- Town dwellers wish to use the countryside for recreation and relaxation.
- Farmers wish to protect their land and in areas such as Exmoor are ploughing to a higher altitude because they receive Government grants.
- The Forestry Commission has planted many hectares of trees in the poorer soils of Northumberland, the North Yorkshire moors and the Snowdon Parks.
- The mining and quarrying of slate (Lake District and Snowdonia) and limestone (Peak District) creates local jobs but ruins the environment.
- Water Authorities have created reservoirs in the Lake District and Peak District Parks.
- The Ministry of Defence owns nearly a quarter of the Northumberland Park.
- Walkers and climbers wish for free access to all parts of the Parks, and campers and caravanners seek more sites for accommodation.
- Despite planning controls, the demand for housing has led to an increased suburbanisation of villages and the use of property as ‘second homes’ for town dwellers.
- Nature lovers wish to create nature reserve and to protect birds, animals and plants from invading tourists.
Problems and attempted solutions in the UK’s National Parks
The Peak District National Park
The Peak District National Park was established by Act of Parliament in 1951, it was Britain’s first National Park. The Peak District covers 555 square miles at the southern end of the Pennines between Sheffield and Manchester. The majority of the park is in Derbyshire, although it covers part of six counties. Half the population lives within 60 miles of the Peak Park.
The peak District National Park was established to conserve the landscape, maintain local employment and help to educate visitors. Originally, the aims of the park never mentioned leisure, but today leisure is big. Most of the visitor’s main reason for going to the peak district is because of leisure.
Approximately 38000 people live in the Park. The major industries are farming, mineral extraction and tourism. Due to the parks accessibility and situation in the middle of the country, the Peak District Park is one of the most heavily-visited national Parks in the world. The Park is run by an independent local authority, which includes representatives of the county and district councils, parish councillors and other members nominated by the government.
The Peak District National Park is the second most visited national park in the world (second only to Mt. Fuji in Japan) with approximately 38000 visits per year. Many parts of the Peak are very quiet and peaceful all year long but there are many places in the Park which are now bustling with visitors
Castleton
Castleton is 10 miles from Buxton, 16 miles from Sheffield and 27 miles from Stockport. The village itself lies on the shale/clay floor of the Hope valley, while the south and west of the village lays the limestone of the white peak.
Castleton is one of the most popular villages in the Peak District. This maybe because it has everything a visitor might want; picturesque scenery (it is overlooked by Mam Tor), a ruined Norman Castle (Peveril Castle), show caves, interesting geology (such as Winnats pass), good walks, and a pretty village. However, it does have a downside; it has a lot of tourists, even in the winter, and on summer weekends and Bank holidays it is especially busy. If you go to Castleton you must be prepared to jostle with the crowds.
The two main features of interest, apart from the castle, are Cave Dale and Peak Cavern. Cave Dale is a collapsed cavern and the bottom parts were covered by a natural arch until 200 years ago. The Peak Cavern is probably the most impressive natural cavern in Britain.
The village itself is a cluster of stone cottages, shops and inns, surrounded by limestone hills. The population of Castleton in 1991 was 689, 62.2% of these people being of working age (17-59). Castleton is known as a ‘honey pot area’, as tourists flock to it like bees around a honey pot. In Castleton some spots cannot cope with the number of tourists-including certain crags, caves, fragile upland moor land paths in steep slopes, where physical and ecological capacities are being exceeded.
There is a cement works located to the south east of Castleton. It uses limestone quarried nearby; the works causes a number of problems. Firstly it spoils the attractive view from the top of Mam Tor. This is a form of visual pollution. Noise from the trucks moving between the works and quarry causes noise pollution. Dust is blown from the works, as well as from the trucks.
Castleton receives over 2 million visitors each year. This large number of tourists causes many problems in and around Castleton. These problems include:
- litter
- Traffic congestion-This is a problem in the village to both locals and visitors. There is a large car park, with spaces for coaches and public toilets, but at peak times the parking provision is not enough and congestion spoils the character of the village and affects its enjoyment by all
- Footpath erosion resulting from overuse. This is particularly the case around popular natural attractions such as Mam Tor and Winnats Pass.
- Conflict with other land users e.g. farmers and walkers
How are these problems being tackled?
- Footpaths-improvements such as surfacing paths in local stone or re-routing certain paths have been undertaken to reduce the impact of erosion.
- An increasing number of litter bins have been provided throughout the village
What benefits have been created in the area?
Social Benefits
- Jobs are created
- Crime reduced due to higher levels of employment
Economic Benefits
- Jobs are created. Therefore people have more money to spend on local goods and services
- Multiplier effect-by creating a factory and providing new jobs, the local economy grew more than the original cash injection
Bradwell
Bradwell village is situated in north Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park, 2 miles from hope. Bradwell is one of the few villages in the Peak District that does not seem to be totally pre-occupied with the tourist industry, perhaps because the village has a significant amount of local industry-with and engineering works in the lower part of the village and the Blue Circle cement works a short distance over to the west. Although this was not always the way, Bradwell was once an important centre for lead mining.
In the Peak District of Derbyshire is a pretty, unspoiled village set in the picturesque Hope valley. The discreet charms of Bradwell are fairly well hidden from the average passer-by, for the main part of the village clings to a steep hillside above the main road; it is a rabbit warren of tiny cottages with names like Soft Water Lane, Hungry Lane and Hollowgate. From here the houses spread right up the hillside, from where there are fine views across the Hope valley.
