Cars to be banned from parts of the Lake District

[Muppet007]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/14/to...

Sorry if this has been posted before, I did search but could not find another topic on it.

I've mixed feeling on this. Some of the parking and driving in the Lakes is shocking and some areas are far to busy but banning cars seems and step to far.
These places depend on tourists for trade, this could be a very bad move for them.

I love the Lakes (I've just moved here due because of that!!) but I would have doubts of trying of popping over to say somewhere like Great Langdale on a bus with 3 dogs and all the kit we need. I'd also have concerns of the timing. We often finish walks late in the night, I can't see a bus being an option here.

That said, I don't have a better idea...........

[ZedLeg]

That's the thing, do you want wilderness areas to remain as wilderness or to become car parks with trampled, overstressed trails?

If you're going up for a walk, just walk a little farther

[buggalugs]

I agree, something does need to be done but there isn’t an obvious best solution. The bus app thing seems decent - signal issues aside, and as long as it’s a decent service i.e. you’re not stood freezing and knackered for ages after a walk for a bus to turn up.

[toohuge]

Having been recently, it does seem like the car situation is not well managed.

If ( and it's a big if) there was a properly organised, totally car free situation, that could work very well, providing a decent amount of services etc. I feel for the residents though - they'll need cars surely, and if there's a hybrid arrangement in place, it wont work very well at all.

[Equus]

It would certainly murder the local tourist economy.

Question is whether that would really be a bad thing?

I used to manage perfectly well up there as a young teenager, before I learned to drive, but I was a lot more 'hardcore' than the day trippers who go to Windermere for fish and chips and a ferry trip on the lake.

[JagLover]

I have visited the lake district twice and enjoyed both visits.

Pretending you can do so without a car is entirely pointless. If they have issues with congestion in particular towns then build carparks on the outskirts, ring roads, and pedestrianise the centre.

[deckster]

I agree "something has to be done". I spent a huge amount of my childhood & university years tramping around the Lakes but these days I actively avoid going as it's so crowded.

I can see some kind of a permit scheme working. You have a booking at a hotel, or campsite? No worries, in you go. You've booked ahead for a day pass at a designated car park? Great.

You turn up on the day? Park here please and get on the tourist bus.

ETA:

JagLover said:

If they have issues with congestion in particular towns then build carparks on the outskirts, ring roads, and pedestrianise the centre.

Realistically it's not the towns that are the problem. It's the people turning up at Glenridding and abandoning their cars wherever to tramp up Helvellyn, or clogging up the roads in Langdale that cause the issues.

Edited by deckster on Monday 15th November 10:27

[a311]

Grew up and still live here, particularly with COVID travel restrictions the place seems to becoming more and more of a victim of it's own success possibly driven in part by social media etc. It's always been busy in the summer in places like Ambleside and Windermere, in recent years this has spread to pretty much everywhere to a point that some of the traffic and more so parking has become down right dangerous. The B5289 which runs past Crummock, Buttermere and eventually over the Honister Pass was impassable at times this year due to the volume of cars 'parked' on the road, buses couldn't pass fortunate no one needed an ambulance.

I was in Keswick at the weekend and it was rammed (the weather was nice), it seems to have become a year round destination where previously busy in the summer it was more of a walkers rather than day trippers destination. A Premier Inn is currently being built so expect the trend to continue.

My livelihood doesn't depend on the tourist trade, I'm not sure how park and ride would work but something needs to be done IMO.

Edited by a311 on Monday 15th November 10:26

[Mammasaid]

Good, as currently it's a nightmare accessing the roads during busy periods.

I'm local to the area, but not actually in the Lake District, and avoid it when I can. However we do business in the lakes, and we have to add a surcharge just to justify the extra costs we occur.

The LDNPA want to encourage more tourists and but fewer cars. They can't see that there's an obvious conflict there.

Simon Reeve's programme from last night was interesting viewing.

[JagLover]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yes to all those points.

Regarding point 2 I visited Woolacombe since lockdown, both times out of "season" and both times it was FAR busier than it would normally be at those times of year, comparable to how busy it would it would be during school summer holidays in a normal year. If you confine an entire population then the more decent tourist destinations will naturally become very busy.

Edited by JagLover on Monday 15th November 10:29

[Equus]

Perhaps a combination of stiff congestion charges for non-residents, combined with park-and-ride bus services funded by the congestion charge would be a better approach than an outright ban?

[deckster]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The article literally says that it's tourists that would be targeted. Residents & workers would be exempt. And they are already trialling additional shuttle buses.

But don't let that get in the way of a good rant.

[JagLover]

deckster said:

The article literally says that it's tourists that would be targeted. Residents & workers would be exempt. And they are already trialling additional shuttle buses.

But don't let that get in the way of a good rant.

Perhaps tourists don't dream of sitting on a bus to tour the lake district?. Some seem very blase about removing our freedoms to visit the natural beauty of our own country.

If people parking illegally are an issue, perhaps enforce parking restrictions?

[Equus]

JagLover said:

If people parking illegally are an issue, perhaps enforce parking restrictions?

It'd certainly keep the traffic wardens fit.

[Wacky Racer]

Difficult one.

Wainwright hated cars and travelled by bus, but with his multi million selling guide books has done more than anybody to encourage cars into the lake district.

I used to enjoy going much more in the 1970's, much quieter then.

Maybe plenty of Park and rides are the answer?

[Castrol for a knave]

JagLover said:

I have visited the lake district twice and enjoyed both visits.

Pretending you can do so without a car is entirely pointless. If they have issues with congestion in particular towns then build carparks on the outskirts, ring roads, and pedestrianise the centre.

The Ambleside ring road will be a marvel of engineering.

Keswick is already pedestrianised and ringed by car parks, and it's rammed.

The Lakes is a victim of its own success - it's a tourist based economy, that has limited infrastructure and there is limited ability to build more. It is typified by hub towns such as Ambleside, Grasmere, Keswick and Windermere. The first three are notable that numerous smaller roads radiate into valleys that these now struggle to accommodate modern traffic volumes.

[ZedLeg]

JagLover said:

deckster said:

The article literally says that it's tourists that would be targeted. Residents & workers would be exempt. And they are already trialling additional shuttle buses.

But don't let that get in the way of a good rant.

Perhaps tourists don't dream of sitting on a bus to tour the lake district?. Some seem very blase about removing our freedoms to visit the natural beauty of our own country.

If people parking illegally are an issue, perhaps enforce parking restrictions?

You aren't entitled to adversely effect the lives of people who live in a place so you can go for a walk in the country.

[SlowcoachIII]

It would be interesting to see how it works in practice.

My friends and I often go walking in remote places so rely heavily on use of a car for transport and to store dry clothes and provisions for after the walk.

I would use a park-and-ride bus if that became the norm but it would add significant travel time and perhaps even make us cut back some of the longer walks due to having to get a bus back. Would the Lakes be as desirable as a walking destination? For us, probably not. Then again, suppose our only contribution to the local economy is a meal and a few drinks in a pub later on and the purchase of fuel. Pennies in comparison to those who holiday for the duration there.

[CarCrazyDad]

buggalugs said:

I agree, something does need to be done but there isn’t an obvious best solution. The bus app thing seems decent - signal issues aside, and as long as it’s a decent service i.e. you’re not stood freezing and knackered for ages after a walk for a bus to turn up.

Are you serious?
The last thing you want is to be stood around for 30 minutes and have to pay £5 after doing a 6 hour hike. If it's council owned and operated but a free shuttle service, it won't be any more than every 30 minutes as it's simply not worth it, if it's more regular it's going to be more expensive. There are a lack of bus drivers as it is.

Then get onto a smelly , vibrating tube for another 15 minutes with some other people who no doubt have B.O.
If they bothered to make some decent car parking available then the problem would go away. Doesn't need to be a multi story but enough parking for people to use. £5 for all day parking. Problem solved.

Our country is turning into an oppressed one where you can't go anywhere
"cars are illegal here"

You can't even go for a drive (without stopping) to see the sights - HA. Stay in your crowded high rise cities yokel.

Edited by CarCrazyDad on Monday 15th November 10:55

[deckster]

JagLover said:

Perhaps tourists don't dream of sitting on a bus to tour the lake district?. Some seem very blase about removing our freedoms to visit the natural beauty of our own country.

If people parking illegally are an issue, perhaps enforce parking restrictions?

Removing freedoms??? I can tell you've never tried to park at a popular tourist spot in the Lakes at peak times. There ain't nothing free about that.

If you want to look at the view then a nice bus with panoramic windows is much better than trying to sneak a peak out of the corner of your eye in between dodging the oncoming stream of cars. Plus, it goes without saying that if you want to experience the natural beauty of the Lakes, a vehicle - any vehicle - is a crappy place to do it from.