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Draft Spring 2007 journal.qxd 28/02/2007 12:41 Page 1 Countryside Recreation Network Sheffield Hallam University Unit 10 Sheffield Science Park Howard Street Front page photograph credited to Countryside Sheffield S1 2LX Access and Activities Network T: 0114 225 4494 F: 0114 225 2197 E: [email protected] Exchanging and sharing information to develop best policy and practice in countryside recreation Draft Spring 2007 journal.qxd 28/02/2007 12:42 Page 2 ISSN 0968-459X Volume 15 Number 1 Spring 2007 Countryside Recreation This issue... 'Water Recreation' • Coastal and Marine National Parks in Scotland • Developing Canoe Trails in Northern Ireland • Swimming in the City • Scottish Access Rights on Inland Waterways• Canoe Access - How to get access to new stretches of water • Where Do All The Walkers Go? • How Can Land Managers Reconcile Conservation with Recreation • An Environmentally Sustainable Visitor Centre • Agency Profile - Scottish Executive • Response Section • News • Summary of Latest CRN Events • Forthcoming CRN Events • Publications Exchanging and sharing information to develop best policy and practice in countryside recreation Draft Spring 2007 journal.qxd 28/02/2007 12:43 Page 3 Countryside Recreation Network (CRN) Countryside Recreation Editorial Policy CRN is a network which: Countryside Recreation is the journal of the Countryside Recreation • covers the UK and the Republic of Ireland Network. The purpose of the journal is to act as an exchange for sharing • gives easy access to information on countryside and related recreation information, ideas and practical solutions that promotes best policy and matters practice in countryside recreation across the UK and Ireland. Countryside • reaches organisations and individuals in the public, private and Recreation is free and is published three times a year. We welcome articles voluntary sectors networks thousands of interested people and letters from all readers. The editorial policy for the journal is to provide a platform for a fair and honest discussion on issues relating countryside The Network helps the work of agencies and individuals in three areas: recreation. Research: Articles will be accepted from anyone from the Network organisations and to encourage co-operation between members in identifying and promoting other organisations and individuals who wish to share their knowledge, the need for research related to countryside recreation, to encourage joint research findings, practical experiences or promote policies and strategies ventures in undertaking research, and to disseminate information about in the provision and management of access, recreation, sport and active members' recreation programmes. tourism. Liaison: The Journal is not a lobbying or campaigning platform. We will not accept to promote information exchange relating to countryside recreation, and to articles that are defamatory and potentially libellous. Rights of reply will be foster general debate about relevant trends and issues. offered when organisations' actions are brought into question. Good Practice: The Response section is used to enable comments to be made on specific to share information to develop best practice through training and articles. Articles offered for this section may be edited for length. professional development in provision for and management of countryside recreation. The journal is managed by the CRN Network Manager and guided by an editorial panel made up of representatives from organisations in the Chair: Geoff Hughes Network. The editorial panel and CRN Network Manager reserve the right Vice-chair: John Watkins, Countryside Council for Wales to reject articles; and curtail discussion on specific subjects if the panel feel that the issues have been appropriately and satisfactorily dealt with. We For more information, please contact: will always discuss with authors the reason for rejecting articles. Network Manager The CRN Network Manager will commission articles related to the specific Countryside Recreation Network themes that are part of each journal. We will also accept articles on a Sheffield Hallam University range of subjects for each issue but they must be related to the business of Unit 10 the Network members' remits. Sheffield Science Park The Summer journal will be based on the theme of ‘Consuming the Howard Street Countryside’. Sheffield If you would like to submit an article or a news item for consideration by S1 2LX the Editorial Board, please email the document in word format to the Tel: 0114 225 4494 Network Manager ([email protected]). Fax: 0114 225 2197 Please note the following submission deadline dates: Email: [email protected] Articles for editorial board consideration to be submitted by 20th April 2007. Commissioned articles to be submitted by 18th May 2007. Visit CRN on the Internet! News items to be submitted by 8th June 2007, See our home page at: www.countrysiderecreation.org.uk Chair of Editorial Panel: Jo Burgon, The National Trust Exchanging and sharing information to develop best policy and practice in countryside recreation Draft Spring 2007 journal.qxd 28/02/2007 12:44 Page 4 'Countryside Recreation' is provided free by the following organisations to promote good Contents practice: CRN Contact Details and Editorial Policy Editorial 2 Coastal and Marine National Parks in Scotland 3 Graham Neville and Ashleigh Tooth, Scottish Natural Heritage Canoe Access - How to get access to new stretches of water 7 Roger Goulding, Environment Agency Scottish Access Rights on Inland Water 10 Mike Dales, Scottish Canoe Association Developing Canoe Trails in Northern Ireland 14 Matt Peach, Countryside Access and Activities Network (NI) Swimming in the City 17 Terry Eakin Where Do All the Walkers Go? 19 Nic Bullivant, Cairngorm Ranger Service An Environmentally Sustainable Visitor Centre 23 Rachel Datlen, Worcestershire County Council How Can Land Managers Reconcile Conservation with Recreation 25 Martin Fitton, PROGRESS Project and Emma Stevens, Forestry Commission Agency Profile - Scottish Executive 26 Response Section 28 News 29 Summary of latest CRN seminars 39 CRN Events Diary 40 Publications 41 Countryside Recreation goes out to over 2900 individuals working in the field of countryside recreation, tourism and leisure. If you would like to have a flier or advert distributed with the journal, please contact the Network Manager for further details and pricing policy. Countryside Recreation Volume 15 Number 1 Spring 2007 1 Draft Spring 2007 journal.qxd 28/02/2007 12:44 Page 5 Editorial Glenn Millar, British Waterways Welcome to the Spring 2007 issue of the CRN Journal. The main theme of this issue is water recreation, with a particular focus on canoeing, coastal and marine national parks and swimming in cities. Graham Neville and Ashleigh Tooth outline the challenges Swimming in waters such as rivers and canals is often in developing coastal and marine National Parks and the actively discouraged for safety reasons. However Terry approach being taken in Scotland, which has led to the Eakin explains the delights of outdoor swimming in identification of five areas as strong candidates for Winter (brrrrr!) and shows that opportunities exist for designation. Research undertaken in conjunction with swimming in safe outdoor environments even within our the designation process emphasises the strong links largest cities. between recreational activity and the marine environment. However the paucity of research in this important sector This issue is rounded off by a few of articles of more is emphasised. general interest. Nic Bullivant describes a new approach to visitor monitoring, using satellite tracking to plot the The articles by Roger Goulding and Mike Dales outline routes people take across the wide open spaces of the the contrasting approaches being taken in England and Cairngorms. The approach shows that people tend to Scotland respectively to open up more access to rivers for keep to recognised routes and don’t wander off into the canoeing. In England the way forward is seen to be trackless wastes. It would be interesting to see if a through voluntary agreements. Roger Goulding discusses similar situation holds in other areas, particularly in the conclusions of pilot work on four rivers to secure moorlands opened up by the access legislation in voluntary access agreements, although an alternative England and Wales. Then Rachel Datlen describes the vision of access, based on statutory rights, is put forward creation of a sustainable visitor centre in Worcestershire. in the response section by Stuart Fisher of Paddlers Of particular interest is the process to select catering International. In Scotland such a statutory approach has tenants to meet the ethical standards set by the County existed since 2003, based on rights and responsibilities. Council. Finally Martin Fitton and Emma Stevens explain Mike Dales explains how access opportunities are being the benefits of trans-national working to develop new developed and how responsible attitudes and behaviour is techniques for managing the relationship between being promoted. Matt Peach, in his article on the recreation and nature conservation in forests. development of canoe trails in Northern Ireland, outlines a positive approach to developing canoeing and the associated economic benefits that arise. By encouraging Glenn Millar canoeists to follow particular routes, environmental British Waterways damage can be minimised, while the opportunity can be taken to promote responsible canoeing. 2 Exchanging and sharing