Managing the National Park Together
We have a vision for Northumberland National Park that we share with the many people who helped us to develop our latest Management Plan.
‘Northumberland National Park will be a truly welcoming and distinctive place, easily accessible to all. It’s natural and cultural assets will be widely recognised and valued, and its living, working landscape will contribute positively to the well-being of the thriving and vibrant communities in and around it.’
The Plan will guide the work and decisions to 2014 and beyond, not only of Northumberland National Park Authority, but of every organisation that has an impact on the landscape, wildlife, communities, cultural heritage and welcome of the National Park. It was developed over two years of joint working and discussion to ensure that a wide range of people and bodies had the opportunity to contribute.
In October 2009, the partners of the National Park came together to sign up to helping to achieve the Management Plan’s goals for the future. In essence these are:
- We want everyone who visits the National Park, including children and the less able, to feel warmly welcomed and to have an exceptional experience of the landscape.
- There will be more opportunities for adults and children to learn about, understand and contribute to the well-being of the National Park.
- We will conserve the distinctiveness of the National Park - its views, tranquillity and pure water, its wildlife, heritage and deeply-rooted cultural identity.
- We will encourage farmers and land managers to work sustainably using both new and traditional techniques and support the growth of viable businesses that make sensitive use of the natural and cultural heritage of the area.
- We want the communities in and around the National Park to feel a strong connection to it and be fully involved in shaping its future. We will support them in gaining the services and facilities they need to be socially and economically active and able to offer a high quality of living and working.
- We want everyone to understand and value the environmental, social and economic benefits that Northumberland National Park brings to North East England and the country as a whole.
A response to climate change
Northumberland National Park will be playing a major role in the national response to climate change and rural regeneration. The Authority will aim to stimulate change in individual energy consumption by setting an example with its own carbon-reducing activity and public information. Over time, we want to see carbon-saving practices becoming commonplace and a variety of renewable technologies becoming the principal source of energy in communities throughout the National Park. Check how we're getting on
College in the Park
The landscape of the National Park has been shaped by rural business activity over the centuries. To keep that living landscape in peak condition communities, families and businesses need to be able to survive and thrive from one year to the next. The National Park can contribute in several ways, including with the development of a College in the Park, to help retain and increase the skills available locally in farming, forestry, traditional building and tourism by using the Park as a training resource.Check how we're getting on
Working in Partnership
Tony Gates, Chief Executive of the National Park Authority explained the importance of working in partnership with all stakeholders to achieve the goals: “This is a plan to enable the partners to make a real difference for the future. The goal is that a generation hence, this National Park will be celebrated for demonstrating the benefits of becoming a truly sustainable living and working part of the country.”
Rob Aubrook, Natural England’s North East Regional Director, supported Tony’s aims, he said: “Having a healthy natural environment is indispensible to current and future economic prosperity in the North East, and Natural England welcomes this ambitious and forward-thinking Management Plan for Northumberland National Park. We congratulate everyone involved in drawing up the Plan for showing the vision and leadership that sets the standard in the North East that others will follow.
“Our natural environment provides a huge range of benefits to society and Northumberland National Park is one of the North East’s most important natural assets. Promoting access, recreation, public well-being and sustainable land management for the benefit of today’s and future generations is central to the work of both our organisations, and Natural England looks forward to working closely with the National Park Authority to turn this important Plan into positive and practical action on the ground.”
Speaking on behalf of Government Office of the North East, Fiona Gough, Deputy Regional Director of Environment said: "The National Park is leading the way in how it supports local communities who live withinthe fantastic landscape of Northumberland National Park, ensuring that this superb asset remains well-managed for future generations."
The National Park Authority and its partners have already begun to put the Management Plan into action through joint projects with, for example, the Forestry Commission, in restoring the Border Mires, and with the Environment Agency and others in Cheviot Futures - an initiative committed to providing practical solutions to the challenges communities face from the effects of climate change. The Authority itself has introduced new development control policies; attracted exterior funding to the region for rural regeneration, and has structured its local area teams to advise and support farmers, communities and businesses on the ground.
