Keswick Greenspace Strategy

August 2006

towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick

WMUD Keswick Area Partnership Ltd

Keswick Area Partnership Ltd 50 Main Street Keswick CA12 5JS

towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick

August 2006

WMUD Willie Miller Urban Design 20 Victoria Crescent Road Glasgow G12 9DD t 0141 339 5228 f 0141 357 4642 mail@williemiller.com

28082006-id-01//wim

contents

towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick

section 1

introduction

1

section 2

the value of strategy

3

section 3

Keswick's greenspaces

section 4

looking to the future

29

appendix

definitions

33

7

August 2006 | WMUD

1 introduction footpath between Keswick and Portinscale

This Greenspace Strategy for Keswick sets out a vision and aims for all greenspace within the town.

It is the first greenspace strategy for the town and has been commissioned by the Keswick Area Partnership Ltd. Definition and scope of strategy: Greenspace is the collective term used to describe all parks, public gardens, playing fields, children’s play areas, woodlands, nature reserves, allotment gardens, linear and other open spaces.

The process and methodology This greenspace strategy has considered all land greater than 0.5 hectares that is used formally or informally for recreation or is managed for nature conservation or visual amenity.

Land owned or managed by Allerdale Borough Council, Keswick Town Council, the National Trust or charitable trusts or other parties has been considered as part of the strategy, except where public access is not possible - for example in the case of agricultural land over which there is no right of access or private gardens.

The strategy covers the whole of the town together with the major linear greenspaces that extend into the surrounding landscape. The emphasis of the report is on the physical greenspace assets rather than partnership, maintenance and management. towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick |

The study comprises three discrete sections: Section 2: a brief explanation of the scope, purpose and benefits of greenspace strategies.

Section 3: a description of Keswick and an audit of its greenspaces in terms of composition, distribution, quality, the network of greenspaces and their strengths and weaknesses Section 4: developing a strategy, priorities for change, longer term vision, conclusion

the study area and its components

August 2006 | WMUD

2 the value of strategy Hope Park

“Government believes profoundly that the state of the local environment affects and reflects the well-being of the people living there. Whether it is the town centre, local park or the street on which we live, it is important that they add to the quality of life and that they are safe and attractive places.”

Baroness Kay Andrews, OBE, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister This study is being carried out at a time when the national policy context is highly favourable to creating, maintaining and enhancing parks and urban open space in general.

The Department of Communities and Local Government (formerly the Office of The Deputy Prime Minister) has led the way with its requirement for local authorities to adopt a more strategic approach to green space through the revision of PPG17. It has also funded the creation of CABE Space to develop best practice and provide advice and support to local authorities. In recent years it has also funded the Green Flag Award and wants to see the majority of local authority regions with a green space flying the flag by 2008. In the future the latter may be more linked in to Local Area Agreements through requiring local authorities to develop local performance targets.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has continued to support the restoration and regeneration of historic spaces and has also launched the ‘Parks for People’ programme which broadens the focus to community involvement and places greater emphasis on long-term management.

The recent National Audit office report ‘Enhancing Urban Green Space” towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick |

and the updated Public Parks Assessment4 have shown that the initiatives are beginning to halt the decline. These reports also show that in general, residents’ satisfaction with green space is increasing.

The benefits of greenspaces High quality greenspace is fundamental to maintaining an attractive environment and a viable place in which to live, work and play. The extent of, and the interconnections between elements of the open space network is vital to biodiversity within settlements. It also enriches the urban experience, contributing towards a quality environment that provides opportunities for children and adults to enjoy outdoor leisure. It also helps to promote social inclusion, contributes to the health and well being of residents and is an important educational resource.

Greenspace can provide opportunities for local people to become actively involved in the management and enhancement of their local environment, thus helping to foster a sense of local ownership and community pride. Greenspaces are an essential element of liveable towns. They can contribute to urban renaissance by helping to regenerate and improve the economic performance of areas, enhancing and supporting ecology and biodiversity, enabling healthier living and fostering local pride and community cohesion.

High quality greenspaces can also help to deliver targets set by local and national policy across a wide range of social, economic and environmental policy areas.

Greenspaces can provide the following benefits and opportunities:

access and recreation

people and play

•

active and passive recreation opportunities that encourage healthy lifestyles

•

establishing a sense of identity and belonging

•

creating safe and attractive places

•

encouraging healthy living, play and learning

•

providing path and community networks

•

promoting social inclusion, by providing something for everyone

•

providing interlinked green access corridors

•

fostering local pride and enriching the urban experience

•

encouraging positive use

•

engaging young people

•

opportunities for sport and recreation

•

providing exciting, attractive and safe places

•

environmental educational opportunities

•

providing a wide variety of cultural, social and community facilities

•

offering alternative routes for circulation

environment and wildlife

urban environment

•

creating a sense of places and purpose

•

creating or enhancing a distinct local character

•

protecting and enhancing ecology and habitats

•

promoting a positive image to attract inward investment, business and tourism

•

providing a sustainable natural resources

•

protecting and enhancing biodiversity

•

innovative maintenance and management

•

providing attractive settings for the urban fabric and the infrastructure of towns

•

reducing pollution and nois

•

protecting historic landscapes and cultural heritage

•

providing environmental infrastructure to improve water quality and flood control

•

boosting the economic potential of tourism, leisure and cultural activities

Greenspace networks can include a variety of places including traditional parks, sports grounds and woodlands as well as disused railway lines, riverbanks and cemeteries. An effective strategy needs to embrace all of these and set them in a wide policy agenda that is relevant to the place in question.

August 2006 | WMUD

Building an effective greenspace strategy The fundamental principles for the successful development of a greenspace strategy are that: • •

St John’s Church and Cemetery

greenspaces must serve a clearly defined and necessary local purpose either now or in the foreseeable future they must be fit for purpose and there must be a reasonable certainty of adequate resources for their long-term maintenance

The development of the strategy should therefore involve the following: • • • • •

promoting diversity of type and size of spaces improving the presentation and appearance of the spaces ensuring that they are accessible to those who wish to use them provision of an adequate number of open spaces developing a hierarchy of spaces and connecting them if possible ensuring that the spaces reflect local needs and character

Quality in design Finally it is worth noting that at a specific site level, quality in design should be a key requirement of any project to create maintain or enhance green spaces. Design should take into account the following factors: •

Sustainability – individual spaces should be sustainable in terms of function, durability and maintenance. This will also contribute to the sustainability of local areas towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick |

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Diversity and variety – a network of green spaces, and where possible, each individual space, should provide a variety of experiences and functions Identity and character – green spaces should celebrate local distinctiveness, heritage, community, materials, and architectural styles; and the visual contribution to the public realm – each space should enhance the appearance of the local environment and should please users and passers-by Accessibility, permeability, and navigation – green spaces can provide excellent pedestrian and cycle routes, and can provide links to other routes and visitors should be able to find their way around, using defined routes, clear entrances and exits, and landmarks Structure and hierarchy – spaces should have a clear, coherent structure that recognises and reconciles different uses and integrates the site with the surrounding area Activity and animation – spaces should promote a mixture of activities – both organised and informal – with places to sit, walk, play, participate in sport, and more.

Quality of materials and “whole life” costing – quality, long-life materials, e.g. local, sustainable and recycled materials, create a sense of care and value, and will often be more cost-effective in the long-term Biodiversity – opportunities should be taken to promote biodiversity within and across networks

Crow Park looking over Derwentwater and the Isthmus

August 2006 | WMUD

3 keswick’s greenspace Townsfield

Context Keswick is situated within the Lake District National Park approximately 18 miles west of Penrith just off the A66. The town has a stunning setting which few towns can match. It lies on the northern shore of Derwentwater at the foot of Skiddaw (931m) and is one of the most scenic and beautiful parts of England.

The population of Keswick was 4,984 at the time of the 2001 Census, an increase of 400 (8.8%) since 1991. This compares with 2.3% growth in the population of Cumbria in the same period, while the population of Allerdale was almost unchanged. Despite planning constraints on house building the population of Keswick has continued to grow faster than the regional and national average.

The age structure of the town is shown in the chart overleaf. Compared with the national average, the key features are: • •

the very high proportion of Keswick residents aged 65 or older (24.7%; England 15.9%) the correspondingly low proportion of children and young adults under 25 (23.3%/31.1%)

In 2003, the Keswick Tourist Information Centre (TIC) dealt with over 440,000 enquiries, making it the busiest TIC in Cumbria. On the basis that actual visitor numbers exceed TIC enquiries by a factor of 34, it is probable that Keswick has well over 1.5m visitors a year. towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick |

100% 90%

24.7%

18.3%

15.9%

65+ years

80% 70% 60%

27.1% 27.0%

34-44 years

14.5%

40%

13.5%

30%

11.6%

10%

44-64 years

14.9%

50%

20%

23.8%

12.4%

9.2% 14.0%

14.4%

25-34 years

12.2%

15-24 years

17.6%

18.9%

0-14 years

Allerdale

England

10.2%

0% Keswick

Population Age Structure Source: Census of Population 2001

The greenspace facilities of the town therefore have to provide for a substantially influx of visitors as well as the core resident population.

The town and the landscape As mentioned above, Keswick has a superb natural setting – a constant backdrop that brings quality and character to views of almost all parts of the town. Derwentwater is the principle attraction and access to it is within easy reach of the town centre.

The town itself has a high quality core based around the Market Square and Moot Hall and spreading south along Lake Road towards Derwentwater and north along Station Street and Station Road to Fitz Park. This core area dates in the main from the 18th century through to the early-mid 20th century.

After this time, the town started to lose its cohesive form through lower density development primarily to the east and the west of the central core area. The often sporadic nature of 20th century development, particularly in the east of the town has resulted in the retention of large areas of open ground – usually in agricultural use on prominent slopes - giving the edges of Keswick a very open and green character, though architectural undistinguished.

Categories of greenspace This Greenspace Strategy focuses on publicly accessible green spaces in Keswick and linear routes which connect the town to the surrounding landscape. The strategy covers the types of green space shown on the table opposite: Composition and distribution Urban Parks Keswick contains two excellent urban parks providing a wide range of facilities – Fitz and Hope Parks Fitz Park: This is a traditional, largely informal, late 19th century park, running alongside the Greta north of the town centre. It is a very scenic location with a framework of mature exotic trees in the foreground and a dramatic mountain backdrop.

The park is divided in two by Station Road with more formal facilities such as sports courts and ornamental gardens clustered towards the

type of space

definition

urban parks

accessible, high quality opportunities for informal recreation and community events

amenity areas

typically green spaces in and around residential areas

sports pitches

areas providing opportunities for participation in competitive sports

cemeteries and churchyards

burial grounds providing opportunities for quiet recreation and contemplation, and biodiversity

allotments

plots of land subdivided to provide opportunity for people to grow produce

linear or green routes

footpaths and cycle routes which link together urban areas, green spaces and the countryside with the potential to attract wildlife into built up areas

natural and semi-natural spaces

publicly accessible fields, scrub, open grassland or woodland areas that promote biodiversity and allow nature to develop

east, in Upper Fitz Park, and a large open green space including the picturesque Keswick Cricket Club ground to the west, in Lower Fitz Park. The Art Gallery and Museum is situated on Station Road, and its decorative Victorian character ensures that it acts as a landmark feature and focal point for the park. There are three grass tennis

August 2006 | WMUD

the cricket ground in Fitz Park

courts managed by the Keswick Tennis Club and three courts for public use. Similarly, Keswick Bowling Club manages its clubhouse and green with another green for public use. Footpaths circle a putting green and formal garden shrubberies. Across the river is a triangular piece of land, Wivell Park, which also includes the town’s War Memorial and its flowerbeds.

Lower Fitz, surrounded by mature trees, is the home of Keswick Cricket Club, “the loveliest cricket ground in England”. The pavilion is shared with the Athletic Club and with Keswick Junior Football Club which plays on an adjacent pitch. The adult section is to move onto redeveloped land in Hospital Field once full plans are agreed. There is a very well developed youth coaching and team structure in these clubs. In 2005 a total of 5,581 tickets were sold to players.

The park is popular and well-used, especially during the warmer months. It is also an important social space: it has facilities for sports and games, children and their parents congregate at the adventure playground, and people walking dogs gather to chat.

In general, the park environment is of a high quality. The original infrastructure of ornamental tree planting and cast iron fences and bridges has lasted well and brings a sense of robustness and permanence to the park environment. The ongoing commitment of local groups and the Town Council to the maintenance and improvement of the planting and facilities in the park are welcome.

towards a greenspace strategy for Keswick |

Substantial damage was done to the infrastructure of the park by the catastrophic floods of January 2005. June 2006 saw the replacement of the destroyed Wivell Bridge, a much valued access to the park, funding coming from the Trust, the community and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The park is an important pedestrian route to the Keswick Hospital, Keswick School and for walkers heading to Latrigg and Skiddaw.

Hope Park: This is a more formal counterpoint to Fitz Park, with ornamental gardens and facilities for visitors such as pitch and putt and crazy golf. It has a decorative character based on traditional horticultural themes and is well maintained.

It is well situated between the built up area of the town and Crow Park (see below) with a direct pedestrian access from the town centre which continues on to the Derwentwater. Much of the park is low lying and liable to back-flooding when lake levels are high. Most of this riskprone area is woodland.

Facilities include a seasonal nine-hole mini golf course, putting, obstacle golf, a nature trail and a kiosk. Formal gardens and seating areas occupy the eastern end of the park. In 2005 a total of 69,401 tickets were sold to players. Revenue from the games and the garden centre covers maintenance, gardening staff and management, any surplus being partly used to cross subsidise the operation of Fitz Park and build development plan reserves.

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formal gardens in Hope Park

August 2006 | WMUD

formal gardens in Hope Park

Footfall through Hope Park is enormous, with great pressure on the infrastructure. There is little unused space for new developments. As well as the main through route, there is an all weather path leading to the caravan sites and the bus station/supermarket area to the west.

Although Hope Park is a very popular area for locals and visitors alike, it is not fulfilling its potential, for example: • •

• •

the poor quality approaches from the town centre and shabby ‘milling space’ at the main entrance the unattractive fence along The Heads; this compromises one of the town’s scenic views to the architectural set piece of the terrace and the mountain backdrop beyond the slightly dated character of some features and parts of the park the inconsistent and sometimes inappropriate character of the pedestrian sequence from the subway, along the edge of the park, to the theatre and lakeshore

Hope Park is in reasonable condition and functions adequately at present. Some environmental improvements and a continuing focus on high quality management and maintenance will help to ensure that it is appreciated and well used. A key question must be however, how traditional parks such as Hope Park will fare in the future, especially as people’s leisure needs and expectations change. It will be important to develop a future vision for the town’s parks that ensures they continue to be well used, maintainable and sustainable. t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 11

Amenity Areas Townsfield: This is a small area of recreational grassland adjacent and open to the River Greta east of the town centre. It is conveniently placed in relation to three housing estates but is isolated from these by a busy road. Townsfield was once popular as an old bottle collector’s hunting ground and was reclaimed from an old tipping site some years ago. The grass is maintained by Keswick Town Council but income is minimal from occasional lettings such as the Ram Fair.

Windebrowe Avenue: This is a small amenity area extending to 0.5 hectares in a residential area to the east of the town centre. It is not particularly well connected to other green spaces and suffers from flooding problems. It is a valuable local amenity.

Lakeland Park: This is made up of two informal areas of open space set in an area of relatively recent residential development in the south east of the town. They provide valuable amenity space with the larger area being a combination of formal and informal character.

Trinity Way: Located next to St Herbert’s School, this is an area of equipped play space managed by the Town Council. It is well located in relation to the surrounding residential area.

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Lakeland Park amenity space

August 2006 | WMUD

Sports Pitches

Rugby Ground

Walker Park: This is the current home of Keswick Football Club. The land is also used out of the football season as a temporary touring caravan site. The area is low lying and prone to flooding. The club’s aim is to move to the Hospital Field (part of Fitz Park) once plans for the development are approved.

Rugby Ground: This is a large area of ground operated by Keswick Rugby Club. Out of season it is used as a coach park. The club employs a full-time development worker through income it raises through commercial activities. This has helped the Club develop a large and successful junior rugby section which attracts large numbers of both participants from a large hinterland. The area is low lying and prone to flooding.

Keswick School Playing Fields: These are extensive areas for competitive sports and practice located adjacent to Keswick School and to the south across the B5289 in a bend of the River Greta. They are exclusively for the use of the school.

St Herbert’s School Playing Fields: This area is located between St Herbert’s School and the Keswick Railway Footpath. It is not open to the public for competitive games. t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 13

Cemeteries and Churchyards Crosthwaite Church and Cemetery: Crosthwaite Church lies at the western extremity of the town close to Keswick School. It is dedicated to St Kentigern who came to Keswick in 553 AD. There has been a church on this site ever since, the present Church being built in 1181.

Alterations and enlargements took place in the 16th Century, and there was a restoration in 1844, by Sir George Gilbert Scott. This is a beautiful location. The western part of the cemetery (behind the church) is heavily treed.

St John’s Church and Cemetery: St John’s Church was designed by Anthony Salvin in soft pink sandstone from quarries in the Eden Valley.

The site for the Church was chosen by the founder, John Marshall, Lord of the Manor of Castlerigg. The church itself is a local landmark and a prominent feature of the Keswick skyline. The cemetery is in various ages and phases but is generally quite open in aspect.

Allotments Castlehead Close Allotments: This is the town’s only allotment area and lies just 500 metres south east of the town centre of St John’s Road. (no other information at present)

Crosthwaite Church and Cemetery 14

St John’s Church and Cemetery

August 2006 | WMUD

Derwentwater from the footpath to Friar’s Crag

Linear or Green Routes: Friar’s Crag to the Boat Landings: This is a narrow strip of land along the Derwentwater shoreline with a cover of old mixed woodland, backing onto open fields. It is an important access to the noted viewpoint at the end, Friars Crag which provides a wonderful panorama of the lake and Borrowdale valley. There is a memorial to John Ruskin and the footpath leads on to a popular walk along the western shore of the lake and back around the lake to Portinscale and back to Keswick (see below).

The area suffers from considerable erosion and undermining of trees by waves and there are concerns about the stability of some areas.

There is very heavy pedestrian use of this area, particularly by visitors to whom it is an easily accessible attraction. Vehicle use is restricted to the warden’s house and to Derwent Island pier. The area is owned by the National Trust.

The main path has been upgraded to disabled standards and environmental upgrading is proposed as part of the Derwentwater Foreshore Project.

Boat Landings: This is an area of hard landscaping and commercial access to the shoreline and boat landings and piers. A public timetabled launch service operates from this point to six destinations around Derwentwater. It is therefore a very busy area. In addition t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 15

the Boat Landings Area

to this there are rowing boats and small motor boats for hire together with some public launching space. This is mainly for canoes associated with the outdoor pursuit centres. It is subject to very heavy pedestrian use and easy access for cars and coaches leads to serious conflicts of use.

The general condition of this area is poor. Given that the views from this area are certainly some of the most beautiful in the Keswick area it is easy to ignore the degree of foreground tat and the poor state walls and surfaces.

The area is the subject of a major Heritage Lottery Fund bid for renovation of the hard and soft landscaping with initial decisions expected to be made in late 2006.

Foreshore to Town Centre: This is an important link between the Boat Landings area and the areas of hard landscape and public realm within the historic centre of the town which effectively end at the underpass on Lake Road. The area is a busy but rather uncomfortable zone which is partly remote footpath and partly street. It skirts the eastern edge of Hope Park but does not feel like an integral part of it.

It includes the entrance area to the park off Lake Road and this area needs a great deal of attention in terms of design quality, character improvement and place-making. As part of the Keswick Town Centre Masterplan study, it is proposed that the underpass be removed in favour of a revised road system and at-grade crossing.

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August 2006 | WMUD

the Boat Landings to Town Centre Link

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Keswick to Portinscale link

Portinscale Link: This important and popular footpath link extends westwards from Greta Bridge to Portinscale. It is part of the Circuit of Derwentwater as well as a local link between Keswick and Portinscale and a smaller round trip of Keswick involving a boat trip from Nichol End to the Boat Landings.

The path has a bound gravel surface, is level and is in reasonable condition.

Keswick Railway Footpath: This four mile long footpath was created by the Lake District National Park Authority following acquisition of part of the former Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway, which had closed to traffic in 1972. The 18 miles of the route between Penrith and Keswick included 78 bridges, of which 8 cross the River Greta over the railway’s 3 mile length between Threlkeld and Keswick.

Though much of the track was obliterated by improvements to the A66, the section between Keswick and Threlkeld through the Greta Gorge remains largely untouched by road works, leaving a series of impressive bridges to provide the framework for a scenic footpath.

It is well maintained and mostly level, apart from a short stretch underneath the A66 viaduct where the line used to go through a tunnel.

The section within the Keswick town area is approximately 2 km in length.

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Keswick Railway Footpath

August 2006 | WMUD

Crow Park

Natural or Semi-Natural Areas Crow Park: This area is owned by the National Trust and leased to a local farmer for grazing, usually sheep. It is a dome shaped field with open views south over Derwentwater and the Borrowdale valley.

There is open public access for walks and picnics. It is occasionally used for a limited range of events such as Rotary Club fireworks displays, film sets and outdoor religious services. Being a field, it has uneven surfaces, offers no protection in bad weather and ticketed access for events is problematic. This is a very popular recreational area in good weather.

There is severe erosion of the shoreline and the footpath system connecting the Boat Landings area through Crow Park to the Isthmus, Town Cass the caravan sites and the Headlands, is muddy in wet weather or unsightly in dry spells. The erosion is aggravated by large variations in lake level due to the nearby lake outflow being in disrepair. The path through the adjacent wood and swamp is prone to flooding.

Town Cass: This area is owned by the National Trust. It is a former municipal refuse tip which was soiled over and seeded in the 1970s.

The area is traversed by an access track to the Launch Company boatyard and the youth centre at the Isthmus. Some years ago the Keswick Swimming club, now defunct, had changing rooms and a swimming pier on this shore. Vehicle access is restricted. It is a well used circular walk for local people, especially dog walkers and is a t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 19

Town Cass

clear landscape feature from higher ground.

There are strong environmental concerns about any future development because of the presence of methane and the danger of polluted groundwater seeping into Derwentwater. At the same time, it may be unwise to ignore the potential problems and environmental damage that might arise from the buried material leaking into the lake.

Fitz Park – Hospital Field: This area appears to be pasture but is part of Fitz Park. At the present time it is used for grazing and occasional overflow car parking but there are proposals to use the area as a football ground and facility for Keswick Football Club to replace their current facility at Walker Park.

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Hospital Field

August 2006 | WMUD

The striking issue raised by these figures is the relative lack of amenity areas both in terms of number and size. This suggests that Keswick relies on its urban parks and the surrounding countryside for the provision of greenspace rather than on a network of smaller urban green areas.

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, Keswick is very well provided for in terms of natural and semi-natural areas and urban parks. Combined with access to the wider countryside outside the town, Keswick is clearly a very favoured place. At the same time there are certain quality issues in connection with the urban parks. Clearly they provide a certain kind of environment for people of a certain age – an older age group who may have very traditional views about what an urban park should be.

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The composition of greenspace in Keswick is explained on the table below. This shows that the town contains over 57 hectares (142 acres) of greenspace in seven categories. Of these, natural and seminatural areas make up the largest category followed by sports pitches, then urban parks. Linear or green routes and amenity areas make up the next largest categories with cemeteries and allotments forming the smallest areas.

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Composition and distribution

Keswick Greenspace Composition

above: entrance to Hope Park below: footpath to Friar’s Crag

assessment. That would rule out many play areas. At the same time, we didn’t see many children’s play areas and the few that we did see would not meet the accepted standard of one Local Area for Play within 100m (or 1 minute walk) radius of every home. *NB – if this is an issue we will need to do a more detailed survey

It is a similar situation with children’s play areas. For the purposes of this study, areas under 0.5 hectares were not included in the t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 21

total (hectares)

natural or semi-natural

linear or green routes

allotments

cemeteries

sports pitches

amenity areas

urban parks Friars Crag

0.84

0.84

Boat Landings

0.67

0.67

Crow Park

7.80

7.80

Town Cass

3.60

3.60

Hope Park

4.20

4.20

Fitz Park Hospital Field

4.25

4.25

Fitz Park Lower

7.25

7.25

Fitz Park Upper

2.26

2.26

Town-Foreshore Link

0.66

Walker Park

0.84

Rugby Ground

3.38

Portinscale Link Keswick School Playing Fields Crosthwaite Church and Cemetery

3.38 0.61

0.61

9.34

9.34 1.41

1.14

Keswick Railway Footpath

4.05

Townsfield Windebrowe Avenue amenity area

4.05

1.34

1.34

0.28

0.28

Lakeland Park amenity area Allotment Gardens Castlehead Close St John’s Church and Cemetery St Herbert’s School Playing Fields

1.39

Trinity Way amenity area

0.67

1.39 1.26

1.26

1.989

1.09

0.60

13.71

22

0.66 0.84

3.68

0.60 0.67

14.16

3.39

1.26

6.83

15.65

57.52

In terms of the distribution of all of these facilities we used the following as a basis of assessment: a) b)

There should be an amenity area within 400 metres or 5 minutes travel time from every home. ** There should be a neighbourhood park equipped with play equipment and facilities within 1,000 metres or 15 minutes travel time from every home.**

[**NB – these are based on the National Playing Fields Association standards for LEAPs and NEAPs in terms of distance but not in terms of play facilities – we can work this up and make recommendations if you want this. We’ve ignored LAPs as I’m sure Keswick would come out really badly. The detailed requirements are in Appendix 1.

As far as the distribution of other greenspace is concerned, the position of Fitz Park and its range of facilities would suggest that it is acting effectively as a neighbourhood park for the town, accessible to most of the populace within 15 minutes travel time.

The situation with amenity areas is also positive although there are areas of east Keswick – the Chestnut Hill, Eleventrees and Penrith Road areas - which fail to meet the 400 metre distance from a facility although they would meet the five minute drive time requirement.

Also there are parts of Crosthwaite and St John’s Road which fall outside of a 400 metre distance to an amenity space.

August 2006 | WMUD

Keswick Greenspace Location of Resources

t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 23

Keswick Greenspace Composition

Keswick Greenspace Accessibility of Resources

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Keswick Greenspace Network Connections

t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 25

Keswick Greenspace Network Analysis

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Connections and networks a) Keswick contains a dense network of popular routes that connect greenspaces together and link the town to the countryside. Within the study area, these routes extend to at least 15.5 km in length made up of approximately 6.2 km within the built up area and 9.3 km in the surrounding countryside. Routes within the town itself include not only footpath links through urban parks but also the links to and from important places such as the Moot Hall (the Moot Hall is often used in guide books as the starting point for many countryside walks in the Keswick area). The network of routes is therefore made up of: • • • • •

areas of pedestrian priority public realm in the historic core of the town footpaths along ordinary roads (pavements) remote footpaths along ordinary roads footpaths in urban parks and other green links, routes and corridors rural footpaths

b)

c) d)

a)

A working network cannot exist exclusively on rural footpaths and in any case, the connections between urban and rural are important parts of the unique Keswick character.

In assessing the condition of the network we acknowledged that it is extensive, that it connects important and interesting places and that it is generally in acceptable condition. We concentrated on four particular categories of major route:

b)

major route sections that are missing or incomplete – where it would seem logical to provide a route which currently does not exist in order to improve the network major route sections shared with heavily trafficked roads or where traffic intrudes on the pedestrian experience – it may not be possible to do much about all of these major routes in poor condition – where surfaces or related infrastructure requires remedial works major routes which appear to be overloaded – areas that are not capable of dealing with current levels of use without a change in design or further investment Sections missing or incomplete: we considered that there were three areas where the construction of new footpath links would benefit the overall network and improve the easy of use and popularity of the system. These are at the Pencil Factory (a proposed link between the Hospital Field and Greta Bridge), at Greta Side (a proposed direct link from Bell Close car park to Fitz Park through a gap between two properties) and along the shore of Derwentwater from Town Cass westwards to the River Derwent and Portinscale (a proposal to enable public access along a continual stretch of shore to Portinscale). This could also involve the repair or reconstruction of the weir at the outflow from Derwentwater which would help to stabilise water levels.

Heavily trafficked sections: there are seven sections of

c)

d)

link that fall into this category. Realistically it would be very difficult in some cases and undesirable in others to separate vehicles and pedestrians. However we are suggesting that when opportunities arise to ameliorate the pedestrian environment, the opportunity should not be missed. The most important section is the town to foreshore (Boat Landings Area) where traffic gets mixed up with pedestrians on a regular basis. This is the subject of separate report entitled ‘Derwentwater Foreshore Traffic Management Plan’.

Poor condition: There is one large section of the network footpath system in particularly poor repair and which should be a priority for investment. The section runs from Town Cass, westwards along the shore line of Crow Park then south to Friars Crag. As highlighted earlier, there are serious issues with erosion, footpath surfaces and general infrastructure in this area.

Overloaded major routes: The walkway corridor between the edge of the historic core of Keswick Town Centre (at Lake Road) southwards to Friars Crag past the Theatre by the Lake and the Boat Landings area is under heavy pressure from pedestrians. This has resulted in a high degree of wear and tear – far more than could have been anticipated – in what is essentially the premier tourist focal point in the town. The result is a degree of mismatch between expectation and reality.

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Strengths and weaknesses In summary, it is clear that Keswick is a very fortunate place in terms of greenspace provision and distribution. For a town of its size, it has facilities on a scale that few sub-5000 population towns have. In terms of strength and weakness the following is a useful summary of the principal findings of the audit. strengths • • •

weaknesses • • •

insufficient play space provision few small amenity areas limited access to amenity areas from a few areas

•

gaps in the overall footpath network reduce accessibility condition of parts of the network is poor

•

quantity of greenspace easy access to countryside large popular urban parks that cater for residents and visitors extensive sports pitches though all run by schools or private clubs large natural and semi-natural areas within and close to the town picturesque and interesting churchyards

•

extensive linear greenspace network

•

• •

• •

•

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urban parks will need more investment and more contemporary facilities pressure from visitors on areas around Derwentwater Town Cass could be an environmental problem in the future

August 2006 | WMUD

4 looking to the future Derwentwater foreshore at Crow Park

In setting out ideas for the future of greenspace in Keswick we are aware that there is a need for a combination of the visionary and the practical. In the special circumstances of Keswick – a beautiful and favoured place - it is easy to think that a few practical improvements or repairs here and there are all that are required. There is also an engrained suspicion of change and a fear that anything new will ruin the wonderful place that is Keswick. This can also be seen as complacency – a sense that what was acceptable 20 years ago is still fine today.

Far from being a threat to the environment of Keswick, a greenspace strategy could bring about far-reaching and beneficial change. The early 21st century is a very positive period for parks, open space and green areas in general. We have outlined earlier in this report the considerable support from government organisations and public bodies offering advice and funding for improvements. Greenspace is a cross-cutting issue, drawing on the policy areas of sustainable development, healthy living, environmental education, local climate variance, access, biodiversity, cultural resources, heritage and social inclusion. There has rarely been a better time to start the process of preparing, adopting and implementing a Greenspace Strategy.

The emphasis in this report has been on the value of greenspace and the structure, form and distribution of greenspace in Keswick. At the same time it is worth mentioning two other general areas of related activity which should be addressed – developing the vision through partnership working and managing the resource. t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 29

footpath to Crosthwaite in Fitz Park

Part One: Partnership working Multi-agency working In most urban or rural areas responsibility for the development of a greenspace strategy bridges a number of departments and bodies.

This is partly a reflection of the cross-cutting nature of the subject and partly a realisation that the best and most implementable ideas grow out of multi-agency working. This is rarely easy of course – in the case of Keswick there are perhaps more agencies liable to be involved than in other areas. However the benefits lie in helping to provide funding from a range of sources, helping to enable effective community involvement and developing long term and productive working relationships.

Involving the community Successful design of new greenspace or alterations to existing areas should combine creativity with an understanding of local context.

People who live and work in the area can best contribute much of that understanding. The new or improved greenspace will play a part in their lives – it is intended to serve their needs and reflect their concerns and values. Involving local people will best be achieved by early involvement in the preparation of the strategy rather than asking for their approval of ready-made plans. Indeed a means should be found of having permanent representation of local people on the strategy group and a high degree of responsibility given to local people for implementing the strategy.

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Establishing the vision Once the above measures have been set in hand, the partnership and the local community should prepare a vision statement for the strategy.

view from the footpath to Skiddaw and Lanrigg

Part Two: Priorities for investment The audit and analysis of Keswick’s Greenspaces set out in the previous section highlighted a number of strengths and weaknesses.

Generally, the strengths of the area relate to the quality of the surrounding landscape, the degree of access to the countryside and the large and popular urban parks. The extensive footpath network is also a considerable asset.

At the same time, it was considered that there were issues relating to the following areas and it is suggested that future investment should be targeted at these.

• • • •

Investing in Derwentwater shoreline and footpaths Providing for children’s play in a more comprehensive manner Developing small amenity areas throughout the town Developing and improving the footpath network

In the longer term we think it would be beneficial to consider: • •

Investing in the Urban Parks Investigating the potential environmental issues at Town Cass t o w a r d s a g r e e n s p a c e s t r a t e g y f o r K e s w i c k | 31

Clearly these potential investment areas are suggested as a result of our own assessment of the Keswick environment and information from a variety of reports. It does not represent a particular community view although we are aware that some consultation has been carried out in relation to some issues.

Part Three: Management The management of greenspace is a particularly important issue.

There is more to management than repair and maintenance and ideally, management should involve all of the following: • • • •

Managing and maintenance of the greenspace resource Promoting the greenspace resource – through schools, internet and literature Securing revenue funding – from events, lettings, forestry assets or sales Organising an events programme – especially in relation to other programmes of events in the town such as the Film Festival and the Book Festival

Conclusion Keswick is well provided for in terms of greenspace. It has a magnificent landscape setting, fine parks and an extensive network of footpath links connecting greenspaces to each other and connecting town to countryside. However there are some deficiencies especially 32

in relation to certain areas being overwhelmed by visitors with consequent damage to footpaths and infrastructure. There are also issues in relation to children’s play provision throughout the town.

There is also surprisingly little evidence of community involvement in greenspace issues. The development of a Greenspace Strategy for Keswick could be an opportunity for more local people to become involved in the process of change and implementing some of the suggestions in this short report. The most important thing is to start the process of improvement.

August 2006 | WMUD

appendix: definitions LAPS - Local Areas for Play Each site must be formally designated by the Council as a play area catering mostly for children aged 3 - 6, close to where they live (1 minutes walk /100m).

Each site should be enclosed by a fence or barrier (e.g. hedges or planting).

Each site should be of a minimum area of 100m2 and surrounded by an appropriate buffer zone (total area requirement 400m2 including Buffer Zones) There does not have to be play equipment included, however, most authorities advocate the inclusion of small indicative items of equipment within LAPs – such provision would be considered on merit.

Each site should be overlooked by housing, pedestrian routes, or other well-used public facilities.

Each site should have a sign excluding dogs.*

LEAPS - Local Equipped Areas For Play

NEAPS - Neighbourhood Equipped Areas for Play

Each site should be a minimum distance of 400m / within 5 minutes traveling time of housing units.

Each site should be of a minimum area of 400m2 and surrounded by an appropriate buffer zone (total area requirement 3,600m2 including Buffer Zones) All equipment and facilities should have been assessed as safe for continued use by a competent playground inspector.

All equipment should comply with BSEN1176 and surfacing with BSEN1177.

All equipment with a fall height greater than 600mm must have appropriate impact - absorbing surfacing.

Each site should have a minimum of five different activities. Multiplay equipment may be counted as having up to three separate activities (e.g. sliding, climbing, rocking, swinging, or social play).

Each site should have a small games area (may be grassed) within the boundary of the playground.

Each site should be entirely fenced with self-closing gates. * Each site should have signs excluding dogs. * Each site should be overlooked by housing, pedestrian routes, or other well-used public facilities.

Each site should be a minimum distance of 1000m / within 15 minutes traveling time of housing units.

Each site should be of a minimum area of 1000m2 and surrounded by an appropriate buffer zone (total area requirement 8500m2 including Buffer Zones).

All equipment and facilities must have been assessed as safe for continued use by a competent playground inspector.

All equipment should comply with BSEN 1176 and surfacing with BSEN 1177.

All equipment with a fall height greater than 600mm must have appropriate impact - absorbing surfacing.

Each site should have a minimum of eight different activities. Multiplay equipment may be counted as having up to three separate activities (e.g. sliding, climbing, rocking, swinging or social play).

Each site should have a hard surfaced kick about / skating / cycle play area within the boundary of the playground.

Each site should be entirely fenced with self closing gates. * Each site should have signs excluding dogs. * Each site should be overlooked by housing, pedestrian routes, or other well-used public facilities.

In essence, the six acre standard requires the above criteria to be met. Items marked with an asterisk are additional requirements of the audit commission and not the NPFA.

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