Outdoor enthusiasts, visitors and residents are being urged to have their say in a public survey about the future of recreational activities in the Peak District National Park.

The Peak District National Park Authority, working with a range of partner organisations, is asking what recreational activities people do now and how that might change in the future.

As well as traditional activities such as walking, climbing, horse riding, mountain biking and caving the survey will also ask questions about the quality of services offered at visitor and cycle hire centres, car parks and toilets.

Members of the public can have their say through an online questionnaire any time until 3 October. Anyone without Internet access at home or work can use a computer for free in their local library. Paper copies are available by ringing Penny Aitken on 01629 816343.

The information gained will be used to:

• Plan how to manage demand and deliver services to support recreational activities in the national park
• Meet Government targets to increase physical activity - with the health benefits that brings
• Raise awareness of the special qualities of national parks and what they can offer for different groups

Judy Merryfield, recreation strategy team manager, said: “Recreational activities play a massive part in the life of the national park. They make a huge contribution to the local economy and provide opportunities for people to enjoy a healthier lifestyle and visit the national park.

“But at the same time some activities can be noisy or cause damage to the landscape. Large numbers of visitors can also create congestion, pollution and problems with parking.

“This will be one of the biggest surveys carried out in the Peak District to find out what people are doing with their time when they come here to help us plan how to improve opportunities for all.”

A workshop attended by 58 people has already been held to get the views of people representing different sports and recreation groups, interest groups, landowners and other organisations but the recreation team need the views of as many people as possible to get accurate information to base decisions on.

Judy said: “It only takes a few minutes to fill in the questionnaire so we hope as many people as possible will take the opportunity to give us the information we need to plan services better with our partners.

“We are also really keen to hear from people who don’t use the national park to find out what is putting them off and what services they would want to see before they would feel comfortable coming.”

The information gained from the survey will be used to produce a recreation strategy for the Peak District National Park. This will include an action plan with targets for the Peak District National Park Authority and partners, such as the National Trust and water companies, to achieve so that recreational services better meet the needs of visitors and residents.

Go straight to the online questionnaire and have your say.

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