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

[Nanny0gg]

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?

More WOKE politics... Ignore it, people who make these statements are idiots!

Workers in the hospitality industry lean toward Eastern block as they have slowly replaced the original white local workers who seem to have surrendered those jobs or saw them as unwanted/beneath them

Locals don't think this work is beneath them - there just aren't enough locals to do it. Over 70% of the houses where I live are holiday homes - the resident population is very small. Many people who work in the Lakes commute from outside the National Park.

As for the "privileged residents" not welcoming foreigners - that's not a description I recognise - a surprising number of local farmers are married to foreigners

And the comments about the National Park being "sold off" - how would that happen? The Park is just a designated protected area which has tighter planning regulations then elsewhere. The land is mainly owned by individuals with around 25% owned by the National Trust (who can't sell their land).

I think people are put off by the unflattering knee length socks and cargo shorts. No amount of accessibility will change that. And it’s miles away. And up north.

Socks and sandals never a good look.

Sorry about yhour experiences in Norfolk. Most of hte countryside is not liike that ...98% white but that is just because of who lives there and that does not mean people have any problem with people of different skin colours

No, it does not have to mean that.

But white people are not witness to or do not see or experience what can and does happen to black people.

Better public transport. Not intrusive or damaging the landscape, just buses or minibuses to anywhere that is already accessible by car.

We need the better and cheaper public transport everywhere in Britain.

We rarely see any other Black families and although I don't feel particularly intimidated it can be uncomfortable at times although this depends on the location

@Eastie77 I can't imagine what experiences you and your family have been through. The description of what happened in the restaurant sounds awful. I can imagine there must be a lot of 'subconscious' racism from people who would claim not to be racist - as well as more overt racism.

I also don't know how people like @Xenia can say comments like Sorry about yhour experiences in Norfolk. Most of hte countryside is not liike that.

Some of the comments on here are awful. The articles in the Daily Mail and The Sun don't help such issues. It's almost as though they can't be bothered to think about issues and have problems with the idea of tackling privilege and overcoming barriers.

@lakeswimmer

Yes, a lot of racism towards the indigenous population of the lakes on this thread.

may be 98% white but that is just because of who lives there and that does not mean people have any problem with people of different skin colours.
@Xenia, I live there. I am also not British. The level of xenophobia and racist (over and not so overt) is huge.
The reality is that, if, as a white woman from that area, you haven’t experienced or seen racism or xenophobia, it just means that you are in one of those privileged groups. Anyone else will have seen it!!

It's a National Park and so it should be accessible, but maintaining the wildlife and environment, to all.

What's wrong with that? Didnt the Ramblers have similar access issues 100 years ago?

Of course with more people, there needs to be more repairs to footpaths, litter clearing and so on.

I live in Cumbria. There are some bigoted people about as well as middle class nimbys. They are in the minority but are shamelessly vocal.

I have a foot in both camps. I’m mixed race. Grandad and cousins on my mum’s side are indigenous Westmorlanders and dad’s side are from Bermuda. I look mixed race. I can’t say I’ve noticed that people in the Lake District are any more bigoted than anywhere else.

@xenia

I agree. Just because the population are predominantly white, doesn’t automatically make them bigoted. It’s quite racist of mumsnetters to suggest that.

I siltl think they are in a m inority. Also if a place is 98% white and there are rarely any people in an area who are not white then of course there won't be racism against non whites as there are no non white people there. Also I go to these places to ensure I see no one - we are talking about some places with hardly any people in them. Not quite Alaska but along similar lines.

However if suggestions of racism put people off going to areas where I want no one to go because O like solitude and isolation and if we can have other things to put whites and non whites off like no shops near a beach or 30 minutes hike to get to an isolated beach so much the better. Lots of people want to be alone so the aim is to ensure other peoplea re put off going to there so you can get to that isolated lake, forest, high hill, fell, beach and not see a single other person.

Hepsi - no - no one should drop litter, that's the point. I have never dropped any litter ever in the countryside. No one going there or indeed in the towns should drop litter ever. More people does no have to mean more litter. If people drop any litter there should be heavy fines and bans on where they can go if they are going to spoil where they go. Litter droppers should not be welcome anywhere. Their photos should be posted on line and shamed.

Are other World heritage sites being targetted - I 've been to yosemite and the accommodation is pretty pricey.
I would say that of the WHS I've visited they are mostly filled with middle class people. Because it costs money to get to them as many are well in the countryside.
Is only Cumbria being criticised? Al Hambra in Spain has to be booked the year before and the cheapest tours go first. So as a middle class person I was able to book the expensive tour for this year as that is all that was left. How would you solve that, would you have to prove your minority status to get the cheap tour? I'm sure poor Al Hambrians go there sometimes but there is also the factor that if something is on your doorstep you only go occasionally. Unless you have eg a love of hill walking or a specific interest in the museum/ steam train / whatever so you move there to take advantage of that.
I don't see how you balance this out. The Sites need the tourism, if it becomes cheap and crowded it will be less attractive. It's expensive because it is beautiful hence many want to go there, hence property prices rise.

Improve access by buses running from say Manchester city centre or airport/ Carlisle station / a large park and ride on the M6 / etc to Windermere (or other spots) daily through the summer. Arrange minibuses to easily walked walks. There probably are buses but as I don't go to the lakes I don't know.
A teacher friend did a survey of tourists visiting a scenic part of Wales (years ago now) and the average distance walked was 20 steps from the car. People mostly sat in the car eating their picnic and watching the view from there. Then drove home.

@elf

Have a look at the Galapagos. Proves your point.

DH has done most of the most popular hillwalks in the lakes and sometimes not seen another soul. He gets up very early in order to do this. His aim is to complete the walk in in the dark and start the interesting bits as it starts to get light. It's possible to get relative solitude even on busy hills.

Xenia has your account been hacked?

I siltl think they are in a m inority. Also if a place is 98% white and there are rarely any people in an area who are not white then of course there won't be racism against non whites as there are no non white people there

However if suggestions of racism put people off going to areas where I want no one to go because O like solitude and isolation ......so much the better

really?

We need to do something about the lack of diversity in the Lake District.

I would say sterilise all indigenous white people.

White people are the source of all evil in the world.

chomalungma
Is there a problem with encouraging a wider range of people to visit somewhere?

Yes, if encouragement involves taxpayer money that results in preferential treatment of some/ruination of place/expenditure which results in no difference.

Is there a problem with a place attracting people who are interested in it, and not attracting others who aren't?

@demelzathespud

Racism isn’t a one way street.

*I would say sterilise all indigenous white people.

White people are the source of all evil in the world*

In a story about making the Lake District diverse the award for the most racist statement goes to...Demelzathespud

Devereux: the current issue is that a vast area is maintained and protected at taxpayer’s expense and there are issues behind choice that make it harder for some taxpayers to benefit from it.

Why is equality such a threat to some people?

What has actually been suggested that would ‘ruin’ the Lake District?

No one is suggesting tarmac up Helvellyn or Glaramara.... just a closer look to check what might be putting some people off.

And maybe people should question whether Demelza’s post is intended to be taken at face value... or satire..(in support of diversity) ... or irony (in support of the PC GORN MAD anti- diversity ).

BlouseAndSkirt
there are issues behind choice that make it harder for some taxpayers to benefit from it.

Race was mentioned a few times in this thread and in Leafe's statement. What issues make it harder for a black/asian person to benefit from the Lakes, than a white person?