A Decision-Making Exercise

WASDALE, LAKE DISTRICT

Which motorway is closest to the Lake District?

Is Wast Water easily accessible by road?

Each grid = 5 miles in width

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An OS map extract of Wast Water (Scale 1:50,000)

An aerial view of Wast Water

On the flatter north-west side of Wast Water

A view of the mountain Great Gable ( 899m) from Wast Water

WASDALE AND WASTWATERExtracts from ‘The Lake District’ published by the AA 2002

“The bleak, beautiful valley of Wasdale must be approached from the west, and for most visitors that necessitates a lengthy drive. The reward is that Wasdale will be spectactularly empty at times when the Lakeland ‘honeypots’ are straining under the weight of visitors.

Although it is just 3 miles long, Wastwater is the deepest lake in England. The huge screes that dominate the southern shore continue their descent for 250 feet into the cool, clear waters. Those who tire of the speedboats rushing up and down busy Lake Windermere, will relish the tranquility and awesome landscape of Wasdale.

The road hugs the water’s edge until you reach Wasdale Head; communities don’t come much smaller or welcoming than this. The Wasdale Head Hotel is where walkers and climbers congregate to eat and drink, and swap tales of the mountains. Once you are in a comfortable chair, it is easy to forget that you are miles from anywhere....”

These proposals are designed to attract families with a broad range of interests.

Wasdale and Wast Water in Cumbria

AREA FOR DEVELOPMENT

Different views on the development of areas like Wasdale

More accessible parts of the Lake District are very busy

There are plenty of things to do in an area like Wasdale

Examples of the damage that tourists can do to the countryside

You are responsible for the development of tourism in the Lake District. Some areas of the Lake District have become ‘honeypots’ for tourism. However, Wasdale and Wastwater have remained relatively undeveloped until now.

A holiday company has shown interest in developing tourism in the area and has put forward seven proposals for development:

1. Hotel

2. Holiday Chalets

3. Campsite and log cabins

4. Car Parks

5. Shops

6. Water Park

7. Roads

Your task is to plan the developments and produce a report for the Cumbria Planning Department. Your report should include:

REASONS FOR the proposed development of Wasdale (brief)

WHAT developments should take place

WHERE these developments should be located

REASONS for your choice of developments and their location

CONDITIONS eg.design, materials used, size, landscaping etc.

CONCLUSION giving a personal opinion on the developments

Your report should include a clear map to show the location of your proposed developments and a labelled fieldsketch. You can also include any other relevant photos or maps.

You will need to think carefully about lots of things before making your final decisions.

A fieldsketch of Wast Water

You could cut this out and include it into your report with labels such as:

• Wast Water

•Steep slopes

•Woodland

plus some of your own, including the location of your developments.

Map of Wasdale to show the location of proposed developments

You could use a table like like to draft out your ideas:

Look carefully at the SUCCESS CRITERIA given to you.

This should help you to gain a good mark for this assessment.

Good Luck

Your report is due in on ………………………………..