Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

So, how do you make the Lake District 'change and diversify' because it is too heavily weighted toward 'white middle-class able-bodied people'?

688 replies

Nanny0gg · 29/12/2019 13:00

Richard Leafe, the Cumbria park's chief executive, said the Unesco World Heritage site must change to merit continued public funding.

I mean, it's mountains and lakes. What can you do?

And isn't that a tad patronising as well?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
53rdWay · 30/12/2019 10:48

Are the Trossachs or the Brecon Beacons known for their ethnic diversity?

Brecon Beacons Strategic Equality Plan: www.beacons-npa.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/Brecon-Beacons-National-Park-Authority-2016-2020-FINAL.docx

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Equalities Mainstreaming Report: www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Equalities-Mainstreaming-Report-Progress-2019-2.pdf

Neither of these parks have yet been flattened for wheelchair access or seen white residents driven from their homes.

Juliette20 · 30/12/2019 10:49

Seems odd to talk himself out of a job then. The chump.

53rdWay · 30/12/2019 10:51

He isn’t talking himself out of a job, he’s pointing out that funding is often contingent on things like having a decent equalities plan in place.

Juliette20 · 30/12/2019 10:51

Why doesn't he get on and do what the BB and Trossachs have done then instead of moaning about it and potentially doing himself out of funding and a job and the lack of ability to do anything about it? Do your job.

ivykaty44 · 30/12/2019 10:53

nationalparks.uk/students/wholooksafternationalparks/costsandspending

Here is the only list I can find on government funding of national parks

Juliette20 · 30/12/2019 10:53

Why doesn't he put a plan in place then? Surely he has plenty of minions to write one.

And as any idiot knows, having a written policy doesn't mean that any of that actually happens.

TheCumbrian · 30/12/2019 10:53

And I would argue that funding should be provided for environmental projects to rectify the damage done by visitors. They don't need any funding to attract more visitors, of any kind

I completely agree.

The locals find it very frustrating when their farming neighbours are lambasted in the national press for 'overgrazing the fells' (you know, the actual activity that actually got the Lake District it's UNESCO World Heritage Status) but it's apparently fine for millions of walkers to trample everything in sight and chuck their rubbish and shitty used toilet roll around.

53rdWay · 30/12/2019 10:54

Why doesn't he get on and do what the BB and Trossachs have done then instead of moaning about it

This is what he’s doing. This is his job. He’s not ‘moaning about it’ just because you were unaware this issue even existed before this story hit the papers.

Lockheart · 30/12/2019 10:56

He's not talking himself out of a job.

He was commenting in response to complaints about the provision of a tarmacked pathway which was a replacement for the one which was washed out in the flood.

He made general comments about making the Lake District more accessible for all as a justification for the path.

Somehow this has warped out of all recognition because people are too ready to have a good froth and can't fucking read.

Juliette20 · 30/12/2019 10:56

He wants to make tarmac paths up mountains. Nope, can't see any issues with that.

Lockheart · 30/12/2019 11:00

No he doesn't @Juliette20. This tarmacked path is is by a river which was washed out in flooding. He's not going to tarmac up a mountain.

Juliette20 · 30/12/2019 11:02

you were unaware this issue even existed before this story hit the papers

I was well aware of the damage done to the Lake District by high visitor numbers before "this issue hit the papers". My points are quite reasonable, because people dare to question his comments apparently this makes you a racist or a Little Englander.

Juliette20 · 30/12/2019 11:05

Perhaps National Parks would be better served and more diverse by having people who aren't default males running them. Just a thought.

EntropyRising · 30/12/2019 11:06

Hillwalking in the Lake District is not everyone's thing. He should really focus his do-gooding efforts elsewhere.

Lockheart · 30/12/2019 11:10

@EntropyRising his 'do-gooding' efforts were replacing a path which was washed out in a flood and having to justify using tarmac. Is there something particularly virtuous about that? Or is it basic park maintenance which is his job?

Teaandcake1000 · 30/12/2019 11:20

TonTonMacoute

Surely access is the key. If you aren’t aware of a place have sparse resources and so aren’t easily able to
Hi how would you know if you like it?

Teaandcake1000 · 30/12/2019 11:21

53rdWay

Agreed

Teaandcake1000 · 30/12/2019 11:23

BlouseAndSkirt

I wholly agree with your summing of of the majority of this thread.

EntropyRising · 30/12/2019 11:26

@EntropyRising his 'do-gooding' efforts were replacing a path which was washed out in a flood and having to justify using tarmac. Is there something particularly virtuous about that? Or is it basic park maintenance which is his job?

How is this 'basic park maintenance'?

Our challenge is to see what we can do to reverse that, to encourage people from broader backgrounds and a wider range of personal mobilities into the national park to be able to benefit in the same way that those other groups do.

Lockheart · 30/12/2019 11:37

@EntropyRising

He replaced the washed out path with a tarmac path.

Some people didn't like the tarmac path.

He made those comments to justify the tarmac path. In that a tarmac path is easier to navigate for those with poor mobility or sight.

EntropyRising · 30/12/2019 11:43

Lockheart, he has made a statement of intent to which I have responded.

paulinespeaksmanylanguages · 30/12/2019 11:47

It's shit like his comments though that will make the word, 'racist' devoid of meaning, make people roll their eyes whenever they hear it and, quite frankly, if this is an example of racism, then they're quite right to do so!

I went to The Gambia and wasn't at all perturbed that the population wasn't diverse. Should I have been?

Lockheart · 30/12/2019 11:49

@EntropyRising so you don't think they should be trying to encourage more disabled people to visit the Lake District?

Well I suppose everyones entitled to their opinion but I can't say I agree with that.

All I see is someone having to justify a particular type of path. For some reason it's blown up into a huge row about race because people can't be bothered to read or think past the headline and their own prejudices.

Sockwomble · 30/12/2019 11:52

"He wants to make tarmac paths up mountains. Nope, can't see any issues with that."

The path is on a miles without stiles route and on the site of a former railway line. It is not a path up a mountain.

VivaLeBeaver · 30/12/2019 11:54

The tarmac path in question is a perfect location for such a path....and nowhere near a mountain. I fully support it and hope it gets done sooner rather than later.