The Sky News story that the CEO of the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) has been saying that it should seek to encourage a more diverse range of visitors news.sky.com/story/lake-dis… has led to much excitement among those determined to spot and ridicule “wokeness”.
The article is here news.sky.com/story/lake-dis…
A reminder of the law. All public authorities - including national park authorities - are bound by s149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the public sector equality duty).
In the present context, that requires the LDNPA to (among other things) take steps to meet the needs of, and encourage participation by, racial minorities, the elderly, and disabled people.
That is as it should be. All taxpayers help fund the LDNPA. And if you live the Lake District, you should want all our citizens to able to enjoy it.
None of that means building an asphalt road up Helvellyn. And plainly the need to conserve the beauty and the integrity of the natural environment limits what can be done, in many cases. And it may be that particular proposals go over the top.
But it is right - and not “woke”, but just decent, as well as legally required - for those who run the LDNPA to think of ways in which they can encourage and help groups in our society who are not currently enjoying - or able to enjoy - the Lake District to do so.
(I meant “love” the Lake District, rather than “live”.)
