Are you interested in access and recreation in Northumberland?

The Northumberland National Park and County Joint Local Access Forum (JLAF) is the independent statutory body that provides advice to Northumberland National Park Authority, Northumberland County Council and Natural England on how to make the countryside more accessible and enjoyable. The JLAF is looking to recruit some new members for the period 2010 – 2011 with membership starting on 1 May 2010 and lasting for three years.

Applications are welcome from all members of the public in Northumberland – countryside and urban areas alike - who are genuinely interested in, and aware of, country side and access issues, and who have an interest in, or knowledge/expertise in areas such as recreation such as cycling, riding and walking and other areas such as sports, ‘Green exercise’, nature conservation, ecology, health and well-being, ‘access for all’, education, tourism or land matters (including managing, ownership and occupation) and the impact of climate change.

To make sure that access is relevant and available to groups who visit the countryside less often and who have a stake in the future of access to our countryside, the JLAF is particularly keen to receive applications from young people, people with disabilities, people living in urban areas and people from ethnic backgrounds. There is no upper age limit but the minimum age is 18.

Amongst this year’s activities, the JLAF has consulted on various documents including the National Park Management Plan, the Long Term role of the Public Forest Estate in England, various aspects of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, the DEFRA Circular on National Parks and the Broads, and continues its involvement with the delivery of the County Council’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan.

The JLAF has held four meetings this year- at Stannington looking at Audience Development in the National Park which included presentations from *MOSAIC and *LEADER; at Slaley looking at the County’s consultation on parts of Slaley Forest and Blanchland Moor; at Alston where they looked at developing trails and routes and the ‘Living North Pennines’ project and in Hexham where they met representatives from the Tyne River Trust and looked at issues affecting various users of inland water. A great deal more worthwhile work awaits new members in the coming year.

An application pack is available from: www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/jlafvacancies with a closing date of 15 March or contact the JLAF Administrator on Tel: 01434 605 555 and email: jlaf@nnpa.org.uk. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 31 March in Hexham.

Contacts:

Marion Hume, JLAF Administrator
Northumberland National Park Authority
Tel: 01434 611 550
Email: jlaf@nnpa.org.uk

Frances Whitehead, Communications Officer
Northumberland National Park Authority

Email: communications@nnpa.org.uk
Telephone: 01434 611542
Fax: 01434 611692