Agenda item

The Chief Executive introduced the report and updated Members on what progress had been achieved working collectively together at the England and UK National Park level over the past year,  and on some of the future plans. 

The application for the National Parks Charity Foundation was now with the Charity Commission.

The Head of Programme for the Discover England’s National Parks Project,  informed Members of “The English National Park Experience Collection” which would give visitors the opportunity to experience first-hand these living landscapes. 

There are currently 75 brand new accessible and bookable experiences across the National Parks, with 10 of them being here in the Peak District working with a wide range of businesses.  An official booklet showing all of the experiences that are available has been published and an official launch  took place at Haddon Hall on the 31^st January. The collection will be available this year.  Some of the experiences include:-

·         A behind the scenes tour of Haddon Hall.

·         Blue John Stone Experience at Treak Cliff Cavern, where you can mine your own piece of blue john and make it into a piece of jewellery.

·         Planting sphagnum moss with the Moors for the Future Team.

·         Climbing through history  at Stanage Edge

·         Retro bike hire tour and tea at Tissington Hall

·         Aviation History, discovering some of the aircraft wrecks in the Peak District.

·         Story of Eyam – Plague Village Tour

·         Forest in a bottle experience, foraging botanicals and flavours from the area of Macclesfield Forest to flavour gins.

·         Walks/Cycle Hire with a Ranger

A “Discover the UK National Parks” Booklet was distributed to all Members and a video, which showed the experiences that are available throughout the National Park Network, was then shown to the meeting.  The Chief Executive informed Members that the video could be shared as well. 

Cllr Jim Perkins left the meeting at 10.53 during discussion of this item.

Members congratulated National Parks England and all for the working together across the 15 UK National Parks. The motion to approve the recommendation was moved, seconded, put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.