Hi Peter
Thanks so much for this email and your previous emails, read but not replied to!
I am very concerned about your examples and, I'm most unhappy with all these five developments that I definitely don't approve of. The path to Crafnant sounds way over the top and unnecessary. I don't want our national parks to become like country parks. Near me, in the Black Country and Brum, we have many country parks and traditional Victorian parks that do have to be maintained with paths and cycle-walkways that are well surfaced and drained for heavy use. Signs are also essential.
In national parks, the local communities must decide what is done. The UK population is growing, as is leisure and the use of electric cars that are no more sustainable than petrol/diesel. This, when we are supposed to be responding and making concessions to growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions leading to the 6th extinction episode that is overtaking humanity. I am. I'm leading by example. And, I've been a full-time cycle commuter since the mid 90s. See:
where I have cut my car travel by well over 50% (down to 5,000 miles in 2021 and, I hope, a little lower this year), sticking to 60 to 65 mph on 70 mph roads to get well over 70 mpg while still having my very low impact expeditions to Scotland in April and October to try and complete my 1,101 summits visited over 2,000 feet. I've now banned myself from using the car to go into Wales for hill walking and am doing train/bikepacking instead. We all have to gladly make sacrifices to win the bigger prize of tackling and overcoming our unsustainable behaviours. Especially old men like me who must show even greater restraint than you youngsters, after my lifetime of excesses.
If at all possible, car parks must not be extended, unless they will be used by walkers who will use the Sherpa bus. We all have to show restraint and be prepared to restrict our activities, especially car use, in the light of the many pious declarations of a climate emergency - that then get totally ignored as we all carry on regardless with our fingers crossed behind our backs.
Somehow, there has to be a sea change in attitudes and behaviour away from the ubiquitous car towards active travel and travel by bus and train. I am doing so. I want other BMC members to do likewise. You are welcome to read any of this out at your meetings, please!
LESS RELEVANT to read:
For the last few years, I've been pleading for the UK's major, urban-rural-urban, 22 Kms Black Country Cycle-Walk Mudway to be upgraded for use as a commuter and business route for cyclists, as well as its present leisure use by dog walkers and visitors to the Woodland Trust property, three nature reserves and two traditional railway stations used as refreshment stops. The 22 Kms is on two old railway lines that are best for active, food-fueled travellers not reliant on fossil fuels.
When it comes to our national parks, work must be done to maintain honey pot locations to minimise erosion and to attempt to keep the majority of visitors to those popular locations. For me, the further you go from the car parks, the wilder and the more natural the environment can be, the better. However, well built paths in local stone are a real help to keep us all within the narrow bounds of the path and prevent widening. Some footbridges are also essential even in wild country, as I've so valued in Scotland. The very occasional cairn is also reassuring in wild, remote country. The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society have also done excellent work for decades and their signs are great to see.
Best wishes
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