LUNE VALLEY RECREATIONAL ACCESS STUDY

Below Lancaster, the estuary of the river Lune winds to Morecambe Bay, a serene area popular with walkers, birdwatchers and lovers of small waterside villages. The area upstream of Lancaster, however, is far less frequented by tourists and day visitors. It's one of the most unspoiled river valleys in England, meandering across a wide valley rich in woodland, cowpasture and rivermeadow, dotted with historic villages and overshadowed by high heather moors cut by dramatic river gorges. In partnership with Lancaster City Council and the Rural Development Agency, Lancashire County Council recognised the opportunity to progress the development of sensitive, sustainable tourism within the area, improving the local economy but avoiding the detrimental effects of mass, car-borne tourism.

Simon Holt Marketing Services were appointed to undertake a study of the potential for limited tourism development, based on making better use of the existing infrastructure of parking, public transport and refreshment / accommodation facilities. The study area included both the Lune valley itself and its main tributaries within this corner of north-east Lancashire. It was clear from the outset that the local communities, whilst keen to retain and improve local services, were concerned that an influx of visitors may prove detrimental to the area. Thus a major part of the initial consultation exercise undertaken by SHMS was a comprehensive questionnaire survey of local businesses, parish councils, landowners and a host of other local interest groups and individuals, followed up by a series of meetings and workshops at which views could be aired, problems identified and solutions sought.

Synthesising the results of such work, the conclusion was that a carefully targeted promotion was required and the development of a series of recreational walking routes within the study area, linking villages and based on bus and rail services would be a valuable piece of the jigsaw of initiatives being prepared under the auspices of an overall Lune Valley Tourism and Development Initiative. It was recognised that the use of private cars could not be controlled with any degree of success, but that by highlighting the ease of access by public transport, and by producing guides which were based on such, it was anticipated that cars could be directed to particular locations with existing parking and related infrastructure.

RIBBLE & HODDER VALLEY TOURISM INITIATIVE

Responding to a brief to explore the possibility of developing sustainable tourism in these two river valleys in mid-Lancashire, Simon Holt Marketing Services researched and developed a marketing and development strategy and plan for the study area. This was to be implemented, initially, over a three year period with the specified intention of improving the performance of the tourism infrastructure and base of the study area by generating new and repeat business, managing visitor flows by proscriptive and prescriptive traffic management schemes, the sensitive development of new facilities and the encouragement of recreational activities which would not be detrimental to the area, a part of which is within the Forest of Bowland AONB.

A number of options were condidered at length, including the development of recreational bus and rail services, the encouragement of the development of "gateways" at specific points on the periphery of the area and options for targetting the area's attractions at particular market segments, including anglers, ramblers, leisure & off-road cyclists, birdwatchers and horse-riders.

Extensive consultations with transport operators, major landowners, tourism representatives and operatives and parish councils were undertaken, serving to emphasise the wide range of activities, businesses and preferred options for improvement and development that exist in the communities in the area. The resultant report encompassed a number of initiatives aimed at increasing the market share taken by the above-mentioned informal recreational pursuits. The very character of the study area's countryside meant that these markets would be the most likely to provide positive growth, and this growth could be channelled in such a way as to minimise the impact on the countryside.

A mixture of dedicated walking routes, riding routes linking to the new National Pennine Bridleway, cycling routes, minibus tours, traffic management schemes, improved countryside interpretation, improved tourism-industry training locally were recommended which, if implemented in full, were forecast to generate nearly 50 new full-time jobs in the study area. The report also emphasised that the tacit support of the host communities in the study area was vital to the successful implementation of the sustainable tourism plan; keeping them fully informed of project developments was important, as they are, essentially, partners in the initiative.