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Rivington Action Plan

Our aim is to ensure that people who visit our catchment land have an enjoyable and rewarding experience, includes at places such as Rivington. Sometimes, too many visitors can put a strain on the area so we have spoken with local stakeholders to create an action plan to improve the experience of visitors to the Rivington area and to minimise the impact on local residents.

Priorities

  • Safety of local residents/community and multiple users of the area
  • To minimise impact on local residents/community
  • Improved visitor experience with no desire to increase visitors to the area (focus is on a quality visiting experience)
  • Partnership working to find joint solutions taking on board all stakeholder views
  • Development of long term strategy with range of survey, trials and data collation to make informed evidence based decisions

Over the last 12 months we have commissioned surveys and trialled various new measures across the land we own to better understand areas for improvement. Our ideas for Rivington are set out below.  

Working with other local organisations, we will begin to implement several of these measures. Following the first 12 months, we will hold a session with local stakeholders to review actions/progress and refine the plan for the medium to long term, assessing the impact of measures taken over the year.

Commitments

  • Infrastructure – we commit to maintain infrastructure and improve it where possible, such as signage
  • Communications and engagement – we commit to engage with stakeholders and to educate visitors
  • People – we commit to responsible staffing, involving volunteers, and to undertake safety audits
  • Traffic, parking and enforcement – we commit to further trials and reviewing items such as one way systems, working with those organisations with enforcement responsibilities

Details for each commitment are set out below.

Infrastructure

  • Continue maintenance of infrastructure (such as signage, gates, path ways, tracks and fencing) to provide a quality visitor experience and local community asset
  • Provide the right number of litter bins in strategic locations and formalise help offered by stakeholders
  • Consider provision of more bins with software to indicate the amount of rubbish, seeking local views on best locations
  • Examine current condition of fencing and prioritise repairs according to risk
  • Strengthen the primary school perimeter so the boundary is clear
  • Explore options to create a small number of additional permanent parking spaces
  • Explore additional sources of funding, such as grants

Communications and Engagement

  • Targeted media communications on safety messages including the Countryside Code, reservoir safety and moorland fire risk
  • Better education for visitors primarily through signage/interpretation boards focusing on responsible behaviour
  • Examine current signage in relation to rights of ways and identify where signage is needed
  • Review all signage to assess effectiveness and avoid ‘sign blindness’
  • No proactive advertising of the area across partner and local/national media other than in relation to specific business activities
  • Formalise stakeholder group to own plan and review progress
  • Mobilise existing volunteer support to ensure a visible presence
  • Opening of refreshed visitor centre
  • Work with the local authorities to secure Public Space Protection Order within the Terraced Gardens

People

  • Review feasibility of working with partners to provide a dedicated ranger presence
  • Extra security marshals at expected busy periods (e.g. holiday weekends)
  • Consider expansion of the existing organised volunteer programme
  • Undertake regular safety audits

Traffic, Parking and Enforcement

  • Consider use of electronic signage on busy weekends on approaches to the area including ‘car park full’ messages to divert visitors elsewhere
  • Assess feasibility of a website/app link (using a pre-booking system) to show a real time traffic light system on car park capacity
  • Review parking restrictions and enforcement in conjunction with police and highways
  • Undertake further independent traffic/parking/highways assessments to inform future site management
  • Consider an approach to car parking (taking into account local stakeholder and resident feedback such as primary school parking)
  • Explore options to address speeding past the school since the introduction of yellow lines
  • Consider implementing trial of a one way system for Hall Barn drive and adjoining areas
  • Improve layout of Great House car park e.g. create clearly marked car parking spaces
  • Utilise existing parking areas/ gated off areas for more capacity in a joined up approach
  • Designate overflow car parks for events and busy days
  • Consider arrangements for high school car park to be used as an overflow car park during busier periods
  • Agree action plan to reduce issues associated with motorbike scramblers (police, council)