New survey reveals 97% of upland residents feel abandoned by politicians
People living in the English uplands feel that politicians are in hock to a conservation industry that doesn’t care how its work affects local communities. Their message? Stop interfering and put people in charge who actually know what they are talking about.
Residents of the English uplands, which includes areas such as the Peak District, North York Moors and Forest of Bowland, overwhelmingly believe that politicians do not do enough to look after rural communities, according to a new report.
97% of those surveyed in the ‘People’s Plan for the Uplands’ answered ‘no’ to the question: “Do politicians do enough to look after rural communities?”.
The report was compiled by the Regional Moorland Groups (RMGs) and is intended to provide recommendations for policymakers regarding Britain’s heather moorlands and the communities that depend on them.
Residents of the English uplands feel abandoned by politicians and conservationists.
Other highlights from the report include that 41% of participants are most concerned about a “decline in traditional ways of living” in the uplands, while 75% say rewilding is “not a good thing” for the region’s iconic heather moorland. When asked what they value most about the area, more than 60% said the region’s biodiversity.
The report surveyed individuals who live and work across the uplands and who feel a strong sense of affinity and connection to the landscape. This included farmers, gamekeepers, conservationists, scientific researchers, hospitality staff, and healthcare workers,
“What this report shows is the deep sense of anxiety that people across the uplands feel for their way of life and the nature around them,” said Richard Bailey, coordinator of the Peak District Moorland Group, one of the RMG’s constituent organisations.
“People fundamentally want a say in how the nature around them is managed. However, they feel that politicians are entirely in hock to a conservation industry who either don’t realise or don’t care how their work affects local communities,” he added.
The People’s Plan for the Uplands spotlights opinions from individuals living in the region. One consistent theme is that people in the uplands feel politicians don’t utilise local knowledge or expertise to help protect heather moorland.
“Stop interfering, put people in charge who actually know what they are talking about, listen to the people who work and live on the hills, [and] keep traditional skills alive,” said Ellen, a farmer from Derbyshire.
Participants also think that the government’s current approach to conservation is having a negative impact on the region’s biodiversity, including rare species of ground nesting birds such as curlew and lapwing.
“I think it is of concern to note that areas managed by Natural England and the RSPB have experienced a far greater decline in numbers of ground nesting birds than moors managed for shooting,” said David from near Halifax.
The report concludes that traditional moorland management techniques, such as cool burning and predator control, are far preferable to people in the uplands. It also identifies support for game shooting as a way of aligning the conservation of heather moorland with the economic and social interests of people living in the uplands.
You can download the People’s Plan for the Uplands here.