Date: May 2021
Developing Partnership Plan: Impacts of Covid-19 –A think piece update on the Partnership’sManagement PlanMay 2021The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted during the development of the next Partnership’s Management Plan (2020-25). Covid-19 and the response has had a wide range of impacts on the Lake District National Park, its communities and businesses and will continue todo so for some considerable time. In June 2020, a think-piece was requested to support Partnership conversations around.
Plan development in this new context. This aimed to both look at early and emerging evidence on impacts, as well as anticipate mediumterm trends that will be a factor in the lifetime of the 2020-2025 Management Plan. The document was reviewed in May 2021 and further detail was added in the Summary of Covid-19 impacts column to reflect current impacts of the pandemic. It should be noted that due to the nature of the impacts of Covid-19 these represent a fraction of relevant impacts, and a snap-shot in time. This is not intended to be a comprehensive review which would entail significant research.
Impacts of Covid-19 are extensive -breadth and severity, and short and long term -on communities and the economy.
The key challenges the Partnership were focusing on, highlighted from State of the Park and the Glover Review haven’t been resolved or diminished. These are also fundamental to the future of the Lake District and they all interrelate with each other and the new context.
Perceptions are changing at a pace.
Partnership working –proving critical to response to current situation e.g. Safer Lakes including also Partners circulating messages. Relationships and trust created by LDNPP part of the formula for success.
Impact on short/medium term capacity for Partners to support plan work. Whilst engagement at Partnership meetings and steering groups has been robust this cannot be guaranteed, particularly if organisations implement re-structuring.
Various
Context of plan must recognise impacts and dynamic future created by Covid-19.
Covid-19 impact consideration to be integrated into all key challenges.
Fundamentally review the key challenge area –related to communities and economy?
Role of National Park –increased significance to health and well-being to communities locally, regionally and nationally?
Make the Plan clear, simple, empathetic and appealing. Focus on story telling. Give multiple opportunities to engage.
Celebrate and plan to build on successes.
Highlight the need for collective planning and delivery to achieve outcomes for future of Lake District –nested in County, regional, national and global reality. Efficient use of resources.
The Plan development timetable has been extended, and the approach to engagement is being kept under review.
The immediate impact of restrictions required to reduce the health impact of Covid-19 have caused significant, and rapid rises in claimants of job seekers allowance and or Universal Credit. Rises are higher than national average and claimant count for those under 40 are now above the national average.
Furloughing of employees is expected to be masking the situation for a further significant group of people. Recent data has shownthat the South Lakeland Area has the highest number of employments furloughed in the country (40%) followed by Eden (39%).
Visitor/hospitality: areas reliant on tourism are experiencing the largest losses to its local economy. Cumbria is one of the hardest hit counties because of the high proportion of jobs in accommodation, food and drink services and retail. Approx 1/3rdof jobs are at risk in Eden andSouth Lakeland.
National Parks make a vital contribution to the rural economy. Pubs, cafes, accommodation providers, visitor attractions and activity providers are currently closed and some may not re-open at all. Cumbria Tourism survey:
The impacts are significant on individuals, families and communities with social deprivation and disadvantage increasing. This is often less visible in rural areas.
Community resilience and coherence: immediate response -the crisis has seen many communities in the Lake District and Cumbria come together to support one another. It has shown the importance of vibrant communities and the services they can help provide –including to isolated or vulnerable individuals.
However, there have also been tensions
Mental health:the pandemic has created an extremely challenging time for individuals and families for a huge range of reasons which will continue to evolve. Physical health: the government are seeking to encourage healthy lifestyles, including action on obesity.
Longer term impacts are still to evolve –those relevant could include future housing preferences and movement of the housing market and longer term influence on workforce, building use are yet unknown.
Update May 2021
Cumbria remains one of the hardest hit counties because of the high proportion of jobs in accommodation, food and drink services and retail. In May 2021, the Cumbria Intelligence Observatory reported that provisional figures show that all sectors saw a reduction in levels of furlough between 28 February and 31 March 2021 however, the accommodation and food services sector had the highest take-up rate at 28 February at 70% of eligible employers putting staff on furlough although provisional estimates show this decreasing. Eden and South Lakeland in Cumbria are two of the ten local authorities with the highest take up rates of furlough at 31 March 2021. The under 18 age band had the highest take up rate of furlough for both female and males at 28 February, 41% and 30% respectively.
Sources: Cumbria Observatory Claimant Counts
Reports, surveys and media
Fundamentally review the key challenge area –related to communities and economy?
Build Back Better –how do we integrate this approach into everything in the plan and that partners do. What would this look like?
Clear messaging about what the plan does for locals, visitors the economy and the environment and share the challenges holding those in balance with each other.
Recognise the importance and resilience of self-led community response to pandemic as reason to celebrate vibrant communities in the Plan.
Create environments and support structures where communities can continue their activities. Get out of the way and don’t try to own, or manage what communities do for themselves.
Safer Lakes and surrounding communications approach for communities and businesses has been a Partnership response in the short term, it has enabled breakthroughs in visitor welcome and management and has potential to be developed.
See also Landscapes for Everyone
The Partnership – are not remitted with specific health support, but by creating a positive plan for the future and leading responsibly, promoting partnership working delivering good engagement can contribute beneficially.
Role of National Park – increased significance to health and well-being to communities locally, regionally and nationally? Watching brief for wider, longer term impacts?
Update May 2021
We have included the Strategic Objective
We will support the Lake District’s economic recovery from Covid-1
In the UK -66% of respondents consider climate change as serious a crisis as Covid-19.
More than half believe a green recovery can help the UK recover from the impacts of Covid-19. It provides an opportunity to transition to a low carbon economy and resilient environment, building upon the societal shift we have observed as a result of lockdown.
This year’s annual emissions expectedto be down by just 6-8%. In order to remain on a trajectory for keeping global warming below 1.5C (above pre-industrial levels), emissions have to fall by at least 7.6% every year from 2020 to 2030.
EPOS Earth Day Poll
