ACT Blog: Sustainable Transport in the Lake District
Photo credit James Vincent
11th October 2022
We held the Sustainable Transport in the Lake District Event in early October.
80 participants joined us to hear four expert speakers propose possible scenarios for working towards sustainable transport.
This is a challenging subject and our first speaker, Professor Jillian Anable from Leeds University, was very clear that change is needed now and that we need to recognise that there will be winners and losers from that change - and mitigate. Change must mean fewer cars, not only a replacement of the current cars with electric vehicles. Jillian spoke of the need for a clear long-term strategy that built public transport services to meet people’s needs, then reductions in personal car use where public transport was a viable option. This approach requires clear short, medium and long-term targets and strategic leadership, with both ‘carrots’ and ‘sticks’.
Our next speaker, James Berresford who has been Chair of Visit Britain and is currently Vice Chair of The Peak District National Park, was pleased to be involved in a mature conversation on the issue. He supported Jillian’s view of an ambitious strategy alongside incremental change. Both he and Jillian expressed frustration at how difficult this is and proposed a national debate amongst National Parks and partners. He was clear that a focus on how people travel to the Lakes and Cumbria, as well as within it would be needed.
James Blake, the CEO of the YHA brought to our attention the many people who cannot, now, access the Lake District due to cost, and poor transport connections. James detailed a journey he is shortly to make to the Lakes that would take him 13 hrs on public transport, each way, and still wouldn’t get him to where he needs to be. He spoke about how YHA as a business was working to encourage their visitors to make more sustainable travel choices.
Our last speaker was Stephen Joseph of the Smart Mobility Research Unit at Herefordshire University. Stephen provided lots of examples of others who are on the same journey to defining how to make their local transport services more, accessible, sustainable and zero Carbon. He used Cornwall as an illustration of a place with a vision. They have been working towards this for many years and are having some success on the public transport offer due to their commitment to the longer-term vision.
Pre-submitted questions were then discussed by the panel. The questions that were not covered will be picked up by ACT and partners to provide answers where possible.
The event was designed to test the appetite for change amongst those who live, work and play in the Lake District. I felt many of those attending actively support change as soon, as fast and as far reaching as possible.
We were hoping to test scenarios to inform further research. An integrated and enhanced public transport service with managed personal car use was favoured by this audience. Seasonal management options and improved public transport had some support and very little support was evidenced for improved car parking as the way forward.
The reality seems to me that we will need all of these options against a future we can't quite envisage or identify how to fund and the real challenge of encouraging everybody onto sustainable public transport.
All the speakers identified the need for strong leadership against an ambitious vision. Every decision on future transport services should be made to create continuous incremental change towards the vision. We need to be committed to action now if we are to meet our climate goals and provide a quality public transport service that people will appreciate and be able to afford. This won't happen unless we are courageous and focused.
We also need to consider changing our personal travel behaviours.
ACT will continue to lead this research to its conclusions next Spring, hoping to build consensus on actions we can all take to travel more responsibly in this beautiful place we are custodians of.