Project Champion: Steve Smith

Aim:

To work with all key stakeholders in the valley to develop a strategy that will maximise the landscape for everyone’s benefit.

Achievements to date:

Organised a facilitated strategy-planning day on Sept 7th 2007 at Mechanics Hall, Marsden. Well attended by key people and organisations concerned with the management of the local landscape. Landowners, small holders, local businesses, Key council services, National Park, National Trust, local voluntary sector environmental organisations etc.

Participants worked through the following objectives:
Developed practical understanding of the current characteristics, opportunities, threats and policy context in which the management of the local landscape currently exists.
Set out the needs each participant had of the landscape / countryside around Marsden and Slaithwaite
Developed a broad collective vision for what the local landscape could offer in terms of social, environmental and economic benefits
Agreed a number of areas for action / themes that will aim to maximise the multifunctional use of the landscape while working towards the vision
Put forward a set of action points that will enable the participants to continue working together and making decisions that will take forward the this landscape management initiative.

Targets for the next twelve months:

The findings and action plan from the above event will be written up in next few weeks. These will inform the Upper Colne Valley Integrated Management Plan (UCVIMP) that the Countryside Unit in the Council has responsibility for. It will be discussed at their next steering group meeting. The plan will also inform the work of RMT on this issue and may enable better coordination of landscape management issues among the key players who attended the Landscape Strategy Day. NB. Report will be available to download from this site shortly.

The major challenges of the project to date have been:

Engaging the larger scale farmers in the Upper Colne Valley

Lack of resources to undertake the work as the Landscape Management priority project is not among the priorities for YF or the Council

The following documents have been produced as a result of this project:

See above – document should be available november 07