[john horscroft]

Sure this has had some coverage already, but no harm belabouring the point.  Absolutely crucial there is a big turnout for the open meeting so that the PDNPA are left in no doubt just how important Stanage is to the climbing community -

People who love the spectacular Stanage and North Lees landscape near Hathersage are invited to help refresh the vision for the estate.

The Peak District National Park Authority, which owns the 545-hectare estate, is issuing an open invitation to share ideas at a meeting on Saturday March 29, 2pm-5pm in Hathersage Memorial Hall.

The North Lees area, and in particular Stanage Edge, is tremendously popular with walkers, climbers and wildlife watchers. Last September the Authority voted unanimously to retain ownership of the estate as a public asset.

Now the Authority is working with the Stanage Forum, a voluntary group of local people and recreational users, and other interested parties to create a new management plan for the estate, of which the vision will be the first stage.

Mary Bagley, assistant director for enterprise and field services, who lives in Hathersage, said: “We’d encourage anyone who is interested in this beautiful area to come along and get involved in creating a new vision that will guide us over the next 10 years. Help us start this process off by giving us your suggestions.

“This estate is special to millions of people in many different ways – it has a world-class climbing edge, rich natural habitats, a working farm, woodlands, a campsite, historic buildings, archaeological sites and some of the most spectacular views in the UK.

“We want to hear why it is important to people, what issues they think the estate will face over the next 10 years, and how we can work together to sustain the estate environmentally, recreationally and financially to give it the best possible future.”

Hathersage Memorial Hall is in Oddfellows Road, postcode S32 1DU. Refreshments will be available and the meeting will be independently facilitated.

[Johnny Brown]

Bump, today 2pm. Damn weather.

[shark]

Short write up of this in the latest Peak Area newsletter

Stop Press: Stanage Forum

On Saturday 29 March, a public meeting was held in Hathersage by the PDNPA to 'help refresh the vision for the estate'.

They wanted to 'hear why it is important to people, what issues they think the estate will face over the next ten years, and how we can work together to sustain the estate environmentally, recreationally and financially to give it the best possible future'.

One cannot help thinking that, after 63 years of existence, the PDNPA really should know this already.

Wisely they had obtained the services of an external facilitator; the lack of trust drifted around the Hall like a bad smell.

Considerably fewer people attended than were at the BMC Peak Area meeting a few months ago,when Mary Bagley spoke for the PDNPA.

For the many who didn't attend but would like to contribute the PDNPA has set up a survey on a website at:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/Stanage-Vision



 

[danm]

Thanks for the link Simon, filled in the survey.

[shark]

Thanks for the link Simon, filled in the survey.

Nice one Dan 

Here's what I filled in:

Why is Stanage important to you?

I have climbed there for 30 years

Over the next ten years what are the issues that you think Stanage/North Lees will face?

Poor vision and poor management of the estate by the PDNP

How can the communities work together to support the sustainability of Stanage/North Lees?

Put together a credible plan of work and maintenance and link this to income generating activities as opposed to subsidising the tenant farmer and paying for the running of the PDNP and its officers

How might Stanage / North Lees generate funds?

Multiple ways are possible but without the trust that the money is being spent wisely it will be undermined

What are your thoughts on protecting Stanage/North Lees?

Preserving it as it is ie no development

What are the opportunities to encourage recreational use?

Better bus service and no parking charges

 

[Sloper]

The best way of raising money is to get a road traffic order, or what ever they're called that allows cars parked illegally to be ticketed and cahrge a reasonable amount for parking, the ££££ raised would allow for a subsidised bus service from Hathersage, maintainance of the estate and subsidy for the staff.

Ohh and for f--ks sake don't bleat about 'social inclusion' if you can afford to drive to the crag you can afford to pay £5 to park. 

It's not as if there are no other ways of getting to the crag (the walk from hathersage railway station isn't exactly Everest base camp) I've even heard of people riding to the crag and flashing hard boulder problems!

personally I'd prefer the whole lot was sold off to the highest bidder for grouse shooting, hunting proles with hounds and 4x4 off roading (hopefully by now you'll have twigged that the last sentence is a joke).

[danm]

Sloper, I'm actually in broad agreement with you on the parking side of it, except that the way things are shaping up, there is no guarantee that any income generated, whether it be from parking fees or any other source, will be spent on the estate in the way we as climbers would wish.

In a perfect world there would be a park and ride service using a small low emission bus going from a hub in Sheffield, past my house in the lentil belt of S7 and into the Peak, with routes to all the best places. Parking fees would be higher than the bus fare but not extortionate, so driving is still an option for when in a hurry or the weather is a bit sketchy and you may have to venue hop.

Nice pipe dream, what won't fly with me is a reduction in accessibility because of parking fees, if there is no discernible benefit to the park environment or a widening of access options.

[al]

the PDNP have added a stanage forum page on their site (which has the minutes from 1st nov meeting) http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/looking-after/projects-and-partnerships/stanage
while the two PDNP managers seemed sympathetic at the meeting, I got an uneasy feeling for the future of stanage, especially when the 'W1A' style word cloud worksheets appeared!