Land Use Conflicts in the Peak District National Park
Types of Land Use
Conflicts
Finding Solutions
Points to Consider

Land Use Conflicts In the Peak District National Park

The main purposes of the Peak District National Park Authority are:

1. To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park.
2. To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities.

The Authority also has a duty 'to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the Park'.

Inevitably there are situations whereby people either living, visiting or working in the Park wish to use the land for activities that contradict these purposes.  Balancing the needs of the natural environment, society and the economy can be difficult and conflicts can easily arise that the Authority must try to resolve.

Conservation needs

Moorland - Many protected species. Vegetation easily eroded.
Limestone Dales - Wide varieties of plant species, insects, butterflies.
Old buildings - close to narrow streets. Archaeological sites. Picturesque fragile landscape.

Community needs

Villagers - need shops, services, schools, transport, jobs.
Farmers - need to protect stock, improve grassland, increase herds.
Quarries - need to acquire more land, transport products.

Recreation needs

Walking - footpaths, open moorland.
Climbing - access to gritstone edges.
Facilities for visitors - in beauty spots and villages e.g. car parks, toilets. Information.

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Types of Land Use

Farming

There are 1,800 farms in the Peak District National Park. Most of these farms are small - less than 40 hectares (100 acres). Some of them are farmed by tenants of large landowners, such as the Duke of Devonshire or the Duke of Rutland. Others are privately owned.

Around 46% of the National Park is improved pasture: much of the rest of the Park provides rough grazing - mostly the 32% of the Park which is moorland. Areas of the moorland are managed for grouse but a good deal is also used for grazing sheep. Dairy farming is most common in the limestone areas and in the lower river valleys where the land is not so exposed and the grass is richer.

All of the Peak District National Park is a Less Favoured Area under EC classifications and so qualifies for special grants and subsidies. Productivity is poor because much of the land is 300 metres or more above sea level, temperatures are low (a summer average is around 11-12 °C) and so the growing season is very short.

In 1984 the amount of milk that farmers could produce was controlled. This milk quota for each farm has been cut again since then and this has meant that dairy farmers have diversified into sheep and beef farming. The abolition of the Milk Marketing Board in 1994 is leading to changes in milk production in the Park.

Water Supply

The reservoirs of the Peak District National Park supply 450 million litres of water a day to the many towns and cities that surround it.

There are no natural lakes in the Park, but its relatively high rainfall (average 100 cm per year) and many shale valleys, make it very suitable for water gathering.

There are 55 reservoirs of over 2 hectares within the Park. The largest area of reservoirs is in the Upper Derwent valley with Ladybower, Derwent and Howden reservoirs covering 340 hectares. Other important reservoirs are in the Goyt Valley (Fernilee, Errwood) and in Upper Longdendale.

There are a number of walking and riding routes around the reservoirs. The large water catchment area owned by the Water Companies (15% of the National Park) was originally needed to control water quality. Improved water treatment methods mean such a high degree of control is no longer needed. This fact and the establishment of the private Water Companies has resulted in changes in the land use of these areas to a focus on conservation and recreation.

Most of the Peak District National Park is privately owned, the National Trust being the largest land owner (12%). Only 5% of the Park is owned by the National Park Authority.

Mineral Extraction

There are 10 main quarries and several mines within the Peak District National Park, most of which have been operating since before the National Park was formed. There is also a fluorspar processing plant at Cavendish Mill and the Blue Circle cement works at Hope.

Limestone Quarrying

This is the biggest mineral industry with an output of over 4.7 million tonnes (in 1999). The largest quarries are Tunstead / Old Moor (owned by Buxton Lime Industries Ltd), a subsidiary of Minorco (formerly owned by ICI): Ballidon (owned by Tilcon) and Topley Pike (owned by Tarmac).

Much Derbyshire limestone is very pure (high in calcium carbonate). It can be argued that its use for road building is an extravagant waste of a valuable and rare asset.

Limestone from within the Peak District is used as follows:

Gritstone

Gritstone is quarried on Stanton Moor and at Stoke Hall, Grindleford. It is used mainly in building.

Fluorspar

Veins of minerals that occur in Carboniferous Limestone are made up of galena (lead ore), fluorspar, barytes and calcite. Fluorspar is now the most important of these minerals and about 70% of the UK production of fluorspar comes from within the Peak District National Park. It is extracted from lead mine spoilheaps or by underground or opencast mining. The main underground mine is Milldam Mine at Great Hucklow, with further underground mining on Longstone Edge and opencast mining on Bradwell moor.

Laportes process about 400,000 tonnes of ore annually at the Cavendish Mill plant to produce about 80,000 tonnes of acid grade (high quality) fluorspar. In fact 98% of fluorspar of this quality comes from the Peak District.

Woodlands

About 8% of the Peak District National Park is woodland of 3 types:

• Conifer plantations in shale-grit valleys, often around reservoirs.
• Small plantations or spinnies on enclosed farmland, usually broadleaved or mixed.
• Semi-natural woodland on limestone dales, higher gritstone valleys and moorland fringes.
  

The Park Authority manages 4.7% of woodland in 100 blocks and is also encourages others to manage their woodland.

Military Use

Warslow Moors Estate and Eastern Moors Estate (Totley Rifle Range) are used for military training. An agreement with the Ministry of Defence limits damage to these areas. Wilder areas are used by the army for adventure training. Ramshaw Rocks, the Roaches, Stanage and Birchen Edge (all owned by the Park Authority) are used for climbing instruction under license arrangements. Low flying training takes place over the Park.

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Conflicts

Conflicts about the use of land obviously arise. Below are some examples of such conflicts and how the National Park Authority attempts to resolve them.

1. Conflict - conservation and farming

Intensive farming reduces the diversity of grassland wildlife (through fertilising, ploughing and reseeding) and can pollute the water supply (through the use of chemicals and farmyard slurry). Extensive farming reduces the need for drystone walls that are of landscape and historic interest, and which may then be neglected or removed.

The Way Forward .....

The Authority's Farm Conservation Scheme encourages farmers to manage land in traditional ways that compliment the National Park Authority's own conservation aims. It also co-ordinates schemes to provide grants for conservation work.

2. Conflict - water supply, recreation and conservation

There is a great demand for water sports facilities on the many reservoirs in the Park. However, recreational use may pose a threat to the purity of the water supply as well as to the conservation of wildlife and landscape. Farming around reservoirs may also cause pollution through the use of chemicals and through farmyard slurry and silage making.

The Way Forward .....

The Authority limits recreation to fishing on 12 reservoirs, sailing on 5 reservoirs and occasional water ski-ing on the Longdendale Reservoir. Past applications for a further sailing club on Ladybower Reservoir have been turned down. The use of power boats is generally restricted to rescue vessels.

3. Conflict - tourism and conservation

Large numbers of walkers using the footpaths in popular areas such as the Pennine Way or Dovedale, cause erosion of the vegetation and soil. Climbers on the gritstone edges or large parties of walkers on the moorland may disturb wild birds.

The Way Forward .....

More robust paths are constructed using stone or even artificial materials. Hard surfaced tracks along redundant railway lines provide alternative walking routes as well as routes for cyclists and horse riders.

The siting of car parks and visitor facilities can help to spread visitors over a wider area.

Rangers give help and information to visitors.

4. Conflict - mineral extraction, conservation and quiet enjoyment

Extraction of limestone leaves large unsightly quarries. There is much pollution of the air from dust and traffic. Quarry traffic causes congestion in villages and also damages the roads and the foundations of village buildings. The processing of fluorspar needs fine grinding to separate out impurities and involves the dumping of large amounts of waste in artificial lagoons.

The Way Forward .....

The Park Authority insist that landscape schemes for screening and restoration are undertaken as part of the process of mineral extraction. New proposals are judged against these criteria:

• The national and local need for the mineral.
• The lack of practicable alternative available sources.
• The extent to which the proposal would affect the landscape and environment of the Park.

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Finding Solutions

The Peak District National Park Authority has three tools to help deliver its purposes:

1. Partnerships

By working with other organisations who have similar aims to the Authority much can be achieved.  For example, English Nature has designated 35% of the Park as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) so increasing their protection. County Wildlife Trusts manage reserves totalling 300 hectares. Management of valuable landscapes is essential to limit damaging land use and maintain their conservation value. The National Trust, the largest landowner in the National Park, manages and protects large areas of the Peak District.

2. Persuasion

Through a shared understanding, landowners, farmers, local businesses, residents, visitors etc can all play their part in helping to look after the National Park.  By persuading people that the Peak District is worth looking after the Authority can work with others to protect the landscape for the future.

3. Planning Control

Most building work and changes in land use (except for those connected with agriculture and forestry) are subject to planning control by the National Park Authority. Any new buildings must be in keeping with the landscape so that the natural beauty of the Peak District National Park can be conserved. Any breach of planning legislation can be responded to by legal action, including fines.

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Points to Consider

Consider the different perspectives of each conflict situation - where do you stand?

Would these conflicts still arise if the National Park was completely owned by the National Park Authority?

For more information on any of the subjects highlighted in this factsheet try searching the archive.

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