This Network Plan is a strategic transport planning document developed by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) to plan and guide the development of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure across the Lake District National Park (LDNP). The Plan outlines new walking, cycling and wheeling routes and priority areas for improvement to achieve the objectives of promoting active travel and creating safe, accessible and sustainable infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and horse riders. The Network Plan also serves as a tool for securing funding and to encourage collaboration between stakeholders.
The Network Plan considers the entire LDNP and key settlements outside the LDNP to encourage and improve access into the LDNP.
The primary aim of the Network Plan is to increase the number of people walking, cycling, wheeling and riding in the LDNP.
The objectives of this Network Plan are:
In doing so we agreed to:
The outcomes of this Network Plan are to:
This Network Plan provides a structured approach to planning and prioritising new active travel routes and active travel improvements that will deliver a range of benefits including:
Delivering the ambitions of this Network Plan will need to consider the following challenges:
In March 2024 Active Travel England (ATE) and the 10 English National Parks agreed to work together to develop active travel within these iconic landscapes. In recognition of the importance of active travel in a rural context and the opportunity to facilitate active travel with the millions of people who visit national parks in England each year in addition to national park residents. Capability funding was allocated to each national park to action development work.
This work was to meet ATE’s stated objectives:
We have worked across the National Parks to share good practice and learn from each other and examples elsewhere. Yorkshire Dales National Park and Lake District National Park meet across the M6 to the east, so we have collaborated on complementary recommendations in this area.
In the LDNP our work programme consisted of two studies into active travel in Keswick and in Wasdale and the development of this Network Plan.
The Lake District is England’s largest National Park and has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The outstanding landscape, history and opportunities for recreation and relaxation mean it attracts 18.14 million visitors annually.
As custodian of this special place the Lake District National Park Authority must balance enabling people from all backgrounds to benefit from the health and wellbeing benefits a visit can bring, the reliance of local businesses on visitor income with pressures on the environment and on farming and the concerns of local communities around excessive traffic and parking in some places at peak times.
Our vision for travel in the Lake District is of a place where visitors and residents can experience new opportunities to travel sustainably, where visitors from around the world are attracted to quality, iconic, travel experiences, to the benefit of the economy. Where more visitors will choose to walk, cycle, travel by boat, rail or bus as the best way to discover the spectacular landscape. This will result in:
Encouraging and facilitating active travel is one of the key strategies to enable visitors and residents to travel more sustainably. We also know that visitors are more willing to change behaviour whilst on holiday, and that an enjoyable travel experience on holiday makes visitors more likely to use sustainable travel when they return home, as found in the LSTF Visitor Travel projects evaluation.
We aim to increase the share of visitors who travel actively to minimise impacts on the landscape and communities, to maintain, and where possible enhance, the tranquillity and beauty for which the Lake District is appreciated.
The Lake District has for many years been an iconic location for active travel, with walking and cycling being particularly popular. Opportunities range from climbing England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, to low level accessible walks, wheels or rides.
Our focus has been on caring for over 3000km of rights of way, increasing activities for all abilities and improving routes that will provide alternatives to car travel.
Below is a short selection of active travel initiatives to date. The Lake District active travel webpage will include a more comprehensive list of active travel projects.
Department for Transport and Active Travel England Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy 2022
The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS1, 2017) was updated in 2022, with the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy 2 (CWIS2) setting out updated objectives and investments for active travel in England between April 2021 and March 2025.
CWIS2 sets out the following ambition, which maintains the aim put forward in CWIS1: ‘To make walking and cycling the natural choices for shorter journeys, or as part of a longer journey by 2040’.
DfT’s Gear Change & Cycle Infrastructure Design (Local Transport Note 1/20) (2020)
In 2020, the DfT published Gear Change and its updated Cycle Infrastructure Design (Local Transport Note 1/20). Both publications advance DfT’s ambitions for a step-change in the provision of cycle infrastructure, a modal shift to cycling nationally, and establishing cycling as a form of mass transit. This supports issues related to public health, well-being, the economy and local business, climate change, the environment and air quality, and congestion.
It is recognised that some of the approaches in LTN1/20 may need to be modified in rural areas. Active Travel England are working on a rural design guide, due to be published in 2025.
DfT’s Decarbonising Transport: Setting the Challenge (2020)
Decarbonisation Transport outlines that transport is the largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas emissions, contributing around 34% of all carbon dioxide emissions in 2019.
DfT’s Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain (2021)
The Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) sets out a series of actions to decarbonise transport by 2050 and deliver against the UK Government’s carbon budgets, focusing on ‘in use’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport.
DfT’s Inclusive Transport Strategy: Achieving Equal Access for Disabled People (2018)
The Inclusive Transport Strategy was published in 2018 with an ambition to deliver a transport system that enables disabled people to access and use it confidently. This report highlights a need to consider the requirements of all kinds of disabilities, such as cognitive or sensory impairments, permanent nerve damage, back conditions, and visual impairment, amongst others.
DfT’s LCWIP Technical Guidance (2017)
To assist local authorities, the DfT published guidance which broadly outlines the core elements and tasks that should be considered when developing an LCWIP. The methodology is intended to be flexible and adaptable to a given local authority’s context, geographic scope, and resources.
Manual for Streets (2007 & 2010)
Manual for Streets (MfS) is the UK Government guidance for street design practitioners. It is comprised of MfS1 (2007) which explains how to design, construct, adopt and maintain new and existing residential streets, and MfS2 (2010) which expands on the design advice in MfS1 to include how to plan and improve busy urban and rural streets. Both documents provide useful information on designing less motor traffic-centric streets and their aim is to promote designs that meet the needs of pedestrians and cyclists.
National Planning Policy Framework
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out the government’s policies for planning in England. The framework emphasises the development of high-quality infrastructure to promote active travel, reduce congestion, improve air quality, and enhance physical and mental well-being. It aims to create sustainable and healthy communities by integrating walking and cycling infrastructure with existing transport networks and improving access to key destinations.
Transport for the North Strategic Transport Plan (2024)
The Transport for the North’s (TfN) second Strategic Transport Plan (STP), it sets the vision, strategic ambitions and the North’s long term strategic transport priorities up to 2050. The STP sets out how better connecting the key economic centres across the North can transform economic performance; open opportunities for people, businesses, and communities; and facilitate the rapid decarbonisation of our transport network while recognising the impact of our transport choices on the environment. The Transport for the North Strategic Transport Plan identifies the lack of agglomeration as a key weakness of the North’s economy, and poor transport connectivity as a key barrier to creating integrated labour markets that can drive sustainable productivity growth.
Access and Recreation Strategy, ‘Out there’ 2024-2029
This LDNPA policy sets out our strategy for including our vision for a well-connected access network, fit for purpose in our 21st century with high quality infrastructure, facilities and services which meet the needs of all residents and visitors.
It sets out our priorities and action plan under the four themes:
It is the strategic context for the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). The routes in the LDNPA ROWIP have been reviewed and priority ones have been incorporated into the Network Plan.
Smarter Travel: A vision for smarter visitor travel in the Lake District National Park 2018 – 2040
This was developed by the Lake District National Park Authority and endorsed by the Lake District National Park Partnership.
Our vision for travel in the Lake District is of a place where visitors and residents can experience new opportunities to travel sustainably, where visitors from around the world are served by integrated quality, iconic travel experiences, to the benefit of the economy. Where more people choose to walk, cycle, travel by boat, rail or bus as the best way to discover the spectacular landscape.
This will result in:
Lake District National Park Partnership Management Plan 2020-25
This is a statutory document that all National Parks have to write every 5 years, outlining how we will work with partners to look after the Lake District.
One of the overarching aims of the Partnership Management Plan is to increase opportunities for and use of sustainable and active travel to achieve a 25% increase in the use of monitored active travel routes against a 2019 baseline. Other key outcomes are A Lake District for Everyone, which aims to ensure the Lake District is a place for everyone where all are welcome with particular focus on the identified key audiences of: black, brown and racially minoritized people; people with disabilities, and people from underserved/deprived areas of Cumbria, all with a particular focus on young people.
In 2025, the Partnership Management Plan is being updated, providing us with the opportunity to embed and deliver this Network Plan through the Partnership Management Plan.
Lake District Local Plan 2020 – 2035
The planning process is crucial in helping to achieve more sustainable travel patterns that will help achieve a modal shift away from the car and towards both public transport (bus, rail, coach and boat) and active travel such as cycling and walking, to reduce carbon and improve the environment for both visitors and residents. Policy 21: Sustainable Access and Travel supports the development of sustainable transport infrastructure.
This Network Plan will form a key evidence base document for the upcoming review of the Local Plan to inform sustainable travel policies and securing developer contributions for active travel infrastructure.
Cumbria Transport Infrastructure Plan 2022 – 2037
The Cumbria Transport Infrastructure Plan (CTIP) sets the policy framework for transport and connectivity in supporting sustainable and inclusive growth in Cumbria. The Plan sets out three broad objectives:
The Plan also set out a plan for Active Travel, including the identification of the Strategic Corridors used in this Network Plan.
More detailed plans are being drawn up for each corridor, at time of writing plans for the Heart of the Lakes and Hadrian’s Wall and the West Coast have been adopted, as set out below.
Heart of the Lakes Active Travel Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2037
The Heart of the Lakes Active Travel Infrastructure Strategy sets the policy framework for walking, wheeling, cycling and where appropriate, horse riding through one of the County’s strategic connectivity corridors. The Heart of the Lakes Corridor covers a central proportion of the Lake District National Park, connecting the settlements of Keswick, Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere and Kendal. It is identified in the CTIP as Transport Corridor 4.
Hadrian’s Wall and the West Coast Active Travel Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2037
These strategies outline the strategic approach in the context of the CTIP Strategic Corridors, makes the case for investment and includes a high-level route improvement programme.
The schemes included in the Heart of the Lakes corridor are all included in this Network Plan,
The schemes in the Hadrian’s Wall and West Coast corridor that are in the Lake District National Park or linking into the Lake District are included in this Network Plan.
These strategies were endorsed by LDNPA Committee in 2023.
It is encouraging that our public consultation also highlighted the same schemes as priority projects.
These have been developed by then Cumbria County Council for Carlisle, Workington, Whitehaven, Barrow, Kendal and Penrith. Whilst these plans focus on active travel within the city and towns, this is an important first mile for journeys outside the city and town centres into the wider area, including links to the national park. For example, the Whitehaven plans currently under discussion will help make the start of the route that ultimately leads to the C2C NCN7 route into the Lake District.
There are outline proposals for routes into the national park in Kendal (to the north) and Penrith (to the south and east) although these do not form part of the primary network.
Destination Management Plan (DMP) 2024-2029
Developed by Cumbria Tourism with support from key stakeholders, the DMP includes a range of collective objectives and priorities – alongside a comprehensive action plan – to manage Cumbria’s visitor economy and support the county’s future growth as a great place to live, work, visit and study.
The key objectives of Cumbria’s Destination Management Plan are to:
The responsible and sustainable heading includes actions to improve and promote sustainable and active travel and the inclusive and accessible supports development of accessible routes.
Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership (ZCCP) Emissions Reduction Action Plan (transport and mobility)
Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership brings together 80 public, private, community, charity and voluntary organisations to work together towards the goal of net zero carbon emissions in Cumbria by 2037.
Recognising that transport is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions in Cumbria a Transport and Mobility Emissions Reduction Action Plan has been developed, which includes the ambition to Reduce the demand for car journeys by 15% by 2030 and 25% by 3037 (measured in kilometres travelled). Active Travel plays an important role in this.
Valley Management Action Plans 2025+
At time of writing plans are being developed by a partnership between Cumbria Tourism, Westmorland and Furness Council and LDNPA to set out future aspirations for integrated transport at a valley scale. Plans for the Ullswater and Langdale valleys and the area West of Windermere including Hawkshead are currently in draft stage. LDNPA are also working with partners for a plan for Wasdale.
We are working with the project teams, and the active travel section will include the routes and corridors set out in this Network Plan.
Kendal Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan
A Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is a document that identifies and prioritises cycling and walking improvements at a local level. The Kendal LCWIP provides a prioritised investment plan for cycling and walking over the next 15 years and prioritises a key link into the LDNP between Kendal and Staveley.
In April 2023 Cumbria County Council transitioned to two unitary authorities, Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council replacing the former county and district councils. Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council are responsible for managing and maintaining the highways networks within their respective boundaries shown in Figure 1.
Proposed Mayoral Authority
In December 2024 the government published the English Devolution White Paper and consequently, Cumbria is proposed to be a new Mayoral Combined Authority. The Mayoral Combined Authority is likely to have new transport powers making it easier for people to commute and travel around Cumbria.
