Agenda item

The Chair reported on two events he had recently attended:

Chairs of UK National Park Authorities (NPAs) Annual Chairs’ Forum, virtual meeting, 2 December – the Forum had considered lessons learnt during the Covid-19 Pandemic situation and looked ahead to big themes for 2021 which included climate change and the role of NPAs internationally particularly with regard to the climate and nature emergencies.  The Chair will either circulate a fuller report to Members or report it to the next Authority meeting the lessons learnt from other NPAs.

Peak District Local Access Forum (LAF), 3 December – the Chair had been invited to attend this virtual meeting as it was the 20^th anniversary of the LAF and he was a past Chair of the Forum.  The Forum had been set up in December 2000 following the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and was the first such Forum in England and Wales to be set up. Cllr McCloy had been the second Chair of the Forum for 6 years from 2004 and was still very supportive of the work the Forum did.  The Forum is made up mainly of volunteers and the Authority has an appointed representative on the Forum, who is currently Cllr Ian Huddlestone.  The Chair shared with the Forum that part of the plans to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the Peak District National Park in 2021 would recognise the role of volunteers and bodies such as the LAF.