Cat Bells - Ullock Moss Car Park Proposals While a new car park might seem the obvious response to parking problems, the proposed 150-space car park for Cat Bells in open countryside at Ullock Moss, Portinscale, is not the solution. Expand 4th February 2021 Like many people, we fully recognise the ongoing and growing issues relating to parking and vehicle numbers in the Portinscale and Catbells area, and the need to address these. While a new car park might seem the obvious response to parking problems, the proposed 150-space car park for Cat Bells at Ullock Moss, south of Portinscale, near Keswick, is not an appropriate solution for a number of reasons. Key reasons we have taken this approach are: The Lake District National Park Authority’s (LDNPA) own clearly stated vision for sustainable transport in the national park hinges on reducing car-based visits and use of more sustainable modes of travel to, from and around the national park. A new car park in open countryside will undermine this plan. The LDNPA’s own planning policies (current and proposed) require that new car parks are only permitted when they are a proven and integral part of a strategic plan for sustainable travel in the area and meet certain other criteria. This proposal is not part of a strategic plan and does not meet the other criteria. The proposal will necessitate and encourage cars to travel through Portinscale village, exacerbating rather than helping to resolve issues there. The proposal is reliant on some measures being agreed and implemented by other parties and there is no assurance of this. A new car park and shuttle bus terminus would not conserve and enhance the character and special qualities and attributes of the National Park and World Heritage Site, including tranquillity, as is required by planning policy and legislation. We have set these out in our letter of objection to the plans and urge our members and supporters to do the same. You can read it here: Ullock Moss response (pdf) Comments on the proposal can be made to the Lake District National Park Authority until the 5th March. Please quote application reference number 7/2020/2291. Further instructions for commenting on planning proposals are available here. 20th January 2021 Before Christmas a planning application was submitted to the Lake District National Park for a new car park at Ullock Moss, south of Portinscale, close to Catbells. The area had been used for temporary parking last summer. The applicants had carried out some pre-application consultation at the time and we made our concerns clear at the time which can be seen in our initial response.Members and supporters may wish to look at and comment on the application. Comments can be accepted up until the 5th March. The application can be viewed on the Park Authority website.Follow this link and enter planning reference number 7/2020/2291 in the search box to view the latest information for this proposal on the Park Authority website. 29th July 2020 We have today submitted a written response to the consultation Ullock Moss, Portinscale Car Park. We very much welcome the principle of managing the situation around access to Catbells and in principle may support the idea of park and ride type proposals. However, we think there are a number of issues around this particular location. Read our full response here> 29th June 2020 A pre application consultation is being carried out by Crosby Granger Architects for a proposed car park at Ullock Moss, Portinscale. We think the proposal raises concerns around the principle of a car park at this location, how this fits with planning policy and potential landscape impacts upon the site and its surroundings. We will be looking carefully at the proposal and responding accordingly. The link below provides information on the proposal and a link to survey monkey for your views. The consultation runs until 31 July. https://www.crosbygrangerarchitects.co.uk/ullockmoss/ Banner image by: Ian Brown
West Cumbria Coal Mine Friends of the Lake District welcomes Cumbria County Council’s decision to rethink the Whitehaven coal mine. Expand Update 10th February 2021 Friends of the Lake District welcomes Cumbria County Council’s decision to rethink the Whitehaven coal mine Commenting on Cumbria County Council’s decision to reconsider their earlier decision to approve the Whitehaven coal mine, Douglas Chalmers said: “The increase in carbon emissions from this mine alone would amount to more emissions than the Climate Change Committee has projected for all open UK coal mines up to 2050. A new mine jeopardises the UK’s goals of phasing out coal by 2035, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as well as undermining the UK’s COP26 Climate Change Conference Presidency and international credibility. We do not need the mine, 85% of the coal to be produced is for export. “The County Council has the chance to show real leadership in the fight against climate change by recognising Cumbria’s potential to be at the heart of a Green Industrial Revolution. Mining jobs have a fixed timespan. Instead, there is the potential to create jobs that will be sustainable into the future by maximising Cumbria’s significant renewable energy resources and innovating sustainable alternatives to traditional manufacturing processes. Then we could all look forward to the future Cumbria deserves rather than regretting a missed opportunity.” FAQs about the proposed Coal Mine Q: The mine is for coking coal to make steel not for power stations generation, so it's OK isn't it?A: We understand that the coal is for coking plants. It still has a huge carbon cost. The total emissions from the mine (420 million tonnes of CO2) will exceed the whole of the UK’s carbon emissions in 2018. You can read more about this here https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/resources/The_case_against_new_coal_mines_in_the_UK.pdf Q: No one has invented a substitute for steel and it has to be made somewhere. The alternative to the Cumbrian mine is imported coking coal or exporting the steel making jobs.A: The steel industry is fast moving away from using coking coal. By the time the coal mine is up and running, Europe’s steel industry (where the 85% of the coal not used in the UK is supposed to go) will be quickly moving away from use of coking coal and towards hydrogen. Steel making using coking coal is old, dirty technology and the steel industry is quickly innovating to ensure they bring their carbon emissions down https://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2021/02/09/why-europe-doesnt-need-cumbrias-coking-coal/ Q: Imported coal will only ADD to carbon emissions as transport will have to be taken into consideration.A: If there were savings from reduced transportation of coal, these would not cancel out or neutralise the emissions from the mine operations. In the context of the UK’s target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and global efforts to keep carbon emissions in line with a scenario compatible with no more than a 1.5*C increase, absolute reductions of emissions are required, rather than balancing off one set of emissions against another. Q: Without this source of coal the future of British steel is threatened. However burning coking coal won't go away to salve our conscience, it will just move to China where environmental protection is less enforced than in Britain, won't it?A: British Steel will only be using 15% maximum of the extracted coal. Using the import/export emissions argument, the 85% of coal exported from the UK will also cause emissions. British Steel is also moving towards lower carbon models of manufacturing, so it’s unlikely that not opening Woodhouse Mine will cause British Steel to collapse. Q: West Cumbria is a deprived area, with high unemployment and low wage jobs. This mine would help reverse that.A: The Local Government Association estimates that there will be nearly 900 jobs created in West Cumbria thanks to the development of green and low carbon technologies such as offshore wind and low carbon energy generation. We need to take a step for the future now rather than putting it off again and leaving the mess for future generations to deal with. Coal used to be one of our backbone industries, when we had fewer alternatives. The world is different now, we know more about how these industries damage the environment, so we need to look for better, cleaner ways of making things. Local Government Association statistics on green jobs in their report “Local green jobs - accelerating a sustainable economic recovery”: https://lginform.local.gov.uk/reports/view/lga-research/estimated-total-number-of-direct-jobs-in-low-carbon-and-renewable-energy-sector Q: The mine would be in Whitehaven, not the Lake District. So why are you objecting?A: Friends of the Lake District covers the whole of Cumbria, and exists to protect the landscape of Cumbria and the Lake District, for the future, for everyone. Q: You're a landscape charity, why are you objecting to this?A: As a charity that campaigns to look after Cumbria and the Lake District, we are very aware of the impact that climate change is having on our landscape and environment. The emissions that this mine will cause will originate from our backyard so to speak. We need to be calling out the danger of climate change to future generations, we need to give them the chance to appreciate the environment of Cumbria and the Lake District. Any process that will increase world carbon emissions this much needs to be opposed. It’s time to force progress on new industrial processes rather than looking back at the old damaging ways of doing things. Update 4th February 2021 Friends of the Lake District signs letter to the Prime Minister protesting the new Cumbria coal mine decision We have joined with 79 other concerned groups and written to the Prime Minister questioning why Robert Jenrick decided not to put the proposed Whitehaven Mine in west Cumbria through a Planning Inquiry process. Read more: Friends of the Lake District signs letter to the Prime Minister protesting the new Cumbria coal mine decision Read the full letter to the Prime Minister about the Cumbria Coal Mine here. 11th January 2021 We were very disappointed to hear on Friday that the Government has decided not to call in Cumbria County Council's decision to allow a new coal mine to be built near Whitehaven. We agree with Friends of the Earth and the World Wide Fund for Nature and others that this is the wrong decision in the face of climate emergency. Read more: Jenrick criticised over decision not to block new Cumbria coal mine 16th October 2020 We, along with several other organisations including the World Wide Fund for Nature, have written to the Secretary of State requesting that he ‘call in’, or reconsider, Cumbria County Council's decision to approve a new coal mine near Whitehaven. An Article 31 holding direction has now been placed on this application, to allow the Secretary of State time to consider whether call in is warranted. This means that Cumbria County Council cannot issue a decision notice until the Secretary of State has decided whether he will call in the application. Our concerns about this proposal relate primarily to climate change, which will affect many aspects of our lives and the environment both within and outside protected landscapes. We recognise that many support the scheme on the basis that it will provide jobs for the area. While this is of course important, we share the view of many others that in the context of climate emergency (as has been declared by the County Council), the economy should be supported in ways that will also help us to avoid or mitigate the issues of climate change, and not in ways that will further exacerbate them or that will make it more difficult to address them. Read more on the BBC website: Whitehaven coal mine approved for third time
Stanley Ghyll Force Viewing Platform We have significant concerns about the proposal for a cantilevered viewing platform at Stanley Ghyll Force, Eskdale. Expand 16th December 2020 This application has now been approved by the Lake District National Park Authority. 27th October 2020 We have significant concerns about the proposal for a cantilevered viewing platform at Stanley Ghyll Force, Eskdale. This is a beautiful, natural and ecologically important gorge and an inappropriate place for such an engineered structure, alien to the environment. Our response can be viewed here: Friends of the Lake District response (pdf) Details of the proposal can be found here https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=7/2020/4074 or by searching for application 7/2020/4074 here https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/wphappcriteria.display
Proposed Car Park at The Swan, Grasmere A new 52-space car park is proposed at the Swan Hotel, Grasmere. We share the local community’s concerns over what this will mean for the landscape and settlement character, Expand 16th December 2020 A new 52-space car park is proposed at the Swan Hotel, Grasmere. We share the local community’s concerns over what this will mean for the landscape and settlement character, light pollution and ambitions to shift to more sustainable modes of travel. The application reference number is 7/2020/5743 - find out more here Read our response to the proposals here
Lake District Local Plan Review The LDNPA has now issued a consultation on the main changes that are proposed to the emerging Local Plan following the Examination hearings in 2019. Comments can be made on the changes between 29th October 2020 and 11th December 2020. Expand Update 9th December 2020 Our response to the Lake District National Park’s consultation on the main changes proposed to the emerging Local Plan can be found here: FLD Main Mods Response (pdf) Update 29th October 2020 The Lake District National Park Authority has now issued a consultation on the main changes that are proposed to the emerging Local Plan following the Examination hearings late last year. Comments can be made on the changes between 29th October 2020 and 11th December 2020. We will be responding to this consultation. If you wish to respond, please ensure you read the guidance on responding to the consultation carefully as this is a formal stage in the plan-preparation process and specific regulations apply. More information about the consultation and guidance on how to respond can be found on the Lake District National Park Authority website at this link Update 24th March 2020 The Lake District National Park Authority has issued a statement on their Local Plan Examination News page to let people know that due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, the expected consultation on changes to the Local Plan will not be held until later in the year. Keep an eye on the Local Plan Examination News page for further updates. The process of preparing the Lake District National Park’s new Local Plan is now in its final formal stages. The Plan will set out planning policies against which all planning applications will be judged, as well as identifying sites for new development. Update 5th February 2020 We are really pleased to see that a number of the changes we suggested to the Lake District National Park’s new Local Plan have been accepted by Inspectors following the Examination hearings late last year. The Inspectors that are conducting and examination into the Plan have issued a post-hearing letter detailing several changes they wish to see to the Plan, some of which require further work to be undertaken by the National Park Authority. These requests are in light of discussions in the hearing sessions and their own consideration of all the various documentation. In particular, we welcome the Inspectors’ agreement with our concerns that a policy setting out locally relevant criteria to determine what constitutes Major Development in the context of the National Park should be included in the Plan. In addition, we welcome the Inspectors’ request that the Authority should, using the new major development policy, reassess which Plan proposals are likely to constitute major development and whether they would pass the exceptional circumstances test. This is particularly relevant in relation to some of the larger housing developments proposed in the Plan and also to proposals for any other significant developments, such as cable cars. Amongst the other welcome changes requested by the inspectors are a reductions in the areas of some of the proposed development sites in the Plan. We drew to the Inspectors’ attention evidence from the previous Local Plan preparation stage that excluded from development a large area of the Sheepdog Field site at Keswick on landscape grounds. The Inspectors have agreed with that assessment. Another site that the Inspectors have asked to be reduced is a large site at Bootle. The Inspectors have also asked for the National Park Authority to provide further evidence into the viability of the proposals in the Plan. Further information about the requests made by the Inspectors can be found here https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1838189/INS012-post-hearings-letter-to-LDNPA-January-2020.pdf It is important to note that the Examination is not yet over. It is likely that there will be a consultation on a more detailed list of changes to the Plan once the further work required to respond to the Inspectors’ letter is completed. This consultation is likely to cover additional issues as well as those that are raised in the Inspectors’ letter. Following that, the Plan will be amended and the Inspectors will issue a final report that will confirm whether or not they consider the Plan to be ‘sound’. Keep an eye out for general updates about the progress of the Examination here https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/local-plan-review/examination/examination-news Update 26 November 2019 Public Examination of Local Plan review begins The Examination of the Lake District National Park Authority’s new Local Plan is under way. The Plan sets out planning policies against which all planning applications will be judged, and identifies sites for new development. The public hearings in front of independent Planning Inspectors run from 26 November until 5 December at the National Park offices at Murley Moss, Oxenholme. We will be giving our view that the Plan needs to re-focus on conservation and landscape enhancement rather than prioritising tourism growth and man-made attractions. Anyone can attend the hearings to observe. Find out more, including hearing timetable, here>. Update 30 October 2019 The process of preparing the Lake District National Park’s new Local Plan is now in its final formal stages. The Plan will set out planning policies against which all planning applications will be judged, as well as identifying sites for new residential and employment development. Two government-appointed Inspectors are currently conducting an Examination of the ‘soundness’ of the Plan and this will include public hearings to be held during the final week of November and the first week of December. Following the hearings, it is likely that there will be a consultation on any changes to be made to the Plan before the Inspectors issue their decision as to whether the Plan is appropriate to be adopted by the National Park Authority as the replacement for their existing plan. You can find out more at https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/local-plan-review/examination Update 7th October 2019 Friends of the Lake District is now in receipt of a draft timetable of the Local Plan hearings. Preliminary hearings are currently scheduled to take place over two weeks commencing 25 November, probably sitting Tuesday to Thursday each week. We have also received a list of the main issues and questions that Inspectors have raised about the content of the Lake District National Park Authority's 'Local Plan' document. The Local Plan document is a set of policies used to inform decisions on planning applications and appeals, and a local planning authority should review its Local Plan at regular intervals to assess whether some or all of it may need updating. In the case of the Lake District, the planning authority is the Lake District National Park Authority and this update will be the key document informing and influencing its planning decisions for many years to come. The Secretary of State has appointed Sarah Housden BA(Hons) MRTPI and Kelly Ford MSc, MRTPI to undertake the independent examination into whether the Lake District National Park Local Plan is sound and complies with all the legal requirements. The criteria for soundness are whether the Plan’s policies are positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. Key points are: A draft timetable has been received for the Local Plan hearings – it can change and it is up to individuals to keep checking the website to ensure they have the latest version (they can change a lot, and can change even during the hearings as the Inspectors have to do their best accommodate those who have the right to speak). Members of the public can attend the hearings but only those who commented on the Publication version of the Plan and seek changes to it have the right to speak – see the Examination Information Note for more details. A list of the main issues and questions that the inspectors have about the plan has also been issued – these indicate what areas/aspects of the Local Plan the Inspectors feel it is necessary to focus on in the hearings. Everyone who commented on the Publication version of the Plan should have received this information directly You'll find further documentation relating to this hearing on the LDNPA website at the following locations: https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/local-plan-review/examination/core-document-library https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/local-plan-review/examination Update 24th July 2019 The recent consultation generated 521 responses from 137 individuals and organisations, according to the Lake District National Park Authority's updated Local Plan review webpage. We expect the Local Plan to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in August. Based on usual procedure for the next stage of this process, we would expect public hearings to take place in November, and we await the next steps with interest. Update 30th May 2019 We have highlighted the Local Plan review previously and the process has now reached the final, formal stages. The final chance to comment on the Lake District National Park’s Local Plan ends at 5pm on Monday 3rd June. It is important that anyone who wants to see changes to the Plan before it is finalised makes their response by this deadline as at this formal stage, it is unlikely late responses will be considered. You can find out more and submit your comments here https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/local-plan-review We will be submitting our response before the deadline – you can read what we have to say below: Read our final response to this consultation here, with cover letter here. The new Local Plan will inform new development in the National Park over the next 15 years. Update 20th May 2019 Tourism growth and the landscape - Our concerns about the ability of the Lake District to cope with ever-growing numbers of visitors and a focus on tourism-related developments and the growth of ‘attractions’ remain. The Plan notes current numbers of tourists and the steady increase of around 5% per year but it does not acknowledge that this means there’ll be 45.9million tourists per year by the end of the Plan period compared to 20m now. Many ways in which related issues can be addressed lie outside of the planning system, but we’d like to see the planning policies clearly recognising this and the impacts it will have. This includes ensuring that developments protect landscape character, the Special Qualities and the visitor experience but it also requires a strong focus on supporting those activities that clearly represent quiet enjoyment and modes of travel that reflect he designation rather than promoting built ‘attractions’, activities and transport options that are at odds with the designations, legislation and policy that protect the Lake District. Update 15th May 2019 Light pollution and tranquility – In our response to the previous consultation, we asked for consideration of a policy or policies covering dark skies, light pollution and tranquility. Update 1st May 2019 The Lake District Local Plan - Affordable Housing - We are concerned that the Local Plan sets the site size threshold for requiring affordable housing on new developments at 5 or more. It was previously set at 3 in the previous local plan and the earlier draft of this local plan. We accept this reflects a change to National Policy, but a recently adopted local plan document for the Arnside & Silverdale AONB shows that where there is local evidence and justification, a different approach is acceptable. In order to reflect local evidence of affordable housing need and the stated aim of maximising affordable housing delivery, we would like the original threshold of 3 to be reinstated, or for the Plan to be supported by evidence as to why the threshold of 3 could not be retained. Final public consultation on the revised Lake District Local Plan runs until 5pm on June 3rd. This consultation represents your last real chance to get involved and influence the content of the park’s ‘Local Plan’ so we would urge you to submit a response online and make yourself heard. Visit the link for more information on submitting your response. https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/news/local-plan-consultation-now-open Update 23rd April 2019 Major development and the Gondola We are concerned that some of the proposals in the Local Plan have the potential to be major development. This includes some allocations, some developments proposed in the distinctive area polices and some proposals in the showcase areas and infrastructure policy. National planning policy includes a presumption against major development in national parks. We think that proposals in the plan should therefore be supported by evidence to demonstrate either that they are not major development and why OR how they meet requirements to be an exception to this policy. Although specific reference to a gondola cable car at Whinlatter has been removed, the LDNPA has made clear that it is still an option. The Plan cannot list specific projects that would not be suitable, but we would like the Plan to make clear that gondolas, and similar development undoubtedly has the potential to be major development and is therefore highly unlikely to be appropriate or acceptable in the National Park. Update 16th April 2019 Read our initial response to the revised Local Plan Available at this link: Response to the revised Local Plan Update 8th April 2019 The Lake District National Park Local Plan Consultation is now OPEN Final public consultation on the revised Lake District Local Plan begins today (8th April) and runs until 5pm on June 3rd. This consultation represents your last real chance to get involved and influence the content of the park’s ‘Local Plan’ so we would urge you to submit a response online and make yourself heard. A 'Local Plan' is a set of policies used to inform decisions on planning applications and appeals, and a local planning authority should review its Local Plan at regular intervals to assess whether some or all of it may need updating. In the case of the Lake District, the planning authority is the Lake District National Park Authority and this update will be the key document informing and influencing its planning decisions for many years to come. We welcome some of the changes to the revised plan, but some of our concerns still remain. For example, specific references to the cable car project at Whinlatter have been dropped, but the park authority has made clear that the idea has not been ruled out. A policy identifying 'Showcase Areas' around Windermere, Derwentwater and Ullswater has also been taken out of the plan following concerns that it would intensify tourism development and relax planning controls, but there are still references to showcase areas in the text. You may find it helpful to read our initial response to the revised plan which is available at this link: www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/FAQs/ldnpa-local-plan-review Because this is a legal, formal stage, the rules are very specific on how you should comment and what you can comment on so it is important that you take the time to read the ‘Statement of Representations Procedure’ and ‘Guidance on completing the survey’ before submitting your response. Visit the LDNPA website at the link below to complete and submit your response. You’ll also find the links to supporting documents and guidance on completing the survey. Submit your response We’ll be writing a more detailed response to this consultation in the coming weeks and will make this available online when it is submitted. If you have questions in the meantime or want to let us know your thoughts about the Local Plan then please do get in touch with us by emailing our Planning Officer at [email protected] Update 21st March 2019 Last summer we took part in a consultation on the first draft of a new Local Plan for the Lake District National Park. A 'Local Plan' is a set of policies used to inform decisions on planning applications and appeals. Some 2,700 people responded to last summer's consultation - thank you if you were one of them. In response to the consultation we raised several concerns about the plans, including a focus on economic development rather than landscape conservation; some proposed allocations of land for development and the inclusion of proposal for a gondola cable car at Whinlatter. A revised draft has now been approved by the Lake District National Park Authority for consultation. There have been some welcome changes to the plan, but some of our concerns remain. For example, specific references to the cable car project have been dropped, but the park authority has made clear that the idea has not been ruled out. A policy identifying 'Showcase Areas' around Windermere, Derwentwater and Ullswater has also been taken out of the plan following concerns that it would intensify tourism development and relax planning controls, but there are still references to showcase areas in the text. Some proposed sites for development have been removed from the plan and others have been reduced in size. Changes made to the plan show the importance of residents and anyone else who values the Lake District National Park making their voice heard as part of the consultations. Consultation on the new revised draft will be launched on 8 April for 8 weeks. More details will be in our members' magazine Conserving Lakeland. The revised Plan is already available to read here (pdf). This consultation stage is focused on whether the plan is legally compliant and ‘sound’, that is whether it is ‘positively prepared’, justified, effective and consistent with national policy. Comments at this stage should make clear how they relate to these aspects. Following the consultation, the plan and the comments received during the consultation, will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate (expected July/August) and a Government-appointed inspector will carry out a public examination into the legal compliance and soundness of the plan (expected autumn). On this basis, we expect that the document would be adopted and come into force around May 2020. Therefore, the forthcoming consultation is the last real chance for people to get involved and influence the Local Plan’s content, although anyone who comments at this stage can request to speak at the public examination. Keep an eye on the Lake District National Park Authority’s Local Plan review page for details of how to take part in the consultation. 12th October 2018 We recently met with the Lake District National Park Authority‘s Local Plan Team and are keen to continue a dialogue with them as the Local Plan preparation process continues. We understand that it is likely that consultation on the next version of the Plan will take place in Spring 2019. The Lake District National Park Authority will soon be formally issuing a revised timetable for the Plan’s preparation. We also recently attended the launch of the Lake District National Park Authority’s ‘Smarter Travel: A Vision for Sustainable Visitor Travel in the Lake District National Park, 2018-2040’. This document will sit alongside the Local Plan. We agree that it is crucial to find ways of moving visitors around the Park more sustainably, but we do have concerns about some of the approaches being considered. Although no formal consultation on the document is planned, we will liaise with the Lake District National Park Authority to help ensure that the ambitions set out are taken forward in a way that supports the conservation and enhancement of the National Park. 28th June 2018 We have responded to the Lake District National Park Authority's Local Plan review You can find our comments here 27th June 2018 The consultation on the Lake District Local Plan Review closes on 29th June (this Friday). Please see below for information about how to comment. 12th June 2018 We have put together a page setting out our concerns about the Lake District National Park Local Plan Review. You can find the information here : https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/news/local-plan-review We have uploaded briefing documents for each of the areas of concern. If you would like to respond to the Local Plan Review, you are welcome to use the information we have published. The Local Plan Review closes on Friday 29th June 31st May 2018 We are currently working our way through the Lake District National Park’s Local Plan Review consultation documents. There is a very large volume of information to read and process. We will share more detailed information about our concerns with you by the end of next week (by 8th June). We have already picked out a number of aspects of the plan that we are concerned about including proposed green field site allocations, transport, car parking and above all, a lack of focus on the actual purposes of the National Park to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Lake District. A 'Local Plan' is a set of policies used to inform decisions on planning applications and appeals, and a local planning authority should review its Local Plan at regular intervals to assess whether some or all of it may need updating. Local Plans are generally reviewed every five years and the Lake District National Park Authority is currently in the process of reviewing the Lake District National Park’s Local Plan and asking for public comment. Its public consultation runs from 8 May until 29 June 2018. More information about the consultation is available on the Lake District National Park’s website: http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/planning/local-plan-review
Planning for the Future Consultation on proposals for reform of the planning system in England. We have now submitted our response to the second of the Government’s consultations regarding the national planning reforms. Expand 19 November 2020 We have responded to the Government’s consultations regarding shorter- and longer-term changes to the planning system. Read our full response here. We also contributed directly to the responses made by CPRE, and we share many of their concerns about the significant changes proposed. We will continue to make the case for the landscape, wider natural environment, cultural heritage and rural communities to be properly taken into account as the reforms process unfolds. The Government proposes amendments to both the National Planning Policy Framework as well as legislation to implement the changes and we expect further consultations will take place in relation to these. 27th October 2020 We have now submitted our response to the second of the Government’s consultations regarding the national planning reforms. This consultation sought views on longer term reforms to the planning system, which are set out in their White Paper – Planning for the Future. Our response reiterated some of the concerns in our response to the earlier consultation (see below), as there is some degree of overlap. We also set out that: priorities for the planning system reforms must hinge around acknowledging and addressing the existential threats of climate emergency and ecological collapse the planning recommendations in the Glover Review should be implemented the level of protection for protected landscapes, heritage assets (including World Heritage Sites), and their settings, should be strengthened or at least maintained environmental assessments that inform local plan preparation and decisions on planning applications must be strengthened not watered down we have concerns about the proposed zoning approach and how this, in combination with other proposals, will impact on Cumbria and its protected landscapes we have concerns about over-reliance on generic, nationally-set policies and design-codes, rather than local approaches we have concerns about the Government’s definition of ‘sustainable development’ and how this underpins the whole planning system speed in the planning system must not be at the expense of quality, properly informed decision-making or genuine public engagement Neighbourhood Planning should continue to be supported we welcome proposals such as improved enforcement powers, enhanced data provision and increased use of technology but we also highlighted that these measures would require carefully thinking through, significant resource input and support for local authorities in order to secure the benefits. We continue to share many of the views expressed on the proposed reforms by other organisations such as CPRE – The Countryside Charity. There will be further opportunities to comment on the detail of the reforms. Read our full response here. 2nd October 2020 We have now submitted our response to the first of the Government’s consultations regarding the national planning reforms. This consultation seeks views on the prposed new approach for calculating the number of houses needed and several proposals for short-terms changes to the planning system aimed at supporting the development sector’s recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. Our response sets out our concerns about: the new method proposed for calculating the amount of housing that should be built in each area. The new approach will see an increase in housing numbers of 178% across Cumbria compared with the previous model; the principles on which the planning reforms and the proposed method for calculating the amount of housing are based, which assume that just building lots more houses is, in itself, the primary or sole solution to the ‘housing crisis’, without consideration of measures such as controlling second homes, bringing empty homes back into use or ensuring that new housing meets genuine local needs; the raising of the threshold beyond which affordable housing can be required on a new development; the use of rural exception sites for the Government’s ‘First Homes’ scheme, rather than for affordable housing more generally; allowing Permission in Principle to apply to major development sites. We also made clear that we share many of the views expressed on these issues by other organisations such as CPRE – The Countryside Charity. You can read our full response here. 6th August 2020 We are carefully considering the Government’s announcements regarding changes to the planning system. The changes proposed are significant and will affect many aspects including the way designated landscapes are treated, the role of local planning authorities, how the public can engage with the system and the means by which developers contribute to delivering affordable housing and infrastructure. There are certainly some areas of concern but others that have scope to be positive, depending on detail yet to be published and which will be the subject of further consultations. We will be issuing a fuller statement in due course, as well as preparing a response to the consultation. You can find out more about the proposals and respond to the consultation here https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-future
Local Occupancy Properties We welcome plans to create a definitive list of properties subject to local occupancy clauses in the Lake District following calls from a Keswick Councillor and local residents. Expand 3rd November 2020 Local Occupancy properties We welcome plans to create a definitive list of properties subject to local occupancy clauses in the Lake District following calls from a Keswick Councillor and local residents. Enforcing the proper use of properties with local occupancy restrictions is important, but this is difficult without comprehensive and up-to-date information about which properties are affected. It's vital that a good variety of accommodation options are available for welcome visitors, but a high proportion of properties in Keswick and many other areas of the National Park are second homes or holiday lets. This not only affects the sustainability and viability of a community but also means that there is greater demand to build new homes to make up for the loss of access to the existing housing stock for local people. This makes it especially important that those homes that are restricted to local use are kept that way, and that breaches can be easily recognised and acted upon. https://keswickreminder.co.uk/2020/10/27/new-list-will-pave-way-to-name-and-shame-local-occupancy-holiday-lets/ https://keswickreminder.co.uk/2020/10/26/uproar-over-local-homes-being-used-as-holiday-lets/
St Cuthbert's "garden village" Carlisle Expand Update 29th October 2020 - Carlisle Southern Link Road Consultation The Carlisle Southern Link Road has now been approved by Cumbria County Council Update 14th September 2020 We attended a technical stakeholder workshop in Autumn 2019 to contribute to working up the detailed proposals for the garden village, including reiterating our messages about how the setting of protected landscapes, green infrastructure and sustainable travel should feature in the plans. We were also pleased to learn that the Garden Village will be subject to its own local plan document, meaning that specific policies for the Garden Village will be drawn up against which each of the planning applications will be assessed. Further information and latest updates can be found here. This project is closely linked with the Carlisle Southern Link Road application, which is progressing and which we recently commented on Update 14th September 2020 - Carlisle Southern Link Road Consultation We have recently submitted a response to the planning application for the link road. Whilst we recognise that the link road has Government support and is likely to go ahead, we have reiterated concerns raised earlier in the process about the principle of building the new road, explaining why more sustainable travel solutions should be prioritised. Our full response can be read here Update 15th July 2019 - Carlisle Southern Link Road Consultation We have now submitted our full written response to the Carlisle Southern Link Road public consultation. You can view or download our submission at this link. Carlisle Southern Link Road Public Consultation Response (pdf) Update 29th April 2019 - Carlisle Southern Link Road Consultation Cumbria County Council is currently carrying out a public consultation about proposals for the new Carlisle Southern Link Road. The consultation closes on 12th July. The proposal is closely associated with St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, which will involve around 10,000 homes being built south of Carlisle. Both projects have financial backing from the Government and so are highly likely to go ahead. The consultation enables residents to view and comment on the proposed route of the road and details such as location of junctions and bridges and opportunities for cycle provision and green infrastructure alongside the scheme. Friends of the Lake District will be responding to the consultation in detail once we have had a closer look at the proposals. The consultation can be found online at https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/cslr/ and there are a series of public drop in events in Carlisle (see webpage for details). Update 14 August 2018 We are pleased to see that preferences expressed in our earlier comments for smaller expansions to several settlements rather than one huge extension to Carlisle have been taken on board. We also welcome the many positive intentions set out in the consultation document, particularly for green infrastructure. However, we still have some concerns, including over the scale of and justification for the development; the reliance of the project on increasing road capacity through a southern link road; the likelihood of these positive ambitions materialising in the final plans and the lack of evidence of proper consideration of landscape and visual impacts. Read our latest response here Update 2 August 2018The deadline for the public to respond to this consultation is 10th August. There will be further opportunities to respond further along in the process though. Update 28th March 2018We have responded to the first consultation about the proposed 'garden village' south of Carlisle. The UK government has indicated that it is minded to support the development of an entirely new and very large settlement of up to 10,000 homes to the south of Carlisle and has awarded some initial funding for the development of this concept. Read our full response here.