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PEAK AREA Diamond Slab, Cratcliffe. Photo: John Coefield. NEWSLETTER November 2018 [email protected] Rocking Chair but the weight of the vote says everything Rob Greenwood you need to know – that the membership has very much spoken as to the direction The AGM/quiz always they wish the organisation to go. Such a feels like a watershed unanimous vote really does speak volumes, moment in the Peak Area calendar: it’s even more so when you consider the record another year done/dusted, and this number of members casting their vote, and necessitates the formalities of the paves the way towards a brighter future. AGM, but here in the Peak we like a bit Other good news from 2018 comes in the of balance, which is why the quiz has form of our very own Lynn Robinson being become such a legendary affair – if only voted in not just as our President, but as our for the sheer levels of obscurity within! first female President. Lynn has been an active So, what are this year’s highlights? From member of the Peak Area for a great many my perspective, the unsurpassable moment years, serving her time as secretary, was seeing the June AGM vote so decisively volunteering on the guidebook committee, (92%) towards Option A. What this actually and playing an active part in build-up of the means (if you don’t know already) will take Women’s Development Group. Given these far more than a few paragraphs to explain, credentials I am sure that she’ll give her all, Next meeting: Wednesday 21 November, 7.30 p.m. The Maynard, Grindleford, S32 2HE not just to the organisation, but to the abandoned gear both on and off the crag; membership (which means you!). defecation and the like; dogs, particularly With all that in mind, thanks to everyone dogs off the lead; camp fires; damage to that has been involved over the past year – walls and fences; irresponsible wild camping; without you it wouldn’t be the same. noise; and badly parked cars. Nocturnal activity can be problematic too. Behaviour is the easiest thing for climbers and walkers to do something about, individually and Access News collectively. Conversely, things like litter Henry Folkard picks and agreed bird restrictions bring a lot of benefit. After about 20 years Volume comes next: a few people doing I am passing the access something quietly and unobtrusively generally rep’s baton on to others, except that goes under the radar and landowners are I will continue with the Eastern prepared to turn a blind eye. But when a Moors/Burbage, Sheffield Moors venue becomes hugely popular all of a Partnership and Kinder and High sudden – typically a new or developed Peak/Alport briefs for a bit longer – bouldering venue that gets a high profile on so please allow me a few random social media – problems mount.The reflections. enthusiasm is great, but if a venue gets blitzed When I started the first major thing to in the short term, come my way was CRoW mapping, which it creates access problems in the long term. involved a lot of work in a short time. Not It’s pretty well impossible to do anything long after there was foot and mouth, and about the other people problem unless there between the two of us, Dave Turnbull and is a respected representative body to work I managed to have some crags open every with, perhaps like mountain biking. This is a weekend except one. And so it went on. new and increasing sport, where learning That was then: what about now? Times respect for the countryside and other people change, and though there probably are not enjoying it in their own way is something novel significant generic problems for access now, for some enthusiasts. Ride Sheffield has done one can never become complacent. a great job here, both in respect of behaviour Current threats could be grouped under and route maintenance, and in using peer four headings.We can help ourselves more group pressure to encourage good behaviour. easily on the first two than on the last two. The problem is probably more acute in the The four headings are behaviour, north of the Peak than around Sheffield – but volume, other people and accessibility. the point is that what one recreation group Bad behaviour, and what is perceived to does impacts on others, both with regard to be bad behaviour, by climbers or walkers their access and their enjoyment. brings pressure to stop all access. This is the Where the other people are out for easiest option for disgruntled landowners, a rave, with drugs, loud music and the rest, and they may sometimes have good cause or just having a picnic and leaving litter to say ‘no’, and indeed may like to whenever and worse in water supplies, the problem they can. Things that can give us a bad name becomes more intractable. For the include: lack of respect for vegetation (there landowner, differentiating between who’s is a balance to be struck here); rubbish and who, and who is doing what, is not an 2 Peak Area Newsletter November 2018 option.The only option is to ban everyone was established, and is something we have had from everything as much as possible. to learn to live with, while ownership has Increasingly accessibility is an issue too. shifted from small farmers to conservation There may be open access, but getting to organisations.The move towards better it can be increasingly difficult, particularly environmental and landscape protection where responsible informal parking has been is something we must all support the norm but gets blocked off, whether with wholeheartedly, but sometimes one can some justification or through sheer bloody feel appreciation of people enjoying the mindedness, and there is no alternative. countryside and enjoying recreation can be There are different reactions to pay and lacking from those who have legislative clout display too, which is ever increasing. Some behind them. Similarly, there seems to be think it fair enough, but for others it is the an institutional resistance to working in antithesis of chilling out and getting away partnership with the recreation community from it all. Do you really want to get back by some government and non-government to your car and find a £60 fine waiting for organisations. The rhetoric slips glibly from you because you happened to go out for a the tongue, and is blazoned in glossy run and did not take a money belt full of documents, but the reality is otherwise. loose change with you? Lack of public People are part of the solution to countryside transport creates other difficulties too. management in challenging times, and not an It's all too easy to forget the sterlingly obstacle to its exclusivity that need to be good job the National Park Authority did fenced out and kept at arm’s length. in the early days on the national park in The work of access reps is as much negotiating access agreements, particularly proactive as reactive. It’s not just about solving on the moors, and the determined a problem when one arises, but also influencing campaigns by Sheffield Campaign for Access proposals and events so that the problem does to Moorland (SCAM), all of which have not arise in the first place. It might be a limited made our enjoyment easier. Likewise, at the problem regarding a specific crag or something time CRoW was going through parliament, with potential for major impact on future the BMC, largely through Tony Greaves in policy, or far-reaching decisions that may the House of Lords, with access reps Ian affect our passions and enjoyment. McMorrin and Bill Renshaw in support, was The Lawton Review coined the excellent instrumental in achieving improvements to mantra, in respect of the landscape and the legislation. There is much to be grateful wildlife,‘more, bigger, better, joined up’. for. Incidentally, word has just come through, Now, however, it increasingly seems that is as I write, that, put poetically, and in their in danger of being threatened by ‘less, smaller, own words, SCAM ‘will be wandering over worse, fragmented’. Thus, I think a role of the moors it campaigned for access to access reps has to be about being strategically before disappearing over the horizon into aware, and about informing events, rather the setting sun over Kinder Scout’. than being informed of them. That is one of Change in the ownership of land and my mantras, and the other is ‘Ours to care its statutory protection, particularly in the for’. The BMC has a significant membership, White Peak, has been significant over the and its members’ voices need to be heard. years. Statutory environmental protection – So, after I think about 96 consecutive SSSIs, SPAs, SACs, Red Data Lists, Schedules written reports to Peak Area meetings, I can to Acts – has been introduced since climbing mostly take a break, except for those items http://community.thebmc.co.uk/peak 3 I mentioned at the start. Looking back, major That’s about it from me. items after CRoW and foot and mouth have Friends of the been Stanage, Longstone Edge, Horseshoe, Dark Peak Nature Improvement Area, Peak District establishment of the Eastern Moors Magnificent Walk 2019 Partnership, the Peak Local Access Forum, Booking is now open for Friends of the Peak Aldery, Green Lane controversies, the Alport District’s annual fundraising challenge event Project, management arrangements for the which will take place on Saturday 13 April. Roaches, the A628 Public Inquiry, High Peak The 2019 walk will start and finish at Tegg’s MoorsVision and Plan, countless plans of one Nose Country Park and explore some of sort or another from the national park, Rights the finest walking in Cheshire with stunning of Way Improvement Plans, a series of Summit views.