to help with litter collections to compliment the work that rangers, gamekeepers and other land managers undertake. The Authority and partners would to record that it is much appreciated. As the lockdown lifts, community volunteering under #PDP to be promoted initially around litter picking as a way to support responsible visiting and empower local communities.

The important role that the Peak District National Park has for the communities that live in, and around it, to provide breathing spaces and a place for quiet recreation that supports their physical and mental wellbeing has never been clearer. During a very difficult 12 months we have needed to work together to ensure everyone has the opportunity to benefit from what our protected landscapes have to offer. We have set up multi-agency coordination groups across both visitor planning and communications, to help prepare for the easing of lockdown so we can collectively work to mitigate impacts and welcome people who come to responsibly enjoy the countryside.

Last year we saw many more people choosing to travel to the Peak District by car and the issues this caused. the Authority worked with the highways authorities to manage this by providing car park information, implementing double yellow lines where appropriate in areas like the Upper Derwent, Upper Padley and Thorpe/Dovedale. Linked to this the police and highway authorities have been actively enforcing parking restrictions. The introduction of an alert system to inform visitors when an area was reaching full capacity was well received and on its first weekend of operation was seen by over 720,000 people. Our long term ambition is to see visitors being able to access the National Park more sustainably and to benefit from the reductions in carbon and pollution that comes with this.

Intention 5.2: Ensure shared responsibility

To ensure shared responsibility we will review and develop the current arrangements for events management in the Peak District.

The events notification system has been replaced with event guidance and a code of conduct for event organisers to sign up to. If event organisers agree to the code of conduct, their events will be added to a calendar and promoted on the National Park Authority website.  Very few events have taken place due to Covid19 restrictions, which makes any review of the new guidance and listing of limited value when considering how to refine our approach at present. However, we continue to monitor the impact of events that take place as lock down eases, in what we expect to be a very busy year for the National Park.

Intention 5.3: Develop an awareness and understanding of the benefits of the Peak District National Park

Utilising the valuable work of Inspired by the Peak District and the Peak District Environmental Quality Mark, consider a revised approach to the promotion of the peak District brand so we establish a provenance which is coherent and effective at promoting the link between business development, the special qualities and the unique offer of the Peak District National Park.

A group was convened in 2019 to promote the link between business development, the special qualities and the unique offer of the Peak District National Park. A series of discussions have taken place on how we can influence Local Industry with a focus on “Clean, green productivity linked to a high quality of life” and using **“**Positive planning powers; allied with a proactive enabling role from District Councils”. There has been no progress on this during the Covid-19 lockdown.  However, the District Councils have been responding positively by supporting local businesses through difficult times.