Dom Hall, a MSc student at Imperial College, London interviewed 1044 members of the public about the future of the Lake District. They were asked to chosse between four possible scenarios:
- Scenario A – continuation of the existing agricultural public funding and corresponding support of a status quo in Lake District land use with an emphasis on the farmed cultural
- Scenario B – a shift in government support towards diversification, resulting in a particular focus on tourism development in the Lake Distric
- Scenario C – a reduction of government funding alongside a change in philosophy towards rewilding in the Lake District, envisaging reduced farming and a wilder landscape with the possibility of alternative industries such as wildlife re-introductions and associated tourism.
- Scenario D – an increasing focus on land management for broader ‘eco-system services’ – for example managing the land to protect water quality and store carbon. This could involve increased tree cover and vegetation which may also aid wildlife.
In its simplest terms, the results could be summarised by saying that the public seem to favour maintenance of current land use with 51% of respondents choosing Scenario A as their preferred scenario. However, as with everything the devil is in the detail.
To find out more read Dom's blog
