6.1 Context and significance – People

 

Public engagement, whether that is through working in, living in or using the Quantock Hills, is a significant element of the Vision, promoting understanding and providing many public benefits. Many of the communities within the Quantock Hills have their roots in the primary economic sectors of farming and forestry. Alongside this, visitor activity also supports the local economy and bolsters the viability of local businesses. Landscape and nature continue to be the priority for the upland core of the Quantock Hills, and managing the balance between this and public enjoyment is a core task of the Partnership. With positive actions, everyone can enjoy the benefits of living, working in and visiting the Quantock Hills, contributing to the conservation and enhancement of the special qualities of the National Landscape.  

 

6.1.1 A landscape for all

In 2019 the Government’s Landscapes Review included a number of proposals to increase the inclusivity and diversity of the work of Protected Landscapes, including governance, engagement and delivery. The review looked to the original aims and the reasons for the setting up of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – providing opportunities for enjoyment, spirituality and supporting the nation’s health and wellbeing – and what these mean now and into the future. Proposals included a stronger mission to connect all people with our Protected Landscapes, such as a night under the stars in a National Landscape for every child, new long-term programmes to increase the ethnic diversity of visitors and landscapes that cater for and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing. 

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The Review identified that connection to the natural world provides many benefits to physical and mental wellbeing. This was understood within the Quantock Hills National Landscapes, which had been running a health and wellbeing project since 2016, working across a range of ages, socio-economic status, genders and ethnicity. The increased connectivity to the natural world, deepens our understanding, respect and appreciation of nature, shaping the way we interact with it. 

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A key driver for this plan will be to improve equity, inclusivity and diversity of access for people to enjoy the Quantock Hills. However, this needs to be balanced with the needs of nature recovery and climate, requiring innovative solutions and partnerships, ensuring people, especially those who benefit the most, to enjoy the National Landscape.  

 

6.1.2 Rural economy

The high-quality landscape of the Quantock Hills is integral to sustaining economic activity, generating income, employment and products. Key sectors of agriculture and forestry are important, accounting for 30% of businesses, with technical and professional and, to a lesser extent construction, an additional 20%. Accommodation and food services, usually associated with tourism activity, only account for 10%, which is considerably lower than previously thought. Overall, the number of businesses within the National Landscape is relatively small and declining, reducing from 215 in 2021/22 to 205 in 2022/23. These are typically characterised by small and micro enterprises and of self-employment, with no business having more than 10 employees. This is a product of the tightly drawn boundary of the National Landscape, which naturally excludes larger settlements and employment hubs.

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The relatively small area of the Quantock Hills, and the impact of the topography, means that the surrounding fringe, settlements and market towns of Taunton and Bridgwater have a significant influence on the economic activity of the National Landscape. These settlements and towns are inextricably linked to their rural hinterlands, often with a sense of not just economic but also cultural connection, providing opportunities for economic activity that do not harm the special characteristics of the National Landscape. 

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As well as supporting a diverse and resilient local economy, there is a need to identify and support the training and development of both traditional and new skills required to meet the needs of local employers and take advantage of new economic opportunities. 

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Tourism, while a smaller employment sector than previously thought, is an important economic activity. It is largely characterised by high-quality accommodation with small scale recreational pursuits. The West Somerset Railway, one of the best used and most popular private railways in the country, and Hestercombe Gardens, one of the nation’s most successful garden restoration projects, are key attractions despite being just outside the National Landscape boundary. There is a balance to be struck between realising the economic benefit of tourism and ensuring the asset that attracts visitors – the landscape and natural beauty of the Quantock Hills – is conserved. 

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Appropriate forms of tourism in the National Landscape are those based on the area’s special qualities and include quiet outdoor recreation (walking, cycling, horse riding), wildlife and heritage tourism and cultural tourism such as Coleridge and Wordsworth related activities. Many of the tourism offers in and around the Quantock Hills provide information to help visitors make a conscious connection between their experience and the value of this special landscape.

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Since the pandemic of 2020 there has been a significant shift in the ways of working. Across the UK remote and flexible working has become commonplace weakening the link between office bases and where people live. This advancement in technology and connectivity can enable new economic opportunities and ways of working that have a minimal environmental impact and enhance community cohesiveness though increasing access to services such as healthcare, shops or education. For a rural area such as the Quantock Hills there have been historic issues with connectivity, especially of fast broadband, across the landscape. Over the last 10-years the government has prioritised the rollout of full fibre broadband, including funding programmes such as Connecting Devon and Somerset, which has had limited success in the Quantock Hills. The latest government target of gigabit broadband and “standalone” 5G will be available nationwide by 2030. It will be important that Quantock Hills businesses and communities have access fast and reliable connectivity, however the associated infrastructure needs to be sensitive in both design and siting to avoid harm to the landscape, especially through increasing “clutter” of infrastructure.  

 

6.1.3 Skills, education and understanding 

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With an increasing diverse employment base in the Quantock Hills there is a need to ensure local communities have opportunities to learn relevant skills that will conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Quantock Hills. Historically this has concentrated on land management skills such as coppicing, hedge laying and orchard management. However, there is a need to be flexible to adapt to skills provision in sectors that currently may not seem relevant, such as sensory diagnostics, used for drone surveys of land cover and habitat condition or use of emerging technologies in traditional land management such as agriculture or forestry. The Partnership brings together a diverse range of organisations with significant contacts that can be used to target future training and skills schemes to ensure local communities, especially young people, have employment opportunities within the National Landscape. 

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Promoting awareness and understanding of the special qualities of the Quantock Hills, the benefits the area provides and the need for its sensitive and effective management stimulates interest and a sense of value in visitors and residents. The provision of high-quality, engaging and stimulating information and interpretation with limited resources is a challenge; however, the employment of the full range of digital media provides comparatively low-cost opportunities for presenting information and reaching new audiences (printed information available on request). 

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The Quantock Hills National Landscape has a small number of primary schools within the National Landscape. However, there are a significant number of primary schools and secondary schools in the fringing areas including the towns of Taunton, Bridgwater and Williton. Further education colleges are within the catchment of the National Landscape in Cannington, Bridgwater and Taunton. Engagement with local schools can have multiple benefits including supporting future generations in valuing and understanding the natural environment. For many years research has identified that school engagement with the natural environment is very low. Natural England’s Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) surveys undertaken between 2009 – 2019 identified that in an average month during 2018-19, only 6% of school-aged children (aged 6-15) in England visited the natural environment with their schools down from 8% in 2013-14. Why is that so low? Well, we know from research undertaken by Kings College London that the lack of confidence teachers have in taking children outdoors is the big issue. The Nature and Wellbeing project linked with local schools getting children out into the Quantock countryside, but more importantly helped teachers to build their confidence and local knowledge for bringing classes to the hills. This was further enhanced with the Quantock Landscape Partnership’s “learn” workstream, that included educational workshops, teacher training and developing resources that linked directly to a wide range of curriculum subjects.  

 

6.1.4 Local communities 

The Quantock Hills National Landscape has a very small population living within its boundary with estimates based on the 2021 census at 2,800. This is significantly lower than previous estimates, due to changes in methodology but reflects that many of the larger settlements, such as Bishops Lydeard and Nether Stowey, sit outside the boundary. The communities within and around the Quantock Hills have a strong sense of identity and readily associate themselves as part of a “Quantock community”, whether inside or outside the National Landscape boundary. In much the same way as the Quantock Hills sits on the edge of several catchments, so its communities disperse into the surrounding hinterlands. An example of this is the Local Community Networks (LCN), set up by Somerset Council in April 2023 as part of the local government reorganisation. The Quantock Hills falls within four LCN’s, which can lead to differing priorities and approaches across the National Landscape. Measures are needed to strengthen the links across the different communities of the Quantock Hills bearing in mind the process already in place and issues such as “engagement overload”.  

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While the Quantock Hills is sparsely populated with small settlements and hamlets, there are active communities, many with social and interest groups, usually centred around village halls, churches or community spaces. Many villages have produced parish plans, and more historically village design statements, to inform planning and other decisions. There are several community groups concerned with climate change and the nature emergencies which have engaged with the work of the National Landscape.  

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Poor access to key services for Quantock Hills communities, such as health, libraries, education, childcare and access to shops shows the effect of centralised services at the expense of rural areas. Lack of access to services is a significant quality of life indicator and can reflect economic vitality of the area. While village shops and post offices are invaluable community assets, maintaining their long-term viability remains a real issue. The population age profile for the Quantock Hills, like many rural areas of Somerset, is older than the national average. The Quantock Hills age profile is older, at 37% over 65 years old, than the average for all National Landscapes (29.1%). The older population, sparse population and limited local facilities bring challenges to ongoing wellbeing and communitive cohesion. As would be expected, the proportion of young people aged under 18, is significantly lower in the Quantock Hills, at 13.5%, than the England average (22%) and National Landscapes average (18.8%). Challenges for young people include the need to access education and services outside the National Landscape, requiring protracted journeys to and from local market towns, a lack of employment opportunities and affordable houses, meaning the trend of loss of young people from communities will only continue.  

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Opportunities to engage in the National Landscape have increased and diversified in recent years. Since the 1980’s the National Landscape Partnership has been supported by volunteers, firstly with Volunteer Rangers, but more recently expanding to include conservation management, historic heritage surveys and management, wildlife surveys and health and wellbeing activities. The recent Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme further expanded opportunities for volunteering increasing the diversity and ethnicity of those involved and undertaking significant work to remove barriers to engagement in the National Landscape. There are many other organisations, community groups and charities that offer volunteering opportunities that deliver the aims and objectives of the National Landscape. There is a role to support volunteer engagement ensuring no duplication of effort and supporting local communities to deliver the activities that are needed in their areas and deliver conservation or enhancement of the special qualities of the National Landscape.  

 

 

6.1.5 Access, recreation, health and wellbeing 

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The Quantock Hills is a popular location for visitors and users. The Quantock Hills User Survey 2019 found that the Quantock Hills continues to provide a popular recreational resource, not only for those living within the National Landscapes itself but as a key driver for day and staying visits to the area as well. The number of users was estimated at approximately 4,200 in 2018 an increase from 3,070 in 2003. Nearly 90% of users are day visitors, increasingly from within the catchment of Somerset and the group composition of those with children has increased to nearly 50%. 

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While the landscape and tranquillity are surely drivers, it is also the access assets that provide opportunities for people to use and visit the Quantock Hills. The rights of way network is extensive – 2.44km per km2 compared to the England average of 1.69km per km2 – with approximately 242 kilometres (150 miles) of rights of way in the National Landscape, 130 km within the open hilltop areas and 110km in the surrounding farmland. Of this over 60% are bridleways or restricted byways with access on foot, by cycle or on horseback. As well as the number and extent of the Public Rights of Way network, the free draining geology means that many of the paths are usable year-round. Furthermore over 30% of the National Landscape is dedicated Open Access land. People have a right to walk anywhere on Access Land, but cyclists and horse-riders must keep to Public Bridleways. Certain conditions apply to this land such as dogs being kept on leads during the nesting season (March to July). A significant proportion of the rights of way and virtually all the Open Access Land, traverse Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or priority habitats, so responsible access is a priority as part of the comprehensive site management. 

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A fundamental aspect to be considered in the provision and maintenance of access is inclusiveness – considering everyone including less-able people when developing routes, access arrangements, and rights of way management. As well as physical access other barriers can include lack of knowledge and information and experience or confidence. This aspect is considered as a matter of course in access activity and the partnership has completed work to deliver easier access at Quantock sites. This work continues. 

 

The local road network provides opportunities for recreation but the twisting, narrow lanes raise safety concerns for walkers, cyclists and horse riders compounded by increasing commuter usage and use of some routes as diversionary routes for the surrounding A-road. The Active Travel Routes approach has shown significant success in encouraging people to walk or cycle when by default they would be driving; generally, this is achieved by developing clear and safe routes for walking and cycling. While there is very high-quality access for walkers and cyclists once on the open hills, visitor surveys show that the overwhelming majority of visitors and users arrive by car. There would be a range of clear benefits if it were possible to implement the Active Travel Routes approach for people wishing to access the hills. These routes do need careful design and planning, and the inclusion of railway station and/or park and ride links is worthy of consideration, but the results of increasing the number of journeys made on foot and by bicycle align with many identified National Landscape benefits and objectives. 

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The coastal area of the National Landscape has long been a popular visitor/recreation destination as it offers good access to the beach at Kilve and East Quantoxhead and gentle, cliff top walks with broad sweeping views across the Bristol Channel and back into the hills. This is the location for one of several circular waymarked trails managed and promoted by the Quantock Hills National Landscape Partnership alongside the Quantock Greenway which circumnavigates the hills. The King Charles III England Coast Path follows the coastline of the Quantock Hills for 6km and links to other regional trails such as the Coleridge Way, the Macmillan Way and the River Parrett Trail. The provision of waymarked trails continues to develop with increasing use of digital apps and increasing diversity in subject such as poetry trails, heritage trails and educational based apps. 

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While improving health and wellbeing and reducing physical inactivity are not a primary purpose of National Landscape designation, they form such important benefits (an example of ecosystem services) from the positive management of landscape and access that it is appropriate for the Partnership to focus significantly on this subject area. Improving the walking and cycling environment creates places less dominated by motor vehicles and more welcoming for people – environmental benefits include cleaner air, less greenhouse gas emissions and reduced congestion. Social benefits include better physical and mental health and more equitable access to the Quantock Hills for visitors irrespective of car ownership.

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A wide range of events including orienteering, school groups, horse riding events, sponsored walks, training for the military or emergency services, hunting and guided walks take place throughout the year on the hills. Large or clashing events can have focussed environmental impacts in respect of wildlife disturbance and erosion (particularly when the ground is wet) and affect wider public enjoyment of the Quantock Hills. Proposals originating in the 1990 plan included notification of intended events on the hills allowing the National Landscape Partnership to monitor activity and offer advice on appropriate scale, timing and activities for events. This service continues to be provided and is respected by the majority of event organisers reducing overall impacts and giving some protection to the landscape, wildlife and other users. Other organisations, such as Forestry England and the National Trust have similar notification systems. 

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Evidence shows that increasing the use of green space, even if motivated by health reasons, provides wider societal benefits such as strong community cohesion and reduced social isolation. There is low awareness amongst the general public and health professionals of the evidence on the links between the environment and health, both physical and mental. In February 2016 a Nature and Wellbeing Project began, hosted by the Quantock Hills National Landscape and working across Somerset’s 3 main National Landscapes (Quantock, Mendip and Blackdown Hills). The project was established to tackle some of the barriers that prevent people from experiencing the health and wellbeing benefits that the natural environment can offer and reached out to nearby towns and communities across Somerset. Fully funded by Public Health at Somerset County Council, the project had a particular focus on supporting mental wellbeing and physical activity, working with specific groups and individuals who may benefit from such engagement. It involved developing partnerships between the natural environment sector and health professionals, two groups with very little previous contact. The project was so successful that a further phase was undertaken, including additional partners such as Somerset Wildlife Trust which ran until 2024. 

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At the same time the Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme started delivering significant outreach and engagement activity working with groups and communities that previously had not accessed the Quantock Hills. Beyond the Protected Landscape, produced as part of the evaluation, identified the innovative approaches used to engage the wider communities, such as taking the essence of the Quantock Hills into surrounding communities including nursing homes and social housing estates. It also recognised the importance of continuity of presence of a team and not to underestimate the cost of barriers, especially lack of transport. The successes of these projects are in no small part due to the wide range of other organisations, groups and individuals that they have engaged with, mostly organisations that have not worked with the Partnership previously. Bringing together partners from different sectors has been truly transformational. The challenge is to take the learning and legacies from these projects and schemes and embed them into the culture of the Partnership and partner organisations. 

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