Member of Parliament for Macclesfield, David Rutley, joined other local MPs to meet with leaders of the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA), to discuss the vital role of the National Park and the Authority’s plans for 2017.
David was joined by Rt Hon Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and MP for Staffordshire Moorlands; Rt Hon Sir Patrick McLoughlin, MP for Derbyshire Dales; and Andrew Bingham, MP High Peak, to meet with senior leaders of the Authority, including Lesley Roberts, Chair; Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive; and Paul Ancell, Chair of the Planning Committee. The meeting was held at Aldern House in Bakewell, which is the Head Office of the Authority.
At the meeting, David put a strong focus on the need to support the visitor economy and help boost rural tourism for businesses and communities in and on the edge of the National Park. The Peak District National Park has over 13 million visitors each year, but there is a clear opportunity to encourage more of these visitors to extend their visit and include overnight stays. He also encouraged PDNPA to work more closely with Local Authorities, such as Cheshire East Council, to raise awareness of the range of attractions and experiences available to visitors to help with this task.
The meeting also focussed on key issues facing the residents of the National Park, including the need to provide improved broadband services and mobile phone connections, and the importance of providing plans for suitable housing for the local communities. The consultation on PDNPA’s Development Management Plan is due to end on 27th January.
The Peak District National Park is 555 square miles (1,438 square kilometres) in size, and covers parts of the counties of Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire. David has been a keen supporter of the Peak District, since becoming MP for Macclesfield in 2010. He is Secretary of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for National Parks, as well as co-chair of the Mountaineering APPG. He is a strong supporter of the strategy for outdoor recreation and believes that the Peak District, and the other National Parks, have an important role to play in delivering this.
After the meeting, David said, “It was great to be able to attend another meeting with the Authority along with my Parliamentary colleagues to discuss how we can help take the National Park forward in 2017. Much of the Macclesfield constituency is based in the National Park, and we are fortunate to have such beautiful countryside on our doorstep. We need to go on conserving this unique National Park and also help further realise the opportunities that it brings for the visitor economy in the year ahead.”