Natural Economy
The Northwest is home to the Lake District - which is England’s
largest National Park - three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and over 1,000 km of magnificent coastline, which forms part of the
ecosystem of a myriad of wildfowl and wading birds. From the
rolling Cheshire plain to the wild and rugged Scafell Pike, and
from rare red squirrels to the country’s only breeding pair of
Ospreys, we have one of the most naturally diverse regions of
England.
The NWDA’s role is to maintain and enhance the natural
environment by focusing on the region’s natural economy. The aim,
as set out in the Regional Economic
Strategy, is to develop the natural environment in a
sensitive and sustainable
way.
As well as being important for tourism the natural economy
provides an enhanced community for residents and attracts business investment into the
region.
The Natural Economy Northwest programme - which was
funded by Natural England, the NWDA and the SITA Trust - promoted
the environment as a key economic resource and maximised the
economic benefits of investments in the region’s natural
environment - which already generated £2.6 billion GVA each
year.
Drawing on the expertise of specialists working in tourism,
business development and the environment sector, it supports
natural environment projects which will deliver economic, social
and cultural benefits across the Northwest.
Improving the Countryside
The NWDA is involved in improving the countryside through the
Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
Green Infrastructure
The region’s green infrastructure is its network of natural
environment spaces, from rivers and moorland to parks and
tree-lined streets. Successful green infrastructure improves the
region’s image and gives a sense of place as well as increasing
property and land values.
Just as regional
infrastructure - such as roads and sewers - needs to
be maintained and upgraded, so does green infrastructure.
Successful land conservation needs to be proactive and better
integrated with efforts to manage growth and land development.