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Submitting institution
University of Winchester
Unit of assessment
17 - Business and Management Studies
Summary impact type
Societal
Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
No

1. Summary of the impact

The University of Winchester Business School (founded by Marriott in 2008) is a pioneering signatory to the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). The close alignment of the PRME Principles with the University mission and values played a central role in its teaching, research and partnerships policies and strategies. Winchester’s research on the development and implementation of the PRME Principles has impacted on the UN PRME organisation itself, teaching approaches and practices in Business and Management schools nationally in the UK and across the globe. It has also impacted the strategy, policies and practices of the University Business School and the wider University, its alumni and local and global business and community groups.

2. Underpinning research

The UN-backed Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) aims to develop generations of business leaders capable of managing the complex economic, environmental and social challenges faced by business in the twenty-first century. As a voluntary initiative with over 800 signatories worldwide (around 80 in the UK and Ireland), PRME has become the largest organised relationship between the United Nations and management-related higher education institutions. Signatories integrate principles of responsibility and sustainability in business and management higher education globally to equip students with the mindset, skills and knowledge to become responsible leaders.

The University of Winchester Business School was an early signatory to PRME in 2008. This case study describes a body of research and subsequent work undertaken by key Winchester academics who played a pivotal role in the establishment, development and adoption of PRME, locally (as UK & Ireland Chairs) and globally (Murray as Founding PRME Task Force member and Parkes as PRME Special Advisor and Researcher in Residence) over the past decade. This includes research related to the work of the PRME organisation itself, other UK HEIs and organisations in its evolving network-based structure and more recently in supporting the agenda set out by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Professor Alan Murray’s research with colleagues at the University of Sheffield studied approaches to the adoption and integration of PRME in the UK [3.1]. Professor Carole Parkes’ research with local and global HEIs has focused on developing PRME policy and practice in teaching and learning strategies with HEI institutions globally [3.2, 3.3, 3.4,3.6]. This includes the establishment of the Transformational Model for the integration of PRME in HEIs [3.2].

Dr Roz Sunley led research on Responsible Management – Putting Theory into Practice with a US colleague (and Parkes) which analysed pedagogical frameworks used in teaching PRME to develop approaches and strategies to promote effective learning [3.4].

Winchester’s adoption of PRME, and its role as a PRME Champion (2016 – date), mean it is a pioneer in embedding ethics, social responsibility and sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its own teaching, research and community engagement. Thus, Winchester Business School’s own work has been the focus of a range of research projects examining the impact PRME has had on the University institutionally, its students and alumni, local businesses and community organisations on the integration of the within their organisations.

In 2018, based on earlier research with PRME [3.2], Parkes developed methodologies (with the National Union of Students) for research in benchmarking the SDGs in all University curricula that led to policy and practice changes across the whole University. The methodology has since been adopted by other Universities (see section 4). The research included analysing the prevalence and rationale for Business School students opting for sustainability and social justice dissertations over a 6-year period.

Winchester’s research on SDGs related to poverty, hunger and inclusion articulates work on both community policy and education in HEIs internationally. Dr Martina Hutton’s research developed an integrative framework focused on identifying the key marketing practices that enhance the success of local, community-based Social Enterprise Organisations (SEOs) securing affordable access to healthy foods [3.5]. Parkes’ research (as part of the global Anti-Poverty Working Group) developed frameworks for adoption in teaching and learning strategies locally and globally [3.2, 3.3, 3.6].

3. References to the research

Making Ethics and Responsibility a PRME Objective: Responsible Management Education in the UK. Management Learning doi:10.1177/1350507614549117 (Peer reviewed 3*)

  1. Parkes, C. (2017) (Guest Editor) Buono, A. & Ghada, H. PRME 10th Anniversary Special Issue. The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME): The first decade – What has been achieved? The next decade – Responsible Management Education's challenge for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) International Journal of Management Education 15/2 pp.61-65. (Peer reviewed 2*, CiteScore 5.0 2020 up from 3.5) including Haertle, J., Parkes, C., Murray, A., Hayes, R. (2017) PRME: Building a global movement on responsible management education, International Journal of Management Education 15/2 pp.66-72. (Peer reviewed 2*) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2017.05.002

  2. Parkes, C., Kolb,M., Schlange, L., Gudic, M. and Schmidpeter, R. (2020) Looking forward: Leadership Development & Responsible Management Education for advancing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in IJME Special Issue. Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) International Journal of Management Education Volume 18, Issue 2, Part B April 2020 (Peer reviewed 2*)

  3. Sunley, R., & Leigh, J., (2016) Educating for Responsible Management – Putting Theory into Practice, Greenleaf Publishing. Other Winchester authors included in this are: Parkes, C. & Murray, A. This publication is directly linked to evidence of global impact with other business schools and businesses

  4. Bublitz, M.G., Peracchio, Hutton, et al. (2019). Food Access for All: Empowering Innovative Local Infrastructure, Journal of Business Research, Vol 100 (July), 354-365 (Peer reviewed 3*) DOI: 0.1016/j.jbusres.2018.12.027 Submitted in REF2

  5. Moosmayer, D. Laasch, O., Parkes, C., and Brown, K. Editors (2020) The Sage Handbook of Responsible Management Learning and Education London Sage Publishing. (A seminal academic reference book for researchers).

4. Details of the impact

The main beneficiaries of the work of Winchester academics include;

1.The UN backed PRME organisation

  1. Business and Management schools internationally and in the UK

  2. The University of Winchester Business School and impact on the wider University

  3. Alumni/young business leaders

  4. International and local businesses and community groups

1. The UN backed PRME organisation

Professor Murray was a Founding PRME Task Force member and Professor Parkes worked in key roles with PRME for over a decade. This included being invited to make an address at the UN to Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in 2014 [5.1] advocating for the role of PRME and Higher Education in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which was acknowledged by Ban.

Professor Parkes’ leadership and advocacy from her research on PRME resulted in the first change to the 6 UN PRME Principles since their inception in 2007. This was included in the ‘Outcomes Declaration of the PRME Global Forum 2017’. The change emphasized the importance of ‘our own organizations’ practices as role models (in ‘walking the talk’) and to ensure that our own practices are consistent with what we teach and research [3.2]. Principle 2 – Values now reads as follows: We will incorporate into our academic activities and curricula as well as in our organisational practices, the values of global social responsibility as portrayed in international initiatives such as the United Nations Global Compact [5.2, 5.3].

Professors Parkes’ recognition through a ‘PRME Pioneer Award’ for ‘leadership and development of PRME’ in teaching and research around the world and her appointment as UN PRME Special Advisor [5.3] led to her work being used as a framework for other PRME Regional Chapters. Examples include: North America Chapter Chair: “ Professor Parkes work on PRME and her research was invaluable in providing direction not only on how to establish but also in how to maintain the NA governance and management was exemplary”; Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Chapter Chair: “ The interventions and research work you have shared with us in the MENA Chapter has certainly added value and helped us establish a plan for our work” and Chapter Chair France/BENELUX: “We learned a great deal from you in building our PRME chapter. It was great to have your work as an exemplar and support over recent years’” [5.4].

2. Business and Management schools internationally and in the UK In January 2016, Winchester became a PRME Champion School for 2016/7 and was reappointed for 2018/19 and 2020/2021. In this, our research work is used collaboratively with the broader international PRME community to contribute to UN goals and issues, particularly helping to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through implementing the Six PRME Principles. This includes playing a leading role in the development of the PRME Regional Chapter - UK & Ireland, in assuming the Secretariat for the Chapter, playing host to the Chapter’s first Conference in 2014 and in being home to the Founding and recent Chapter Chairs Professor Alan Murray (2013 – 2014) and Professor Carole Parkes (2014 – 2017). This work led directly to other Business and Management Schools adopting and implementing the PRME Principles. An example of this is Dr Roz Sunley and Professor Carole Parkes (with US academic Prof. J. Leigh) who led a plenary interactive session at the UN Global Forum 2017 with 400 PRME academics from around the world and based on the book ‘ Educating for Responsible Management’ [3.4]. A similar event was held in Winchester in 2018. Evidence from international academics using the research and publication includes a Swiss academic: “ Becoming aware of the research work of colleagues in the UK gives me confidence to implement more of these ideas in my own teaching”; Indian academic: “ Sunley and Leigh’s concepts of ambiguity, complexity and authenticity used here provide a more realistic platform for my approach to teaching responsible management”. INCAE Business School academic in Costa Rica: “ Using the Responsible Management Transformational Model by Escudero, Parkes et al led to us adopting a ‘top-down, bottom-up’ approach in our implementation of PRME” [5.2,5.4].

Winchester research has also impacted on UK academics and their institutions in the following ways: “ As an academic in the UK Higher Education sector (Plymouth University) this has hugely informed and influenced my own research as well as my teaching and learning practice in the Business School especially in supporting the embedding of the values of social responsibility in all that I teach about business and management”; “ Carole Parkes’s work guided myself and my colleagues at the University of Birmingham Business School in embedding PRME and producing our first report. She also inspired us to get more involved in PRME”; “ Carole Parkes’s work in PRME is multi-faceted and s he never fails to inspire through her insightful analysis but importantly she is a doer and furthermore she inspires positive actions in others (including myself and colleagues - her contribution to the field cannot be overstated.” London School of Fashion [5.5].

3. The University of Winchester Business School and impact on the wider University

As a result of the work of key Winchester academics, PRME plays a central part of the University of Winchester Business School’s vision of creating of a more equitable and sustainable economy and society. The work of the School’s academics (and the fact that the Principles align so closely to the values and mission of the University) has directly impacted on the development of a new 10-year University Strategy (2020-2030) set around the SDGs that informs our strategies and polices relating to teaching, research and external engagement across the University. Parkes was a key member of the strategy working group. The strategy states: “Together with our students, we will prioritise sustainability and social justice in every aspect of our work, in particular, supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. This includes new programme teaching policies that all students, regardless of discipline, will have education on the SDGs [5.6].

One example of this is provided in the analysis of the choice of Business School dissertations related to sustainability and social justice over the last 6 years (and determinants for that choice). The research indicates that the integration of this agenda at Winchester has led to an increase in dissertations in this area (from 20% in 2014 up to 60% in 2017/8) [5.7]. In 2018, Parkes developed methodologies (with Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS) part of the National Union of Students) for research in benchmarking the SDGs in all University curricula that led to policy and practice changes across the whole University. The methodology has since been directly adopted by De Montfort and Liverpool Universities and influenced the approach of Kings College London, London School of Economics, Worcester and Chester Universities [5.8].

**4. Alumni/Young Business Leaders **

Evidence from Alumni and young business leaders shows that students leaving the University of Winchester take their commitments to sustainability and social justice (developed during their time at the University) into their workplaces and communities. Example quotes include: “ At Winchester, I became more interested in environmental sustainability and realised that it was a much bigger issue than I previously thought and a determination to fulfil my role in contributing to this”; “ the University helped foster my environmental and ethical mindset”; “ I did have a completely sceptical view on the possibility of being environmental sustainable and being profitable, I now know that being sustainable is a process which requires a daily review on how our impact could be reduced as well as how it could introduce better practices, and innovative plans in my workplace”; “ insights at Winchester provoked interest and exposure to sustainable business, which has led to me aiming to build a career in environmental sustainability for business and I have set up my own small business to do so”; “ Education helped dispel the myths in the media about sustainability and convinced me to champion this in my workplace (in the car industry) and that is what I have done” [5.9]. These examples are a local snapshot of the international impact this work is having on the next generation of business leaders.

5. International and local businesses and community groups

Winchester research on the Sustainable Development Goals [3.5] - used at a SDG Roadshow in April 2018 – ‘Making Global Goals Local Business Winchester’ in collaboration with the UN Global Compact UK and a ‘Strategy Day’ with BITC (Business in the Community Southern Board) led to incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into businesses’ corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategies. This included Southern Cooperative Retail UK , “ Although the Coop is known for its social responsibility, Winchester’s work on the SDGs highlighted at the SDG Roadshow (and the BITC strategy day) has led to us using the SDGs to frame our work” and Unipart UK “ We are now using the SDGs to engage the Board in this agenda” [5.10].

Internationally, Hutton’s collaborative research related to SDG 1 – No Poverty and SDG 2 Hunger [3.5] ‘Food Access for All: Empowering Innovative Local Infrastructure’ laid the foundation for the development of community-based solutions. In 2019, a Hunger Task Force in the US used developments of the research in a federal grant application and were subsequently awarded a for 4-year grant for the project to support their Mobile Market programme [5.10].

5. Sources to corroborate the impact

  1. Invitation letter to Professor Carole Parkes address Ban Ki Moon at UN event in 2014 and summary.

  2. UN PRME Six Principles: and Transformational Model for integration of PRME

  3. Professor Carole Parkes was recognized as a ‘PRME Pioneer’ and appointed as Special Advisor to United Nations backed PRME at the 10th Anniversary in 2017.

Letter of appointment outlining impact attached and link: https://www.winchester.ac.uk/news-and-events/press-centre/media-articles/united-nations-honour-for-university-of-winchester-professor-of-management.php

  1. Evidence from international academics using the research and publication in their teaching and learning strategies.

  2. Evidence from UK based academics on how they used this in their own institutions.

  3. University of Winchester strategy and policy documents related to integration of SDGs https://www.winchester.ac.uk/about-us/our-future/our-strategy/

  4. Winchester’s PRME Sharing Information on Progress Report 2018 https://www.winchester.ac.uk/media/content-assets/documents/PRMEFINALREPORT8November-compressed.pdf

  5. Evidence from National Union of Students on adoption of Curriculum methodology being adopted by other HEIs.

  6. Alumni and Young Leaders survey.

  7. Evidence from business organisations and community organisations that adopted the SDGs in their organisations and follow up work by the academics with the businesses. This includes evidence from collaborators with a Hunger Task Force in the USA.

Submitting institution
University of Winchester
Unit of assessment
17 - Business and Management Studies
Summary impact type
Societal
Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
No

1. Summary of the impact

Our research brings together diverse authorities with responsibilities for protected areas, local economies, and residents’ health and wellbeing. Through this collaborative network our research has: strengthened protected area management and significantly refined how experiential and perceptual qualities, particularly of tranquillity, are managed; enhanced policy formulation, planning practices, green space designs and improved public services; increased public information on health and wellbeing properties of green spaces; and spearheaded what has become an established programme of wellbeing activities in these areas, enhancing public health and wellbeing.

2. Underpinning research

Successfully managed protected areas are essential for conserving biological diversity, maintaining ecosystem balance, building environmental and human resiliencies to climate change, maintaining water quality and controlling the spread of zoonotic diseases and pests. These iconic landscapes and their experiential and perceptual qualities, particularly of tranquillity, are central to economic strategies based on tourism development. Building on these multiple benefits, public access to these areas enhances our health and wellbeing.

Despite their importance, many protected areas are threatened. Their management is complex, often involving multiple authorities, whose diverse remits and working practices in silos, have resulted in natural resource-related conflicts. To overcome this, we began building a network around the application of research undertaken in the project Broadly Engaging with Tranquillity (BET) Research, Dorset, 2014 [3.1, 3.2]. Funded by a £95,000 ESRC Knowledge Exchange grant, BET from its inception, established a project design that forged co-working amongst a multidisciplinary team of academics with practitioners from managing authorities.

Common interests in understanding how tranquillity is experienced is derived from authorities’ recognition that tranquillity is a much-sought after protected area quality and where achieved, enhances environmental and public wellbeing. Thus it is regularly promoted in tourism and managed through national planning policies and management plans. Yet tranquil experiences are highly subjective, interpretations are ill-defined and most commonly, are related simply to noise. Additionally, few previous attempts to define it by engaging the breadth of institutional stakeholders, visitors, and local residents were evident and thus, policy aims to preserve ‘tranquillity’ have been ambiguous and informed by expert opinion [3.2].

The BET team of academics and practitioners, led by Professor Hewlett, set out to address this issue through democratising the few approaches previously undertaken. Using mixed methods that exploited technological progress and encouraged broad public engagement, BET enabled knowledge transfer to enhance planning policy, management strategies, professional practice and delivery of public services [3.1, 3.2].

BET focused on 301 square kilometres of the ‘Purbecks’, within the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Methods included focus groups with representatives from local businesses, institutions and community groups, a household survey and a series of visitor onsite surveys, resulting in nearly 22,000 views. Hewlett and colleagues then used GIS (Geographic Information Systems) modelling to create maps that showed high and low tranquillity zones in accordance with stakeholder views gathered. More than 100 tranquillity models were constructed in GIS at 5m resolutions: a significant advancement on the 250-500m course resolutions achieved in previous research. The findings demonstrated that whilst noise was one factor in describing the absence of tranquillity, all participants related tranquillity to the absence of people and man-made objects, except those associated with cultural heritage [3.2]. Specifically, views could be discerned by gender, age group and were influenced by participants’ previous experiences of naturalistic environments and tranquillity was considered a much-valued quality for enhancing people’s wellbeing. Visitors’ interests were additionally determined as affecting how tranquillity was experienced in a second project, conducted in North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills AONB, 2016, progressed in collaboration with Dr Christopher Brehme, Keene State College, New Hampshire, U.S. [3.3].

To extend BET’s geographical reach and application of its methods, stakeholders commissioned refinements to the BET modelling process in 2018 so that assessments could be carried out faster. This led to an international research collaboration [3.4] and has inspired a national programme of enquiries, extending our research on subjective landscape qualities to maximise their benefits for public health and wellbeing, and focusing specifically on the views of those classed as chronically ill, to understand how greenspaces might be redesigned to encourage greater public interactions with nature. Our findings have challenged the notion that subjective qualities of landscape are too complex to influence policy and practice [3.1, 3.2].

3. References to the research

  1. *Hewlett, D., Brown, L. (2018). Planning for Tranquil Spaces in Rural Destinations through Mixed Methods Research. Tourism Management. 67. August 2018. pp 237-247. Submitted in REF2.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.01.011

  1. *Hewlett, D., Harding, L., Munro, T., Terradillos, A., & Wilkinson, K. (2016). Broadly Engaging with Tranquillity in protected landscapes: a matter of perspective identified in GIS. Landscape and Urban Planning. 158. pp.185-201. Submitted in REF2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.11.002

  2. Brehme, C, Wentzell-Brehme, S & Hewlett, D. 2018 Landscape values mapping for tranquillity in North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills AONB. International Journal of Spa & Wellness https://doi.org/10.1080/24721735.2018.1493776

  3. Guzman, V., Garrido-Cumbrera, M., Brace, O., Hewlett, D., Foley, R. (2020) Health & Wellbeing under Covid-19: The GreenCOVID Survey. Irish Geography. Vol. 53, No. 2. November 2020. DOI:10.2014/lgj.v53i2.1420. Commentary.

Outputs 3.1 and 3.2 were assessed for quality by anonymous external reviewers, scoring 3* and 4*.

4. Details of the impact

BET has spearheaded the construction of a transformative network of 65 members, collaboratively progressed 22 related projects, and produced a research programme on landscape qualities and their effects on people’s health and wellbeing [5.1 & 5.2]. An international audience has been achieved with Hewlett’s expertise engaged in IUCN’s Global Taskforce on Protected Areas and COVID19 and with their Health & Wellbeing Research Group. BET’s influences on national bodies of knowledge are supported through: discussions on BET’s findings at the Campaign for Protection of Rural England’s (CPRE) policy seminar on Tranquillity in 2016 [5.3] and at Planning Officers’ Forums, to embed wider ideas of tranquillity [5.4]; and BET’s publication in: i) professionally peer-reviewed journals, 'Landscape' Summer 2018 [5.5]; ii) informing technical guidance on tranquillity planning, provided by Landscape Institute, March 2017 [5.6] audience reach <8,000; the National Association of AONBs’ guidance documents to UK members (ca. 500), on best practice for the compilation of AONBs’ statutory management plans (2017) [5.7].

BET’s regional impacts are evident through the following examples which focus on Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). AONBs oversee the conservation of nationally important landscapes and have directly benefitted from BET’s research programme, described by the Dorset AONB (DAONB) as “broad and significant to our role and ongoing work” [5.1]. Impacts include:

1. Impact on organisational thinking and capacity

Since its inception, BET’s approach has united experts from environmental, economic and public health disciplines in Dorset Council and the DAONB team. The implementation of BET’s findings, ‘hugely developed [DAONB’s] thinking and understanding of theory and professional practice’ [5.1]. It inspired the development of a network of representatives from the public and charitable sectors, across the county, and through this network, multiple projects have been co-produced including ‘Stepping into Nature’ and ‘Peaceful Paths’ (see below).

Equally, following Hewlett’s keynote presentation on BET and two workshops held by South Devon AONB (SDAONB), September 2016 and March 2017, BET and its applications, ‘ really inspired’ more than 70 delegates (comprised planning specialists, greenspace managers, charities, local borough and district councils) across Devon to ‘ explore tranquillity and its benefits, far further than we would have considered’ prior to Hewlett’s presentation [5.2]. These events ‘brought together for the first time’ in Devon, representatives of National Parks, AONBs, economic development, public health and transport planning. Previously the planning process for property developments didn’t adequately account for the impact of developments on the tranquillity of an area and the associated visitor experience. This work gave SDAONB increased insights and tools to inform and enhance planning decisions and help manage the impact of developments leading to the creation of new Technical Advisory Notes for planning processes [5.2]. Devon’s Landscape Policy Group and Devon AONB network have committed to developing this work, including using data in developing Management Plans, policies, interventions and public campaigns [5.2].

1. Impact on delivery of national planning and land management policy

BET’s findings have enabled AONBs to implement national planning policy [5.1] and informed the compilation of SDAONB and DAONB’s Management Plans 2019-2025. The data coming from BET will be mapped by SDAONB and worked ‘ into our Landscape and Seascape Character Assessments’ for which ‘ tranquillity evidence is a key element’ [5.2]. SDAONB are using BET findings in their work to implement and monitor targets set in Defra’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme ‘Test & Trials’, (2020), ‘as the cornerstone of the government’s new agricultural policy’ [5.2].

Based on insights from BET research, DAONB’s Management Plan, and paragraph 9.2.1 [5.1] links tranquillity with beautiful locations, building on increased staff understanding that visual factors are important in experiencing tranquillity. Tranquillity as measured by BET, is used directly as a key indicator for monitoring the state of the DAONB in its Strategic Environmental Assessment 2018. This data accompanied the Management Plan and is actively deployed in directing the AONB’s restorative environmental activities [5.1].

Findings from BET’s application in Howardian Hills AONB (HHAONB) informed objectives formulated in its 2019-2024 AONB Management Plan [5.8], specifically to ‘encourage the mitigation of intrusive features, to enhance the local landscape character and tranquillity of the AONB’ [5.8]. BET’s findings informed the AONB’s maintenance of tranquillity by providing the rationale and strengthening the case for continued funding of a litter clearance programme and informed the AONB’s responses to planning applications, particularly where noise and/or light pollution is a concern [5.8]. A senior representative of HHAONB states “ The results should make the Howardian Hills more attractive and tranquil for both residents and visitors, as our policies are underpinned by rigorous science” [5.8].

1. Impact on professional practice

Our findings have directly affected the way DAONB staff are expected to understand the nature and value of tranquillity. Staff induction, performance review and personal development processes have, since 2016, included elements to embed tranquillity as a consideration in all employees’ activities [5.1].

This increase in staff awareness and insight on the public value of tranquillity has increased staff capacities and understanding and between 2015 and 2020, as part of statutory remits on development control, the DAONB team made 246 advisory responses to planning applications referencing tranquillity, including ten for telecoms masts and ten for the installation of solar renewables. BET data were directly consulted in many of these assessments [5.1]. DAONB has no capacity to track outcomes of all decisions taken however, it can confirm, ‘a proportion of those 246 cases which we recommended refusal because of unacceptable impacts on tranquillity, will have been refused planning permission by the relevant local authorities’ [5.1].

Increased insight from BET, enhanced SDAONB capacity in the design of their practical interventions to identify and maintain tranquillity in the AONB and to manage visitor pressure in sensitive areas, especially in relation to conserving their environmentally sensitive coastline [5.2]. Directly informed by BET, DAONB leisure management activities have been informed by BET in terms of their implementation of national planning policy on enhancing public access to nature, and their decisions taken on options assessments for new off-road cycling routes [5.1].

Snowdonia National Park Authority, the Lakeside, Arnside and Silverdale, Solway Coast, and North Pennines AONBs commissioned, in March 2020, BET modelling to help manage tourism and inform their local planning decisions [e.g. 5.9].

1. Impact on public health and well-being

The award-winning, Stepping into Nature (SiN) project, run by DAONB from 2017-2020, was inspired by BET and adopted BET’s collaborative design and focus on experiential and perceptual qualities of landscapes to enhance public wellbeing, through which SiN has engaged with 14 additional healthcare and activity providers. SiN facilitates contact with nature for older people, particularly those with dementia and their carers, and has attracted £706,144 from National Lottery Community Funds, through which 2,646 nature-based activities for 827 people were created: 53% of which had no previous experience of connecting with nature, and 91% expressed their intentions to continue attending SiN activities and/or visit nature spots in Dorset [5.10]. Informed by BET’s findings, SiN identified and enhanced 18 greenspaces for access by older people, through improvements in access and by enhancing green infrastructure, and with increased public information SiN has resulted in over 9,000 people engaged in 60 events, talks presentations and workshops and further enabled understanding of dementia awareness, with 214 front-line staff and volunteers receiving training [5.1]. SiN uses BET (refined and renamed for SiN as Peaceful Paths) to evaluate the chronically ill’s experiences of accessing greenspaces and how this effects their wellbeing to provide more evidence for enhancing additional greenspace designs through the Dorset planning system [5.1]. SiN’s successes are publicised as a national case study amongst AONBs and Public Health authorities alike, informing public health and nature based governmental reports, and have inspired a further county-wide health and nature collaboration among AONBs, resulting in ‘Picnic in the Parks’, promoting people’s access to nature in urban greenspaces (attracting ca.1,200 people each year, 2017-2019) [5.1]. SiN received the 2016 Bowland Award at the Landscapes for Life National Conference for its work in Dorset [5.1].

In addition to SiN’s promotions, BET’s findings were presented in DAONB forums, 2014, 2018 and 2019: county-wide events, promoted to professionals and wider public, they attract more than 100 people each year. BET’s findings have been widely promoted on DAONB’s website on tranquillity [5.1], and informed an article written by a representative of DAONB for Dorset Magazine, December 2019 (circulation 40,000), describing tranquillity’s importance for environmental and public wellbeing [5.11].

5. Sources to corroborate the impact

  1. Letter from a senior representative of Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, January 2021.

  2. Letter from a senior representative of South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, December 2020.

  3. CPRE Policy Seminar Agenda, July 2015.

  4. SE, E & SW Protected Landscapes Planning Officers Group, Meeting Agenda, February 2016.

  5. ‘Tranquillity baseline’ Landscape, the Journal of the Landscape Institute, Summer 2018, p40. https://issuu.com/landscape-institute/docs/landscape_journal_2018_2_summer

  6. Tranquillity – An overview, Technical Information Note 01/2017, Landscape Institute.

  7. Letter from a senior representative of The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, April 2020.

  8. Letter from a senior representative of Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, March 2020.

  9. Letter from a representative of Friends of the Lake District, March 2020.

  10. Stepping into Nature Evaluation Report (2017-2020): Part 1 Impact, Public Health Dorset, September 2020.

  11. ‘Love your landscape’ Dorset Magazine, December 2019.

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Impact global locations

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Underpinning research subjects