Results of streamlined survey May 2021
Not many young people responded to our original survey. We rephrased the questions to make them more accessible and re-ran the survey with accompanying lesson plans, directly marketing to schools and young people. 435 people responded to this 'streamlined survey' and this time 14% of responders were aged 17 or younger, and over 18% were aged 18-29. This compares favourably to our original on-line survey where those numbers were 0.1% and 5.1% respectively.
Streamlined survey open question analysis
Heritage and Built Conservation
A large majority (86%) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that it is important that new developments fit in with the existing character of settlements.
There was also significant agreement (89%) from respondents in support of modern, innovative design which fits in with the existing character of buildings.
Housing and Spatial Strategy
We asked whether respondents agreed that if a housing need is identified for local people, we should permit small housing developments on greenfield land, that are within or on the edge of settlements. Opinion on this proposal was mixed with 45% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing and 39% either disagreeing or strongly disagreeing.
A majority of respondents (76%) either agreed or strongly agreed that we should only permit open market housing on previously developed, brownfield sites.
A large majority (86%) also agreed or strongly agreed, that new housing should be lived in permanently rather than used as second home or holiday homes.
69% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that communities should lead on development plans in their area rather than the Authority identifying sites for development. However 17% were undecided on this and 10% either disagreed or strongly disagreed.
Opinion was mixed as to whether we should continue with our approach of allowing development in the 63 settlements that we have assessed as being the most sustainable locations for new housing. 39% either agreed or strongly agreed, 26% disagreed or strongly disagreed and 24% were undecided.
Shops and Community Facilities
Respondents very strongly supported shops and community facilities being located within existing settlements and their loss resisted with 92% of respondents either agreeing or strongly agreeing.
86% either agreed or strongly agreed that design of new residential developments should aim to have a positive effect on health and wellbeing.
An overwhelming majority (97%) supported mixed uses for community facilities in order to sustain their future.
We asked respondents which facilities they thought it was most important for communities to have access to, and the ones that received most support were good internet access, open spaces, shops, and trees.
Climate Change and Sustainable Building
The vast majority (94%) either agreed or strongly agreed that we should do our best to help combat climate change, and that one method of doing this should be adapting buildings rather than knocking them down and building new ones (85% agreed or strongly agreed).
78% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that small scale renewable technologies are more appropriate in a National Park than large scale ones.
Supporting economic development
We asked what factors we should consider when determining planning applications for new businesses. The factors that received the most support were job creation, climate change and reducing the need to travel.
We also asked where new businesses should be located. There was most support for them being located on existing business parks (95% agreed) but there was also strong support for new businesses in converted traditional farm buildings (68%), above existing commercial buildings (70%) and based at home (72%). By contrast only 15% of respondents supported new business parks.
Landscape, biodiversity and nature recovery
A large majority supported our statement that the landscape in the National Park should be allowed to change only in ways that enable and promote nature recovery and biodiversity (88% agreed or strongly agreed). Similarly 86% agreed or strongly agreed that in remote areas of the Park exceptional development should only be permitted if it does not harm the Park’s special qualities and if it contributes to biodiversity. 92% either agreed or strongly agreed that wildlife rich habitats should be mapped and taken into consideration when determining planning applications.
Transport
88% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that new roads should only be allowed if they were essential and resulted in environmental enhancement. 74% either agreed or strongly agreed that we should continue with our approach of only permitting car park development as part of new businesses or in order to remove problematic roadside parking.
When asked about the Monsal Trail, 70% believed it should be safeguarded for use as a trail and 30% that it should be safeguarded for potential future rail use.
Recreation and Tourism
75% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that larger recreation and tourism developments should only be permitted if they can be accessed by sustainable means of transport. 81% either agreed or strongly agreed that new build hotels should only be allowed on brownfield sites and in circumstances that also enhance the local environment.
We asked which of several types of tourist accommodation were appropriate developments in the open countryside and the most popular of our suggestions, were campsites, shepherd’s huts, and camping pods. Static and touring caravans were the least popular options. This question was skipped by the highest number of respondents (39, when the average amount of respondents skipping each question was 9.4). One possible interpretation of this could be that those people thought that none of the suggestions were appropriate development in open countryside, but the question did not give them an option to express this.
Utilities
We asked whether we should continue to resist the building of new reservoirs. We received a lot of feedback that this question was confusingly worded. This question received the largest number of “don’t know” answers (15%) and 17 respondents skipped it (this was the second most skipped question).
We asked about telecommunications masts and respondents were supportive of their development being controlled and limited.
Minerals and Waste
74% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with our strategic approach to gradually reduce quarrying in order to reach a sustainable level, which is compatible with the special qualities of the national park and supports small sites.
87% agreed or strongly agreed that the National Park is not the right place for large scale tips or recycling sites. 83% agreed it is appropriate to allow waste to be managed at small scale, in the community in which it arises