Date: 08/10/2007
High Peak Borough Council scooped the award in the Rural Areas and the Natural Environment category of the 2007 East Midlands Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards held in Nottingham last Wednesday 3 October.
The award was given for developing a new and easy to use approach for protecting and enhancing the distinctive landscapes of the Peak District. The "From Special Landscape to Landscape Character" project created planning guidance that recognised the character and value of all local landscapes.
Much of the High Peak landscape is spectacular and highly sensitive - yet other areas have been scarred by past quarrying. Maintaining the character of the best whilst improving the rest was of critical importance to the Council and the other project partners - Natural England, Derbyshire County Council and the Peak District National Park.
A broad range of local stakeholders and landscape users were consulted at key stages in the process. A 'good practice' seminar was held in the region to share the findings and methodology. The resultant document is highly visual, clear and concise (but not too prescriptive) and easily understood by its prime target audiences of developers, agents and homeowners.
Councillor Tony Kemp, High Peak Borough Council's Executive Member for Regeneration, said: "Most of us value the special character of High Peak - but we have to find ways to protect and enhance our landscape in a fast changing world. Our new approach to Landscape Character is an effective tool for doing so. I am delighted that the East Midlands branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute has recognised the work that the Council and its partners have put into this project."