Conference report > Large scale events in the Lake District

This one day conference organised by the Adventure and Environmental Awareness Group and the Friends of the Lake District was held in April 1995 in Grasmere Village Hall. Half the delegates were involved in organising or participating in large scale events and the other half represented environmental and conservation bodies and land managers. The day was split into two parts- the morning was given over to speakers to introduce the issues surrounding large scale outdoor events and the afternoon used for group discussions with comments in a plenary session. Geoff Cooper from the AEA Group chaired the conference and the report was produced by the Friends of the Lake District.

Martin Elson and Georgina Reynolds from Oxford Brookes University set the scene with a national perspective on the growth of large scale events. They outlined the effects of these activities in terms of physical and social impacts. They concluded with practical examples of good planning and management.

Alan Fishwick of the Lake District National Park Authority provided a local perspective on events in the Lake District. He concentrated on three sports- fell running, orienteering and mountain biking- and commented on the National Park Authority’s role and involvement. Finally, he raised questions on environmental damage and intrusion on the ethos of National Parks.

Colin Mortlock, Chairman of the AEA Group, argued that large scale events, other than those with a long local tradition and confined to the valleys, have no place in National Parks. He called for the LDNPA to take responsibility for approving events in the National Park and put forward proposals for managing events.

Geoff Hughes of the Sports Council outlined the importance of the countryside for sport and recreation. He discussed the principles and policies of the Sports Council. He argued that the problems as they exist could be contained through planning and management through partnerships.

There was a feeling from the Group discussions that although large scale events were not a major problem they are on the increase and will produce issues in the future. Internal management by the organisers and lead bodies rather than external regulation was seen to be the way forward.

The conference succeeded in raising the level of awareness of large scale events in the countryside. It was clear that there is a difficulty in collecting information on events, their nature, frequency and participant numbers. There is a need for better information, possibly through a notification system and to investigate issues through selected impact studies. Awareness and education are the keys to good management. Where good practice exists it should be well publicised in the hope that users will learn by example.

The full report of the conference is available from:

Geoff Cooper
AEA Group Chairman
Low Bank Ground
Coniston
Cumbria
LA21 8AA

Send cheque payable to “Adventure and Environmental Awareness Group” for £4 for each report. This price includes post and package.

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