The common appeal of walking...
I’ve spent some time recently reflecting on the various rewards that drive so many of us to walk in our leisure time. In England alone, more than 9 million of us walk recreationally at least once a month, making walking more popular than going to the gym or swimming. And in a poll of adults in 2011 that asked people to name the things that bring them most pleasure, walking came in at number 25 ahead of eating chocolate, eating cake and the smell of freshly baked bread.
So what is it that gives walking its widespread appeal? Well, I suspect it has a lot to do with the variety of rewards that walking brings to people. It really can be all things to all people.
One slice of this common appeal is the sense of achievement that walking brings. Even within the realm of achievement there are many facets which appeal to different groups of people. Some measure their achievement through the distance they have walked, others through the heights of the peaks they have scaled. Peak bagging describes the popular activity where mountaineers attempt to reach the summit of a collection of peaks in a particular region.
Which brings me on to the next facet of achievement: completion of a tick list. Similar to bird watching, some walkers measure their achievement through the completion of certain routes or the reaching of certain points. Many walkers work their way through the highest peaks in Britain, whilst others take on the numerous long distance paths. Some say that this approach devalues the actual experience of walking in favour of reaching an arbitrary point on a map, but I say each to their own. You see, that is the joy of walking, you can tailor it to suit your own needs.
A further sense of achievement for some is the successful navigation of a route. Armed with a map and compass people can derive a real sense of satisfaction from being able to navigate across remote terrain. Orienteering courses are set for those who crave this type of achievement and, more recently, the popular sport of geocaching tests participants’ navigational skills with the reward of ‘treasure’ to be found at the end of the trail.
In an age where we are constantly aware of healthy and unhealthy lifestyles, exercise forms part of our conscious decisions on how to stay fighting fit. Within the realms of physical activity, walking has many clear benefits. It is inexpensive with no entrance fees or membership fees required and the ‘kit’ can be as simple as a good pair of walking shoes. Compared with the gym, swimming or cycling the costs are minimal. Walking is also particularly accessible, being equally available to those in rural and urban areas. For those starting from a low level of fitness or recovering from injury, walking also offers a low impact way of improving stamina, cardio-fitness and strength. For those wanting more of a challenge hill climbing increases the cardio workout and some people move on to Nordic Walking with the use of walking poles, offering the chance to use muscles in the entire body.
For many, this achievement driven approach is simply not required. Indeed for many, the entire purpose of walking is to escape the rat race and the constant need to achieve. Being close to nature and having the space and time to reflect on life gives most people a sense of quietness and relaxation that is hard to find elsewhere. With such a wide range of landscapes in the UK, there is time to appreciate the most unspoilt rural areas as well as man-made features such as parks and forests. And every landscape tells as story as you are taken on a journey through history with Iron Age hillforts, ancient burial mounds, monastery ruins and old mine workings littered across the countryside.
So, whatever appeal walking holds for you, you can be sure of one thing: you are certainly not alone.
Claire, Co-founder, iFootpath, www.ifootpath.com
- A number of important documents have yet to emerge. For example, a rigorous transport plan and a finalised air-quality assessment. The latter is critical given that allocations at Teynham will feed extra traffic into AQMAs.
- There seems to be no coherent plan for infrastructure delivery – a key component of the plan given the allocations being proposed near the already crowded Junction 7.
- There seems to have been little or no cooperation with neighbouring boroughs or even parish councils within Swale itself.
The removal of a second consultation might have been understandable if this final version of the plan were similar to that being talked about at the beginning of the consultation process. It is, however, radically different in the following ways:
- There has been a major shift in the balance of housing allocations, away from the west of the borough over to the east, especially around the historic town of Faversham. This is a move that raises many concerns.
- A new large allocation, with accompanying A2 bypass, has appeared around Teynham and Lynsted, to which we are objecting.
- Housing allocations in the AONB around Neames Forstal that were judged “unsuitable” by the council’s own officers have now appeared as part of the housing numbers.
- Most of the housing allocations being proposed are on greenfield sites, many of them on Grade 1 agricultural land – a point to which we are strongly objecting.
Concerns about the rush to submit the plan
The haste with which the plan is being prepared is especially worrying given the concentration of housing in Faversham. If the town is to take a large amount of new housing, it is imperative that the policies concerning the area are carefully worked out to preserve, as far as possible, the unique nature of the town. The rush to submit the plan is likely to prove detrimental.
As Swale does not have a five-year land housing supply, it is open to speculative development proposals, many of which would run counter to the ideas contained in the current plan. Some are already appearing. This is a common situation, and one that, doubtless, is a reason behind Swale’s haste.
Our overriding fear, however, is that this emphasis on haste is ultimately going to prove counterproductive. This is because it is our view that the plan, in its current form, is unlikely to pass independent examination. We are urging Swale to listen to and act upon the comments being made about the plan and to return the plan to the council with appropriate modifications before submitting it to the Secretary of State.
Essentially, this means treating the current consultation not as the final one but as the ‘lost’ second consultation.
The consultation ends on Friday 30 April and we strongly urge residents to make their opinions known if they have not already done so.
Further information