The Partnership's Plan - Lake District National Park
The Partnership's Plan - Lake District National Park The Partnership's Plan - Lake District National Park
• There is immense pressure on our existing housing stock in many areas. This is partly due to the continuing trends of people moving from urban to rural areas for a better lifestyle and those buying second homes or homes for holiday letting. Earnings in many of our rural areas are lower than in neighbouring urban areas due to the reliance on the tourism industry. This makes it difficult for low waged people to compete in an open housing market. At the same time, some stock of social housing has been bought through the Right to Buy Scheme and there has been limited new provision. 3.10.2 Recent activity and successes The Cumbria Sub-regional Housing Group has developed a Housing Strategy 2006-11. A Local Investment Plan has been agreed which will be revised in 2011. This identifies a series of schemes with the majority having funded by the Homes and Communities Agency. Future revisions will encourage housing investment across a broad range of housing unit types. The Lake District Strategic Housing Market Area Assessment (SHMAA, 2009) identifies a need for approximately 2,331 new affordable houses by 2011, yet it will always be difficult to allocate sufficient land and buildings because of our sensitive landscape. This is explained more in the Local Development Framework. Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, and its Community Land Trust Officer, work to support communities to identify local housing need through housing needs surveys. They also help communities set up Community Land Trusts from community plans. Extensive research into second homes is being undertaken. This, with up to date housing needs surveys, will provide accurate data about the scale of the issue. The National Park Authority is also identifying land to allocate for housing development (2010). Recent successes include: • Funding for a Community Land Trust officer to support Community Land Trusts in Cumbria. These trusts are run by the community, developing social and economic assets from housing schemes to community shops. Community Land Trusts often stem from community plans, develop local support for affordable housing schemes and tie into the Government’s Big Society agenda. • The funding of 34 housing needs surveys, undertaken by Cumbria Rural Housing Trust. • Over the period 2007-2010, 117 housing units were completed. 3.10.3 Opportunities The Plan’s approach to housing is to ensure that communities have access to a variety of housing types and tenures to meet identified needs. The emerging Local Development Framework Core Strategy document highlights a lack of affordable housing as the number one complex issue within the National Park, a fact that has been reflected in individual Communityled Plans. Respondents to the Place Survey (2008) stated that affordable decent housing was the top priority in need of improvement. We must also recognise that this is affordable housing for all people, including the elderly. Projected figures illustrate that in 10 years time one in four people in rural areas will be of pensionable age. We need to plan for the impact this may have on our communities and develop an agreed approach to this issue. Currently, many elderly farmers for example have nowhere suitable to retire into. 50
We will work to ensure that rural housing provision does not disappear from the Government’s agenda. We can facilitate joint working, helping to increase land acquisition and ensure new sustainable housing while respecting local character, distinctive design and sensitive locations. 3.10.4 Key partners Key partners include the National Park Authority, District Councils as Housing Authorities, Local Strategic Partnerships, Housing Associations, Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, Parish Councils and Action with Communities in Cumbria, Community Land Trusts and land owners. 3.11 Transport and movement 3.11.1 Facts and challenges • The National Park is served by roads, bus routes, rail links, cycle routes, bridleways and footpaths, and boats on the four largest lakes. Most people live in our towns and villages but the Lake District’s activities, from farming to tourism, rely on a complex rural network. Access to and within our rural areas is the biggest challenge. Public transport is seasonal and limited to more popular areas. Access to the deeper rural areas and out of season becomes difficult without a car. • Car ownership is high compared to County and Country averages, but broadly in line with other National Parks. Yet the Lake District’s transport carbon footprint is significantly higher than other National Parks and nearly double the North West’s average. • Half of personal travel is by residents, mostly for leisure, then shopping and commuting. The other half is visitor travel. Almost three quarters of our eight million tourists each year are day visitors. Most arrive and travel around by car and sight seeing is one of the most popular activities. • Despite being rural, with challenging terrain, we have a relatively good public transport network with a wide range of services. But the network is poorly integrated. Our cycle network is fragmented. Most car users say they would like easy opportunities to use their car less, at least some of the time. • Congestion is common on weekends and holiday periods, particularly on the A591 spine between junction 36 on the M6 to Keswick, and at popular destinations in the central Lake District. This spoils visitors’ enjoyment, residents’ quality of life and affects public safety. People are less likely to take sustainable travel options such as walking and cycling along these routes. • Car parking provision, pricing and quality is inconsistent, as are associated facilities such as toilets and information. 51
- Page 3 and 4: Contents Page Foreword 1 Welcome to
- Page 5: Foreword Having been Chairman on th
- Page 8 and 9: Why is the Plan different and what
- Page 10 and 11: Guiding principles for the Partners
- Page 12 and 13: Links to the Local Development Fram
- Page 15 and 16: PART ONE - What the Lake District l
- Page 17 and 18: History of tourism and outdoor acti
- Page 19 and 20: PART TWO - Where we want to be This
- Page 21 and 22: 2.2 Financial commitments All our w
- Page 23 and 24: World class visitor experiences The
- Page 25: Spectacular landscape, wildlife and
- Page 28 and 29: What does it look like now - Specia
- Page 30 and 31: • There are also challenges from
- Page 32 and 33: There needs to be a supply of local
- Page 34 and 35: • Identify, develop and initiate
- Page 36 and 37: 3.4 Prosperous economy - Actions fo
- Page 38 and 39: Action No. Action How Complete by L
- Page 40 and 41: World class visitor experience - Is
- Page 42 and 43: Underlining these five priority act
- Page 44 and 45: 3.6 Education, access and outdoor r
- Page 46 and 47: Interpretation is more than informa
- Page 48 and 49: Action No. Action How Complete by L
- Page 50 and 51: Action No. Action How Complete by L
- Page 52 and 53: • Cumbria Fells and Dales Local A
- Page 56 and 57: 3.11.2 Recent activity and successe
- Page 58 and 59: 3.13 Vibrant communities - Actions
- Page 60 and 61: Action No. Action How Complete by L
- Page 62 and 63: Spectacular landscape, wildlife and
- Page 64 and 65: The Low-carbon Lake District work c
- Page 66 and 67: Cumbria Freshwater Invasive Non Nat
- Page 68 and 69: • English Heritage’s Scheduled
- Page 70 and 71: The Cumbrian Fells have provided ac
- Page 72 and 73: 3.5 Spectacular landscape - Actions
- Page 74 and 75: Action No. Action How Complete by L
- Page 76 and 77: Action No. Action How Complete by L
- Page 78 and 79: Action No. Action How Complete by L
- Page 81 and 82: PART FOUR - Implementing and monito
- Page 83 and 84: 13 Maintain the number of settlemen
- Page 85 and 86: Annex A Statement of Outstanding Un
- Page 87 and 88: Wordsworth’s Romantic vision, sha
- Page 89 and 90: Annex B The Lake District National
- Page 91: Annex C National Park Profile (2009
- Page 94: A Renewed Focus on Achieving the Pa
• <strong>The</strong>re is immense pressure on our existing housing stock in many areas. This is partly<br />
due to the continuing trends of people moving from urban to rural areas for a better<br />
lifestyle and those buying second homes or homes for holiday letting. Earnings in many<br />
of our rural areas are lower than in neighbouring urban areas due to the reliance on the<br />
tourism industry. This makes it difficult for low waged people to compete in an open<br />
housing market. At the same time, some stock of social housing has been bought<br />
through the Right to Buy Scheme and there has been limited new provision.<br />
3.10.2 Recent activity and successes<br />
<strong>The</strong> Cumbria Sub-regional Housing Group has developed a Housing Strategy 2006-11. A<br />
Local Investment <strong>Plan</strong> has been agreed which will be revised in 2011. This identifies a series<br />
of schemes with the majority having funded by the Homes and Communities Agency. Future<br />
revisions will encourage housing investment across a broad range of housing unit types.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>District</strong> Strategic Housing Market Area Assessment (SHMAA, 2009) identifies a<br />
need for approximately 2,331 new affordable houses by 2011, yet it will always be difficult to<br />
allocate sufficient land and buildings because of our sensitive landscape. This is explained<br />
more in the Local Development Framework.<br />
Cumbria Rural Housing Trust, and its Community Land Trust Officer, work to support<br />
communities to identify local housing need through housing needs surveys. <strong>The</strong>y also help<br />
communities set up Community Land Trusts from community plans.<br />
Extensive research into second homes is being undertaken. This, with up to date housing<br />
needs surveys, will provide accurate data about the scale of the issue. <strong>The</strong> <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong><br />
Authority is also identifying land to allocate for housing development (2010).<br />
Recent successes include:<br />
• Funding for a Community Land Trust officer to support Community Land Trusts in<br />
Cumbria. <strong>The</strong>se trusts are run by the community, developing social and economic<br />
assets from housing schemes to community shops. Community Land Trusts often stem<br />
from community plans, develop local support for affordable housing schemes and tie<br />
into the Government’s Big Society agenda.<br />
• <strong>The</strong> funding of 34 housing needs surveys, undertaken by Cumbria Rural Housing<br />
Trust.<br />
• Over the period 2007-2010, 117 housing units were completed.<br />
3.10.3 Opportunities<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>’s approach to housing is to ensure that communities have access to a variety of<br />
housing types and tenures to meet identified needs. <strong>The</strong> emerging Local Development<br />
Framework Core Strategy document highlights a lack of affordable housing as the number one<br />
complex issue within the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Park</strong>, a fact that has been reflected in individual Communityled<br />
<strong>Plan</strong>s. Respondents to the Place Survey (2008) stated that affordable decent housing was<br />
the top priority in need of improvement.<br />
We must also recognise that this is affordable housing for all people, including the elderly.<br />
Projected figures illustrate that in 10 years time one in four people in rural areas will be of<br />
pensionable age. We need to plan for the impact this may have on our communities and<br />
develop an agreed approach to this issue. Currently, many elderly farmers for example have<br />
nowhere suitable to retire into.<br />
50
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