A British National Park Dartmoor

A British National Park – The Lake District The Lake District is one of the 13 designated National Parks in England and Wales.

They have 3 main aims: - To preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area - To provide facilities for the visitors to help their enjoyment - To protect the interests of the local people and their lives

 Since their introduction, National Parks have been the subject of conflicting uses, which has only been increased by the rising numbers of tourists who visit the areas. Apart from the tourists, other people who have an interest in the parks include local farmers, local residents, the MOD, the Forestry Commission, the National Trust and the Water Board. The Lake District is an example of a national park where many of these users have come into conflict.  The Lake District plays host to over 8 million visitors every year. Most of these visitors come to enjoy the mountain and Lakeland scenery, to walk, to mountain bike, to sail, etc.

Some of the problems encountered on The Lake District include:  Farmers use the land for grazing their sheep, and quickly get very annoyed when they have flocks disturbed by dogs that have been let loose by their owners out for a walk. Farmers also get upset when walkers leave gates open and jump over the fragile stone walls, causing damage.  The huge tourist numbers puts great pressures on the narrow roads found all over the Lake District. The National parks Authority has introduced car parks and information centres to try to concentrate the visitors to certain areas, whilst protecting others. Car parks also prevent the problems found in some villages of tourists parking their cars on the grassy verges.  “Honeypot” sites, such as Bowness on Windermere, attract a massive amount of visitors, creating problems of parking, water pollution, footpath erosion and littering.  The increase in recreation activities such as mountain biking, water sports and hang-gliding has put pressure on the natural resources of the area. The facilities for tourists have also come under pressure as more and more people come to the area.

 The RAF uses the mountain valleys to practise their flying. The aircraft create a horrific sound.

 Mining has always had a place in the Lake District. The mountains are full of valuable stones to use for building – slate. Mining may create jobs and is good for the local economy, yet it causes an eye- sore and noise and dust pollution. The large lorries cause congestion on the small rural roads.

Solutions ? (To achieve sustainable development in tourism one needs solutions to the problems caused…) Solutions have been attempted, such as promoting widespread visitor locations, introducing more tourist facilities and restricting where people can and cannot walk or can and cannot do their other outdoor activities. Reduce the number of people in certain areas. These have been reasonably successful in protecting the area. Where numbers of users cannot be decreased, solutions have had to be introduced to cope with the wear and tear – e.g. stone footpaths on over-walked mountain trails (Sca Fell Pike) or no motor boats on some of the lakes (Coniston Water).