Ken Smith

I was a Peak District National Park Authority officer from 1982, finishing as Cultural Heritage Manager in 2017.  I also undertook roles nationally during that time, using my archaeological and heritage management skills strategically for the benefit of the nation’s historic environment.

As a result, I understand and am committed to the statutory purposes and duty of national parks and recognise the primacy of the first purpose, under the terms of the Government Vision, 2010. 

Although trained as an archaeologist, my experience has particularly encompassed planning and mineral development, farming, communities, landscape, climate change and cultural heritage while also touching on information/communication, biodiversity, economy, tourism and access.  I have had national roles in the development of aspects of the last 3 agri-environment schemes; am an advisor to the National Trust on historic environment issues; and served for 6 years on the statutory Historic England Advisory Committee, offering advice and guidance on a range of issues.

I believe that this range of experience, locally, regionally and nationally, across a wide spectrum of issues, will benefit and inform my input to sustainable management of the landscapes of the Peak District National Park.

There is a multiplicity of local, regional and national issues that impinge on the national park, from affordable housing and jobs (obviously also national issues), through minerals provision to the current unknowns of Brexit and the review of National Parks and AONBs.  The solution to some of these issues rests more with the National Park Authority while others are issues to which we can make only a small but sometimes significant contribution, such as climate change, and which need leadership at a national as well as a local level.

Sustainable management of change in the landscape requires an understanding of its key characteristics, how it has been managed in the past and how it is managed currently.  Farming and other land management initiatives e.g. woodland creation and management, are essential activities for maintaining (and creating) landscape character, the very ‘scenery’ that attracts visitors to the national park and contributes hundreds of millions of pounds to the local economy annually.  Tasked with managing the National Park on behalf of the nation, and particularly its residents and visitors, the Authority seeks to satisfy the ambitions and manage the expectations of all those communities of place and interest and will, inevitably, disappoint some from time to time through that decision-making process.

In my personal capacity I am member of the following bodies:

The National Trust

Derbyshire Archaeological Society

Hunter Archaeological Society

Various other local and national archaeological societies

Council for British Archaeology

Chartered Institute for Archaeologists