Cumbria Connect – Access and visitor management planning

Client: Cumbria Connect
Cumbria Connect is a partnership involving farmers, landowners and conservationists with a focus on nature recovery across 42,000 hectares of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. Cumbria Connect is one the largest nature recovery schemes in England and, in its remit, has also led on the application and development phase for a significant Landscape Recovery Project in Cumbria.

At a specific site within the Landscape Recovery project area, increased usage and activities like biking, means growing wear and tear alongside evidence of more detrimental impacts like fire remains, litter, dog waste and ‘guerilla’ bike jumps and berms. Site risks are compounded by pressures on biodiversity, Invasive Non-Native Species and climate change threats like wind blow and wildfire.

Planning Solutions Consulting was commissioned to work with Cumbria Connect, as the named lead on the Landscape Recovery project, to develop an access and visitor management plan for the site with a core focus on user engagement and sustainable management. Our work included a site assessment, engagement with a range of stakeholders, including community gatekeepers, an analysis of the local population base and a review of case example which helped to inform our work. The research and analysis was drawn together which led to the development of the access and visitor management plan in the form of an action plan. Find out more about Cumbria Connect here.

How can we help?
If you have any questions about visitor access or visitor management planning please don’t hesitate to call Richard Linington on 07866 742628 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk