THE LAKE DISTRICT

RURAL LAND USE CONFLICTS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

LITHOSPHERE

HIGHER GEOGRAPHY CfE

Within this unit you will need to understand the following:

You must be able to “give detailed descriptions and detailed explanations of a complex issue in a physical environment.”

When linked to this topic this means you should be able to describe and explain the;

omain land uses found in the Lake Districtoconflicts that exist between these different land usersomanagement strategies used to try and reduce conflictsoeffectiveness these strategies – (ie. how well do they work!!

SUCCESS CRITERIA

LOCATION

• North West England, Cumbria

• Mountains, moors, woodlands, lakes and coastline.

• England’s highest peak Scaffell Pike (3210ft), and deepest Lake Wastwater (243ft)

• The Lake District National Park is the largest, covering an area of 2292 square kilometres.

• Approximately 12million people visit the Lake District each year.

• 42,000 people live within the national park.

LAKE DISTRICT

LAND USES IN THE LAKE

DISTRICT

FARMINGA combination of steep slopes rendering machinery unsuitable, poorer soils and an unsuitable rainy/cloudy/cool climateon the hills make for impossible conditions to grow and ripen crops. Cattle can only graze on the valley floors. BUT, certain hardy breeds of sheep can tolerate the weather and are sure-footed animals so they can climb the hills and feed off the poorer rough grazing land. This provides farmers with an income and produces valuable food (meat) and wool (much of the Lake District wool is used for making carpets)

TOURISM AND RECREATION

oTake part in a variety of recreational opportunities such as hill-walking, rambling, abseiling, climbing, sailing, cycling, fishing (angling), bird-watching.oSee the beautiful scenery – mountains, lakes, nature, features such as waterfalls, arêtes, corries, farming landscapes like dry stone walls.oVisit the villages/towns – unique architecture, museums, shops etc. oTake part in educational trips

FORESTRY•several forests here managed by the Forestry Commission (eg. Ennerdale Forest) because;oTrees can be grown on the (lower) slopes, even in the thinner poorer soils. oThere is plenty of rainfall to help the trees grow.oForests take up large areas of land and many of the slopes have limited other uses – they produce wood – a valuable economic resource, and provide jobs.oBONUS: Trees also help bind the soil on the slopes so reduce landslides.

WATER SUPPLYwater companies own and manage 2 man-made reservoirs (Thirlmere and Haweswater) to provide water parts of northwest England (eg. Manchester) because;oThey are in glacial valleys so were easy to dam and create into reservoirs.oHigh rainfall drains off the surrounding hills (fells) filling the reservoirs.oThe rock beneath is impermeable so water won’t drain away.oThe more remote location makes for a less polluted water supply.

MILITARY•the remote location and terrain offer great opportunities for ‘realistic’military training;oRAF Spadeadam near the Lake District practice low flying of military jets over the mountainous terrain and lakes.oThe Army has training bases and carry out many training exercises in the mountainous areas o(eg. Afghanistan is a mountainous country!).

• RENEWABLE ENERGY – the landscape has great potential for creating Wind Farms and HEP because;• The high exposed fells mean wind is unobstructed to turn the

turbines and the hills offer the large amounts of space required for wind farms.

• The hanging valleys can be dammed to create reservoirs to store water and then pipes down the valley side can provide the ‘drop’ needed to turn turbines and generate hydro-electric power. Due to high rainfall throughout the year the reservoirs would be continually topped up.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

NAMED EXAMPLESLEARN THESE

FOR TOP

MARKS

•)

WATER SUPPLY –reservoirs = Thirlmere and Haweswater to provide water parts of northwest England (eg. Manchester)

FORESTRY – several forests here managed by the Forestry Commission (eg. Ennerdale Forest)

MILITARY – the remote location and terrain offer great opportunities for ‘realistic’ military training;RAF Spadeadam

TOURISM – Windermere, Ambleside (REMEMBER THESE TWO PLACES for all tourism related conflicts)

IMPACT OF

TOURSIM

IMPACT OF TOURISM

TASKCREATE A MINDMAP OF WHAT YOU THINK THE IMPACT OF TOURISM

WOULD BE IN THE LAKE DISTRICT

1. TRAFFIC / TRANSPORT ISSUES

TRY LINK BACK TO THE URBAN UNIT WHERE WE LOOKED AT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT THIS WILL HELP YOU WHEN YOU NEED TO THINK UP OF VARIOUS TRAFFIC ISSUES

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER

• TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE

(with Cumbria Council, Cumbria Tourist Board)

• REFER TO NAMED EXAMPLES OF AREAS

(see list given in earlier slide)

•Local National Park Authority use signage encouraging tourist traffic to be move along managed ‘tourist routes’. •The development of Honey-pot areas (eg.Windermere/Ambleside)have been encouraged to attract tourists to specific areas (so they can be managed) and to protect more remote places from the worst effects of tourism.

•Traffic calming measures have been implemented in main honey pot towns. For example, in Ambleside a one-way street system now operates. •Double yellow lines also forbid parking in dangerous areas and fines are imposed.•In many villages •Putting concrete borders at the sides of some roads hinders cars from parking on the verges •(egAmbleside/Grasmere/Hawkshead) tourists are directed to car parks built on the edge of the village.

In small villages near Tarn Hows locals have permits to park outside houses but other cars are restricted. Car parking fees are charged daily (eg £2 per hour) to encourage public transport use/discourage all day parking at honeypot areas.Keswick (at the top of Lake Windermere) has had the town centre pedestrianised and a bypass for traffic going North from the town has been created.

•The National Park Authority strongly encourages visitors to use public transport by making services cheaper and reliable eg. subsidising the ‘Langdale Rambler’ bus. The ‘Give the Driver a Break’ and ‘Car Free – Carefree’ Schemes encourage the benefits of public transport.•The TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE with Cumbria Council and Cumbria Tourist Board have provided safe routes for cycling and walking in the Elterwater and Under Loughrigg area near Ambleside. It is hoped that by making these routes safer, it should encourage people to use their cars less.

•Park and Ride Schemes in conjunction with the Windermere Lake Cruises operate between Ambleside, Bowness and Lakeside.

• Cars/coaches can park at ONE location in facilities by the pier and ride the boat to see the sights at the other locations. •This helps to reduce the number of cars moving on the busy roads along Lake Windermere

FOOTPATH EROSIONSurveys have shown over 80% of visitors to the Lake District go walking which means footpaths on hills like Helvelyn and Scafell Pike are under great pressure from erosion. Events such as the 3 Peaks Challenge can see large numbers ascend and descend Scafell Pike in large numbers. Once vegetation gets worn away the soil is open to the weather and erosion. Also, walkers will then move onto the grass verges of the path to avoid the mud, eroding the paths even wider. Walkers can also erode farmer’s fields in the same way if they do not stick to established paths.

• Tourists and recreational users often bring food, drinks etc with them and unfortunately some litter gets dropped on the fells, fields or villages. It costs money and time to collect, creates a smelly and unsightly mess, and is a danger to local wildlife if they try to eat it.

• Signage put up by the National Park Authority asks visitors to put their litter in the bins provided in the villages where it is easier to collect. However, in some more remote areas eg Tarn Hows, the National Park authorities have actually taken bins away and now encourage visitors to take their litter home with them.

• Fines can also be implemented for those caught dropping litter. These measures help reduce but not eliminate litter. The National Park rangers or other voluntary organisations often need to organise litter picks

LITTER

HOUSING COMPETITIVE MARKED FOR

SECOND TIME BUYERS One impact of the increased use of the car and more recently the rise of cheap domestic air travel means more people can afford to buy a second house in the country in scenic villages eg. Windermere, Grasmere. Overall 15% of housing stock in the Lake District is a second home but in many villages this figure is far higher.

If the percentage is over 20% some worry it can limit the sustainability of the village because local businesses and services suffer.

For example, many weekend visitors bring food and supplies with them from the city.

Local people, especially the young ones, may have to move away causing depopulation because average house prices often outstrip what they can afford to pay on local wages and reduced services may mean less local jobs

SOLUTIONS TO HOUSING CRISIS

•To control the number of second homes purchased in 2003 a reduction in holiday home council tax discount was introduced but research conducted showed this had little impact.•To help reduce this problem any new developments must be passed by the National Park Authority and Local Councils and require some houses to be made at affordable prices and there are restrictions on who can buy them – eg. must live/work in the National Park. In May 2011, 14 new affordable rental homes for locals were completed in Coniston village by the Eden Housing Association after several years of campaigning by the Coniston Affordable Housing Group. This scheme has been upheld as a success for community collaboration

EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF TOURISM ON A COASTAL OR GLACIATED LANDSCAPE YOU

HAVE STUDIED

(4 MARKS)

EXAM QUESTION

TOP TIP:FOR FULL MARKS, MAKE SURE YOU USE YOUR NAMED EXAMPLES.

START YOUR ANSWER.THE GLACIATED AREA I HAVE STUDIED IS THE LAKE DISTRICT………..

THE COASTAL AREA I HAVE STUDIED IS DORSET COAST………….

THIS

QUESTION

COULD COME

UP AS A

COASTAL OR

GLACIATION

QUESTION

CONFLICTS

CASE STUDY: LAKE DISTRICTWITHIN THIS SECTION YOU WILL BE

ASKED ABOUT CONFLICTS AND SOLUTIONS TO THESE CONFLICTS……

REMEMBER TO INCLUDE NAMED EXAMPLES IN YOUR ANSWER

27

You need to be able to say in what way/s the different users might conflict with

each other.

A conflict is not the same as a problem; a conflict has two sides, one for each user.

He’s spoiling my

time because

he’s doing….

He’s spoiling my time because

he’s doing….

Problems Solutions

Walkers leave gates openFarmers display 'keep gate closed' signs

Dogs chase sheepPark rangers are employed to prevent problems by encouraging responsible tourism

Stone walls are damaged

Voluntary bodies, such as the National Trust, protect areas by buying land and buildings, and maintaining walls and footpaths

Farmers may restrict access to walkers at certain times, eg lambing season

Park rangers liaise with different land users to minimise problems

Noise disturbs animalsVisitor centre staff aim to educate the public about the 'Countryside Code/Outdoor Access Code'

CONFLICT 1: FARMERS V TOURISTS

CONFLICT 2: LOCALS V LAKE USERS 1. Noisy activities: Conflict between different users of the Lake developed because many groups were annoyed with the noisy activities such as jet skiing and power boating. 2. Scaring wildlife: People fishing argued the jet skiers scared away the fish. A rapid rise in the number of boats using the Lake by the 2000’s gained complaints from environmentalists saying they ruined the tranquillity and eroded the lake’s edges (nesting sites for waterfowl) due to the increased wash (waves) hitting the shore. 3. Safety and Pollution: Others had concerns over safety issues due to the speed some boats travelled at. Water pollution from oil off boat engines was also a concern.

SOLUTIONS?•After much debate in 2005 a by-law was passed to reduce the speed limit to 10mph on the Lake. •This reduces noise and makes the Lake more pleasant for most users.• Local businesses that provided services for jetskiers and motorboats users have had to diversify into other services or risk losing business.•Environmentally sensitive electric boats can now be hired at the National Park Boating Centre.

TYPICAL EXAM QUESTION FOR THIS SECTION….

a) EXPLAIN the land use conflicts that have occurred

b) EVALUATE the management strategies taken to resolve these conflicts

HOMEWORK BOOKLET – EXAM PAPER C

MODEL ANSWER…… SPECIEMEN PAPERS

ADD IN YOUR OWN NAMED EXAMPLES OF AREAS YOU KNOW IN THE LAKE DISTICT…… THIS IS

JUST A GUIDE!

1. TRAFFIC CONGESTION is a problem due to tourist attraction such as……………., as large numbers of visitors arrive on narrow country roads, inconveniencing local residents and businesses.

2. Heavy traffic has caused damage to smaller country roads, resulting in an increase in the number of pot holes, which is costly to repair for local councils……(NAME THE COUNCIL)

3. VISUAL POLLUTION is an issue: New developments such as ………. Threaten to reduce visitor numbers as tourists complain about the impact on the landscape

4. FOOTPATH EROSION ………

5. NEW WIND FARMS in ……….. Cause concern to environmental groups with regard to the damage to wildlife habitat during construction and the risk to damage rare birds (Mrs Carruthers)….

6. SECOND HAND HOMES in ……… puts pressure on locals to afford houses

NEXT…….

TELL THE EXAMINER THE SOLUTIONS TO THESE

CONFLICTS!!!!

WRITE UP A

MODEL

ANSWER FOR

YOURSELF

USE YOUR NOTES

• SOLUTIONS TO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS in the Lake District was ………….

• Improvements in walking paths to combat footpath erosion

• Voluntary bodies, such as the National Trust, protect areas by buying land and buildings, and maintaining walls and footpaths

• After much debate in 2005 a by-law was passed to reduce the speed limit to 10mph on the Lake.

• Environmentally sensitive electric boats can now be hired at the National Park Boating Centre.

• To help reduce this problem any new developments must be passed by the National Park Authority and Local Councils and require some houses to be made at affordable prices and there are restrictions on who can buy them – eg. must live/work in the National Park.

If you missed any notes.. Check out www.sahsgeo.wikispaces.com for notes