Members Steering Group Report 2020 Produced by the Trans Pennine Trail National Office

Words from The Chair

No one could have imagined how this year was to play out and as Chair I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone. To the Officers who have continued to maintain the Trail in times of difficulty due to social distancing and to Members for supporting Officers. To the Friends of the TPT and volunteer rangers for keeping their eye on the Trail, continuing to report any issues and providing advice to users in terms of their impact on others regarding social distancing. It is very evident that there has been a huge amount of work that has taken place to ensure the safety of all users and whilst we all have had to adjust to the ‘new normal’. Thank You. In terms of the TPT it’s very important to say that we have heard some wonderful stories of how people have been using the TPT as part of their local daily exercise routine or they have got back on that bike after many years of not cycling. Horse riders have reported being able to take advantage of having more time to get out on their horse in times of lockdown. Many of these users were also first-time visitors to the Trail and didn’t know what was there, right on their doorstep, waiting to be explored. Many people have said how the TPT, with its green corridor, has helped them reconnect with nature, provided people with a quiet place to allow them to do their daily exercise safely and been a great comfort to those recovering from both physical and mental health issues. There have also been reports of local cycling shops selling out of stock, with customers eager for more to arrive; and cafes along the Trail have reported bumper sales. None of us know when/if things will ever return to how they were before Covid19 or what a new ‘normal’ might be in the coming year; but I hope this report goes some way to really show how our partnership has flourished in these uncertain times. The report covers the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

Gillian Ivey

Chair of the Trans Pennine Trail Partnership

2020 at a Glance

www.transpenninetrail.org.uk We submitted We reached over 61 consultations

3,140,784 views on the meetings were held

online maps 20 with our partners

Over 149,694 views on the website

views on our online maps

809,400 573,979

People on Twitter People on Facebook

Our Vision

To establish the Trans Pennine Trail as a nationally recognised accessible recreational route for walking, cycling and horse riding.

Looking Back With your continued support the TPT national office has been able to successfully achieve the following aims:  Continue to work with TPT Partners to achieve the aim of becoming a nationally recognised long- distance accessible walking, cycling and horse-riding route.

The TPT national office has been working hard to improve accessibility in every aspect in terms of the Trail. After sourcing advice from Access for all UK the TPT website has been updated to include ‘Accessibility’. Within this section will find:

o All access controls, images and measurements add to access mapping o Locations of Changing Places added to website and access mapping o Accessible Venues added to website o Defibrillators added to access mapping o Funding bid secured in to make improvements to an inaccessible area due to poor surfacing and frequent flooding o Further works progressed in on the access project This information allows users to make their own judgement on whether the Trail is currently suitable to their needs.

 Ensure the TPT national office continues to be financially viable to protect the partnerships longevity Partner contributions continue to be the source of revenue funding for the staffing of the TPT national office. The TPT office has also secured a funding bid on behalf of the Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail for surface improvements at Burn Airfield, Selby.

A funding application to Reaching Communities to make further improvements to the Trail has been put on hold due to the Covid pandemic.

 Highlight the importance of the route within all major planning applications and consultation The TPT continues to raise awareness of the Trail in all planning applications and consultations as well as seeking enhancements to the Trail. This year the office has responded to 61 consultations. Every effort is made to ensure the Trans Pennine Trail is represented to ensure the Trail is protected and / or enhanced. If you are aware of an application or consultation that may impact the Trail, please ask for the TPT to be added as a consultee.

 Enhance visitor experience Throughout the year the TPT office has been working on a number of projects to help improve visitor experience our top projects are: o Upgrades to our website www.transpenninetrail.org.uk include; updating all cycle hire facilities across the Trail, updated mapping to include parking locations, defibrillators and memorial forests across the route. Work continues with our partners, volunteers and members of the public to add every access control on the Trail onto our online mapping including; image, description and measurements. o Social media has always been an important communication tool but this year it has been more important than ever. The TPT Apprentice has taken on a dedicated role to monitor our pages, feeds and interaction with users. A great effort has gone into posting interesting relevant information for all users which has seen social media stats reach the highest figures to date. Throughout the early stages of lockdown social media was the main vehicle of communication to ensure that users knew the rules and latest guidance in relation to using the Trail safely. o Supporter videos is a recent monthly addition to the TPT office programme, showcasing what users have been doing to help protect and promote the Trail. This is a great source of information to new users with great feedback. To view the videos click here. o TPT Stamping Scheme - Vendors sign up to the free scheme and agree to be a stamping station and in return their details are promoted on the stamping card and TPT website. This allows users who are completing the Trans Pennine Trail stop off points to secure their completion certificate. This scheme has been refreshed with venues working with us to promote the Trail and vice versa. o As part of the TPT digital first agenda newsletters have been streamlined and sent out via Mailchimp. This new format also provides data on the number of people who have read the emails. The programme also helps to protect people’s data and allows them to unsubscribe easier.

Theme 1. Marketing and Promotion

There are 6 themes in the TPT 2018-2023 Development Strategy: The TPT office has worked to strengthen the brand of the Trans Pennine Trail. The tables below indicate statistics between October 2019 and September 2020. Social Media: Social media is an important was of communicating for the TPT office, even more so this year. Twitter (https://twitter.com/TPT_National):

Tweets Impressions Profile Visits Mentions 2019 796 428,200 8,670 1,883 2020 957 809,400 10,781 2,767 % Diff 20% 89% 24% 47%

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TransPennineTrailNationalOffice/):

Page Views Reach Total Likes

2019 25,447 303,303 1,086 2020 57,181 573,979 1,968 % Diff 55% 47% 45%

During 2020 the number of reach/ impressions has grown at a substantial rate. There has been a number of different campaigns and # trends. Social media followers have also sent in images that can be used for our marketing purposes. TPT Website (www.transpenninetrail.org.uk): Statistics have seen a 35% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. The TPT website is promoted via social media posts and press releases, which seems to be having a positive impact to visitor hits. Since the pandemic there has been a greater increase in visits to the website with May seeing nearly 30,000 hits to the website. The TPT office will continue to improve accessibility and availability of information on the website wherever possible.

Total Visits

2019 102,929

2020 149,694

% Diff 31%

Branding: Partners are reminded that the TPT logo is an officially registered trademark and when used the wording ‘Trans Pennine Trail’ and the logo ‘hills symbol’ should appear.

Theme 2. Project Resilience

Governance: The Memorandum of Understanding remains in place with all our Local Authority partners detailing roles and responsibilities of the partnership.

Funding: The TPT national office continues to be funded mainly by contributions from Local Authority Partners. These funds are essential to continue to protect the TPT national office, and especially during these uncertain times. The TPT continues to work with the Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail to submit funding bids under their charitable status.

Group Meetings & Supporter Newsletters: This year saw the return to four group meetings a year with our regional partners. Since the pandemic all meetings have been held virtually via Microsoft Teams and has been welcomed in terms of saving time and expense for those attending. Looking forward we are hoping to continue incorporate both virtual and face to face meetings. Attendance to group meetings consist of representatives from:  TPT national office  Local Authority Partners  Representative from Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail Board  Group Coordinators   British Cycling  British Horse Society  Ramblers  Regional Local Access Forum Representative 2020 saw invitations to group meetings extend to; British Cycling, the BHS and the Ramblers Society. This suggestion was taken forward to ensure that we were seeking equal representation from all user groups. Following each round of group meetings, a supporter newsletter is circulated to all Friends, Volunteer Rangers, Members and Officers and includes updates from the TPT office, Local Authority Partner route updates, Group Coordinators news and views and details of funding streams circulated. As noted previously as part of our digital first agenda, newsletters via ‘Mail Chimp’. Executive Meetings & Newsletters: As with the group meetings, TPT Executive meetings are now held four times a year. Following each meeting an Executive newsletter is produced to help keep Members, Officers and other key partners informed and updated on our progress throughout the year.

Theme 3. Supporters

The TPT Executive would like to take this opportunity to give thanks and recognition to all TPT Supporters.

Over the past two years TPT Supporters have been instrumental in taking photos and measurements of all access controls across the Trail. All this information has now been uploaded onto the TPT mapping to enable users to have this information readily available. Work has also started on the next stage of the TPT accessibility project by compiling reports for each partner Local Authority to show what access controls are on the route and to ask if any can be removed or redesigned to improve Credit: Andy Dodds access.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this project. The TPT is now leading the way in providing access control information to members of the public. From initial discussions at our 2018 Members Steering Group meeting in , this is a phenomenal achievement.

Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail

The TPT Office work closely with the Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail to increase membership, financial monitoring and writing funding bids.

The Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail are a registered charity that help to support the national office in any way possible; raising funding for specific projects, lobbying to protect the Trail, helping with publicity, route surveys, This Path Needs Friends campaign and much more. The Friends are always looking out for other opportunities to secure the future of the Trans Pennine Trail national office and route improvements, so if you have any suggestions, please get in touch [email protected] The Friends section of the website had a revamp earlier in the year to now show all the members of the Friends Board and their roles. Becoming a Friend and giving donations to the Friends has also been made it easier. To take a look at all this and read about the great projects the Friends are working on, please click here.

Longdendale Access Project (LAP) – Before lockdown work was focussing on addressing vegetation management before bird nesting season and assessing prices for the next phase of works. However, since the onset of the Covid pandemic work unfortunately had to stop on site. The next TPT meeting will provide a platform to discuss how to progress works to ensure project delivery. This has been a fantastic legacy project that has drawn in much more funding and projects that could have been imagined. This project has taken a few years, but those who have been involved with the project are delighted with the prospects of an outcome far wider than originally planned on what will be a noticeably improved Trail for all visitors regardless of disability.

At the end of 2019 United Utilities filmed the Torside section and are hoping to re-film when more works on the LAP have been completed, you can watch it here; www.unitedutilities.com/about- us/recreation-sites/Torside/ Further works in the pipeline include:

 Wooden marker posts with engraved designs – one set from Torside and one set from Railway Cottages heading to Torside  Path from the toilet block round the side of the building where visitors can sit and enjoy the breath-taking views over the reservoir  Small information board on the side of the toilet building dedicated to the LAP project.  A dedicated leaflet for the LAP project.  Further vegetation management

 Route surveys to determine costs of work on further sections that may become accessible

should funding allow, including Torside to Reaps.

Apethorn Godley Turntable – Volunteers are now back working at the turntable site with work to be done on installing drainage grids, erecting bat boxes and a general tidy up of the area.

Friends are hoping for surfacing of the path along the front of the site and to install a wall mural depicting the silhouette of a railway engine, dependent on funding available. A leaflet has also been designed and will be available soon.

A grant has been received from Onward Homes Community Fund for the purchase of a leaf blower to help keep the paths clear around the turntable and along the path to Apethorn, which will be a great help especially during these Autumn months.

Selby, Burn Airfield – With support from the national TPT Office, the Friends of the TPT has been awarded a grant from Sport England to resurface a frequently flooded section of the Trans Pennine Trail to provide a 3m accessible path. Unfortunately, due to urgent A19 project in North Yorkshire, final costings for this project have been delayed.

Please remember all donations and membership received by the Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail are spent on supporting the TPT national office or on the Trail. Volunteer Rangers

The Volunteer Ranger scheme continues to operate in partnership with Sustrans. Here are a few stories and images of how our supporters have adapted to volunteering during the pandemic. : The Pandemic has had far reaching effects for us in Liverpool. Initially, all volunteering was stopped. We all found this very difficult as we have become friends and looked forward to meeting on Tuesdays. When lockdown eased a little bit, we were asked to carry out " mini litter picks" working alone or in pairs and taking rubbish away with us. Sadly, this was never going to work on our very long stretch of Loop Line.

So, we changed our way of working. Instead of following our 7- week rota when we all met at one section, each week we split the Loop Line into shorter manageable areas. There are now 14 Credit: Tony McArdle sections with those, who still can, litter picking one or two sections each. Where possible we do take the litter away, but we do still need pickups by Sustrans staff. It is simply too far in most cases to carry the litter back to an exit. In many ways this means sections are being litter picked more often so the Loop Line on the whole is much more litter free. Some of us are working in pairs but it is mainly lone working which is sad. We miss seeing each other and having our weekly cuppa and chat. Sadly, some have been unable to return yet, so our numbers have depleted. We do keep in touch though with a weekly email and on our Volunteer Facebook page where we share news, stories and pictures between ourselves and Loop Line users. Generally, the Loop Line is much busier, with some people "discovering " it for the 1st time. Most thoroughly enjoy the peaceful cycle to work or a leisurely ride/ walk along the path which offers such diverse surroundings. Some parts going through woodland, or residential areas. Industrial areas to open stretches. For us as volunteers, it makes it all worthwhile when many people say ‘Thank you’ as they pass us. We are desperate to get back together as a team but in the meantime will carry on as best we can. & Halton: On the 23rd March Sustrans suspended all volunteering activities due to the current COVID 19 outbreak. This left approximately 4000 volunteers sitting at home staying safe with their families, we were allowed to exercise once a day, either walking, cycling or whatever you wished to do. After about two weeks, early one morning I went for a walk around my local neighbourhood, only a mile at first but over the course of the next month or so increased this using various routes and then the more than once a day bonus came out. I kept a log of times, routes and distances just keep track of any fitness improvements. I then had a crazy thought of doing a virtual Trans Pennine Trail walk on Twitter, so I added all my daily totals up and plotted the distance on the website Plotaroute.com, this distance total took me from to Nookfield park on the Liverpool Loop Line. I have been doing this virtual walk now for eight weeks (at time of writing) and have travelled from Southport and just passed Denaby Ings nature reserve on the outskirts of Mexborough. One of the group volunteers is producing an article for the company he works for, Sellafield Ltd who are sharing image stories of what their staff are up to during the pandemic. I received an email from another volunteer with various pictures of the Trail decorated with various rainbows and one or two fun trails for the children. The trail consisted of a route along the Trail and local village, at various points you will find a coloured sheet with various letters and a picture on it, the letters can be noted down and you have to make a word from them. This was put out by a local school teacher who was missing her class. : The TPT in Stockport continues to be very popular with users, since the COVID -19 restrictions started in March. It is great to see so many people using the Trail, but it also means that it has not been possible to organise any task sessions, as it is too difficult to maintain social distancing on parts of the route, as some sections are quite narrow. A walk through of part of the route with our very helpful Neighbourhood Officer identified the areas which were getting rather overgrown and these have now been cut back by Stockport Council. Tameside: With the position unfilled for quite some time, I’m pleased to introduce myself, Neil Mitchell, as the replacement for Peter Brocklehurst as Group Co-ordinator in Tameside. After a few months of hints and nudges from other volunteers, I met Peter for the first time on a path clearing session on the Apethorne – Godley section, and his charm got the better of me. He will be a tough act to follow, as everyone who knows him will agree, although I’m pretty sure he’ll still be a regular volunteer – thanks for all your hard work and enthusiasm over the years Peter.

Unfortunately, I’d only managed to collect the various tools and keys before Covid-19 got the better of everyone, so very little volunteering has happened since, which has been difficult to take - the Tameside section (25 miles in all) is blessed with some of the most amazing scenery on the whole Trail, very remote across the in parts, impassable in bad weather, but glorious at the moment. It’s mostly easy maintenance, although my predecessors have done an amazing job at the Godley turntable, something that’s been really well appreciated by the local community.

Some proposed route changes will keep us busy over the next few months with signage changes and there’s a bit of painting needed at the Godley turntable, so hopefully we can start to return back to normal very soon. Kirkburton: Like most we are experiencing much increased Trail usage via the combination of lockdown and excellent weather. Many locals who have just discovered the route are very appreciative of it. Kirklees Local Authority are promising a cycling route from Huddersfield to Waterloo. We have been out checking the route of the old, much overgrown, former railway line between Kirkburton and Huddersfield. It would not take a huge amount of work to reinstate it, and, if completed, would offer an excellent route to link Huddersfield and other communities with the Credit: Andy Dodds TPT. Watch this space!! : There has been a successful Zoom meeting of volunteers from Rotherham, and . New Doncaster volunteers Peter & Meryl Oliver and Mark Dodds were able to introduce themselves. There was a wide variety of relevant subjects covered with handy information exchanged. Although we’ve been doing our own things there is a definite need for us to interact and combine our efforts in coming months. I hope that ‘socially distanced’ vegetation clearance should be possible to arrange in the near future.

Sheffield: When the crisis hit, we suspended all group activities. Individual rangers could still go out but there was some confusion about what we could and couldn't do. Unfortunately, Credit: Paul Riley that did mean there was a gap in the routine maintenance and subsequent deterioration in the state of the Trail at a time when there was more and more interest in using it. However, we did establish that we could work in twos following the rules, so we've managed to pull back out of that situation. At the same time, we've had a recruiting campaign for new rangers, so I've spent a lot of time on Zoom calls with new people although we've not been able to take them out and show them the ropes so far. I'm particularly grateful for people like Paul Blackbourn who has pulled out all the stops to get their section up to scratch. Hopefully as things settle down and we will have a new structure in place with new people will be able to get the Trail up to a standard we haven't seen since it was brand new! Leeds: Following completion of the resurfacing of the TPT between the Royal Armouries and Fishponds Lock near Woodlesford, large numbers of locals and visitors have been enjoying this lovely waterside path. Not only is the surface wide enough for social distancing and clean to ride on a bike, access barriers have been removed to make it easier for everyone to pass. Unfortunately, there remains one major obstacle: the steep, narrow steps at Skelton Grange Road Bridge (about halfway along the newly-surfaced section) remain a severe obstacle to many cyclists, wheelchair users and less agile pedestrians. Leeds Cycle Campaign have begun a campaign to have a safe and accessible crossing at Skelton Bridge. A survey has been conducted during August with nearly 500 completed. Respondents suggested a range of options for making a safe and accessible crossing, mostly by installing some kind of ramp. The campaign for a safe and accessible crossing continues with a planned meeting between all the stakeholders including the TPT soon. South: Our first action was to erect signs advising people how to avoid narrow sections of the route where social distancing was not possible. Widely ignored! The Railway to Greenway project is officially ended but we have had to quarantine the remaining activities - the painting of the sun, the play equipment at Naburn Station and the sculptures at either end. Fortunately the HLF agreed that we can put the money aside so we will complete this once the Credit: Julie Wing lock down is lifted.

We mainly work as individuals, but we use a mailing list to advise when I am planning to do a task and invite others to join, working separately but on related tasks We have hand sanitiser and spray for the tools we issue. We have had a team from Tesco, but they were a work 'bubble so able to work together. Our main tasks have been clearing the path of overhanging vegetation but also giving the Trust Hut a makeover ready for re-opening when permitted.

Theme 4. Research and Development

Visitor Survey: The results of the visitor survey were circulated in January highlighting the changes in spending habits on the Trail. The survey was completed by 418 people and of those 30% of users indicated a spend. Analysis of the data enabled us to identify where money was spent. The following table breaks down the average spend per person:

Expenditure Daily Spend per person

Transport (petrol, fares etc.) £5.44 Accommodation £11.19 Light refreshments (snacks) £2.53 Food & drink (main meals) £19.98 Other £1.33 Total £40.48

This can be further broken down to show the average spend per user type. These figures can be used alongside the visitor monitoring data to calculate the visitor spend users of the Trail can generate in your area.

Spend by User 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 Type Cyclists £16.90 13.92 £22.87 £15.23 £77.31 Walkers £9.30 6.21 £9.92 £40.95 £12.85 Walkers + N/A 10.01 £17.59 £89.63 Cyclists Horse Riders £23.53 11.45 £20.66 £4.78 £12.97 % of User 37% 44.4% 50% 43% 30% Spend

Visitor Monitoring: The contractor who provided visitor counting data, Ashley from Instep Solutions, has sadly passed away. Condolence has been sent to his family. The TPT national office is currently looking at options available to address the need to continue to provide this data.

Credit: Big Steps of Hope Credit: Trans Pennine Trailer The final two themes sit side by side and are integral to the Trail: Theme 5. Quality Standards

The quality of the route is of paramount importance both to users of the Trail and also to the Partnership. Quality comes in two forms; quality of the route itself and also the quality of visitor experience.

Theme 6. Environmental Sustainability

The Trail is a wonderful resource to help promote green tourism, green jobs and carbon reduction. Under this theme, the TPT national office continues to seek every opportunity to engage in projects to secure and protect the environmental sustainability of the route and maintain our ‘green corridor’ wherever possible.

The TPT national office continue to respond to major consultations that could impact the Trail under the above themes.

All consultation responses submitted by the TPT national office undergo an internal consultation exercise with relevant project partners, the Friends Board, Group Coordinator and the TPT Executive.

Please see the following consultations the national office has responded to this year (see overleaf). If you would like copies of any responses, please do get in touch.

Local Authority Consultation / Planning Application Submitted Sefton Commonplace online consultation Liverpool Commonplace online consultation Liverpool City Connect - Lime Street and The Strand Knowsley Commonplace online consultation Halton Carter House - Housing – conditions Cater House- housing development Warrington Telecommunications Morrisons, Greenall Avenue Alpaca Farm unit extension Conversion of car park to 1 x dwelling 47 Mill Lane Riverside Walk, Fiddlers Ferry Statham Avenue Trafford Carrington Village Commonplace online consultation Manchester Local Plan City Centre Transport Strategy Consultation Fallowfield Loop Consultation Tatton Arms - residential dev Stockport Stockport Interchange - bridge consultation Commonplace online consultation Heatons Active Neighbourhood Consultation A6 - Railway Road consultation Heaton Lane / A6 Junction Tameside Commonplace online consultation Bee Network - Cycling and Walking Infrastructure – Tameside Godley Garden Village - 20-00022 PreApp Peak Park Peak Park Recreation Hubs Supplementary Planning Documents National Grid - Dunford Bridge Car Park Chesterfield - housing development Former Staveley Works Network Rail - Souring Works Inkersall Solar Farm Chesterfield Local Plan - Modifications only Victoria Farm, Brimington - COU to caravan storage Extension Waterside - Discharge of conditions Brimington - Lodge Close development Doncaster Bentley Housing Plan App Barnsley Barnsely West MU1 Masterplan Framework Consultation Bridge housing Hoyland North Masterplan Land adj 40 Edmunds Road Royston Masterplan Framework Carlton - Mining site to residential Hoyland South Masterplan Framework Hoyland West Masterplan Framework Millhouse Green - Manchester Road - Industrial Units Stairfoot - Bleachcroft Way housing development Everill Gate Lane - Craswick Foods - Halifax Rd Housing Outukumpu Site Leeds Commonplace online consultation Rothwell and Robin Hood Lemonroyd Lock, Fleet Lane Extraction Plan, River Calder / Aire & Calder Navigation North Yorks Escrick Clay Extraction Selby Selby Station Gateway York Commonplace online consultation East Riding Local Plan Consultation Natural England Coastal Path - Cleveleys to Pier Head

Below you can see the work our Partners have been up to and how the pandemic has impacted our Authority officers.

Sefton: After initial issues with the water table and lockdown restrictions, works along the Coastal Road works are now progressing. Liverpool: We have been working with Sustrans to look at improving connectivity with the Loopline and the Waterfront, as well as looking to improve the Priory Woods looking at access controls and segregated routes. We have now also fixed the recurrent flooding issue at Bull Lane. Knowsley: Knowsley are taking part in a ‘Common Space’ Trial to help walkers and cyclists during COVID-19. Halton: During lockdown we were required to close all public car parks, which were able to reopen to allow users to access the Trail and countryside whilst maintaining social distancing. Vegetation works have been undertaken along Sankey Canal and works to upgrade the crossings at Carter House Bridge are underway. We also now have a new officer in post, Kayleigh Hulme.

Warrington: There has been an ongoing flooding issue at Credit: Southgate School Camsley Lane underpass however we believe we have found the solution which will be put to the test when the bad weather arrives. Sankey Canal Restoration Society have been installing milestones along the Sankey Canal corridor including the TPT between Sankey Bridges and Spike Island. Colleagues in Transport have been working on the forthcoming upgrade to TPT at Knutsford Road – A49 (Manchester Ship Canal) leg.

Work has been done on interpretation panels which are to be installed at Bradshaw Lane and Wilderspool Causeway access points as well as the new re-aligned Gatewarth section. We have been concentrating on a s signage upgrade on the recently completed works/route re-alignment at Gatewarth, as well as undertaking a photo record for potential capital funded upgrade of Latchford Locks. The Trail at Gateworth Tip has been realigned onto a more Credit: Andy Kershaw user-friendly route. Warrington Council are currently undertaking an access control review and looking at current illegal motorcycle use. Trafford: Parking Services are looking at potential improvement in the car park on Seamons Road, including disabled access. A link route has been blocked by a landowner between Sinderland Lane and Dunham Massey. Work is continuing with the National Trust to look at improving connections in Dunham. A masterplan has been commissioned for Carrington with the help of the Friends of Carrington Moss – we would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been involved. Stockport: There has been an ongoing issue with a section of Trail within Stockport that is falling into the river near the Rugby Club, a diversion route is currently out for pricing to avoid this section. We would like to thank the volunteers along this section as during times of flooding, they have been out scraping back the deposited silt to make it user friendly. Credit: John Leigh Officers have been investigation footpaths within Stockport that have been closed by individuals. We are also looking at a possibility of turning the route from Heaton Lane to Green Pastures into a public right of way. Manchester: The Jacksons’ Boat scheme is slowly moving forward, with the project including an additional bridge with better access, plus route surfacing upgrades. The TPT was very well used in Manchester during the lockdown period. I would suspect it has been the busiest it's ever been. Tameside: Proposals for Godley Green Garden Village are based over a period of 25 years. It is hoped that this will provide an opportunity to realign the TPT. The section along the A560 has been de-designated from the however Credit: Janet Lees will remain as part of the TPT route until a better alignment can be found. High Peak: Work has begun on the Glossop Gateway Masterplan. This is to identify opportunities to enhance the A57 corridor in Glossop towards the border with Tameside. Part of the project will include consideration of possible improvements for active travel. The consultants are going to prepare a Local Impact Report for the Council on the Trans Pennine Upgrade Scheme, which will be circulated with relevant stakeholders when the data is available. Peak Park: Sadly, the current Covid-19 situation has had a major impact on our colleagues being able to undertake any further works on the Longdendale Access Project, we are hoping work will start again in the near future. National Grid Undergrounding at Dunford Bridge work has been postponed until Spring 2021. Barnsley: Plans for the Dunford Bridge car park are currently being finalised. Unfortunately, COVID- 19 has prolonged the café opening at Dunford Bridge to hopefully open in the Spring. Work has been postponed for the undergrounding at Dunford Bridge however, National Grid are looking to start work building the diversion January/February 2021. Barnsley secured Emergency Cycle Funding for Stairfoot to Town Centre Phase 1 which involves works to widen the section of Trail. There may be an option to resurface all of the newly widened route, but this is depending on spend deadlines. Phase 2 works include resurfacing works along the Elsecar section and upgrading it to flexipave. Due to ongoing Covid restrictions there have been delays on the tendering process for the DfT grant fund works awarded through Sustrans for resurfacing works from the A61 at Worsbrough to Smithy Wood in Dodworth. We are hoping to have this done before Christmas. We have received some positive press during the lockdown with Look North filming on the Trail in Wombwell to highlight how popular it has been. Credit BASD Barnsley Leeds: Sustrans completed work to repair and improve the Aire and Calder navigation towpath, TPT and NCN section from the Royal Armouries to Fishpond Lock. The route is now fully re-opened and useable with no diversions necessary. Feedback received has been really positive. Since a planning application has been withdrawn at Skelton Grange a meeting is going to be arranged with partners to discuss opportunities to discuss potential solutions to the inaccessible bridge. An A-frame had been removed at Thwaite Mills without consultation with Canals and Rivers Trust, this access control may need to revisit due to illegal access issues. Wakefield: Two planning applications responses have been submitted with potential to upgrade a section of Trail in Wakefield to bridleway status and include route improvements. TPT have responded. Doncaster: We have been and continue to work with Sustrans on a project funded by the DfT to improve the section of trail between Toll Bar and Bentley Pavilion. Work is due to be Credit: Tame Valley MTB complete by the end of March 2021. The pandemic has had an impact on our work. Like all local authorities we started working from home in March and still are, with no immediate plans to return to the office. Initially all site visits were suspended, and our maintenance team were unable to work too. As things started to get back to some sort of normality, we concentrated on cutting the trail and have managed to stay on top of the vegetation on most sections throughout the summer. We have also resumed site working so have been able to go out and look at the issues that have continued to be reported throughout the pandemic by trail users. I think more people are using the Trail locally as a result of the pandemic, including an Emu, which was seen running loose along the trail in Cusworth, back in August. It was safely recaptured and returned home. Rotherham: Drain holes are soon to be installed at Old Moor to resolve some flooding issues. The slight re-alignment of the TPT at the exit of Brookfield Park has been completed. Sheffield: Sheffield volunteers have started working on the Trail again since restrictions have loosened a little. There have been several new rangers in the group too including a potential new group co-ordinator for Sheffield North. Recent active travel funding has benefitted the NCN Route 6 and Kelham Island. Funding to complete the crossing at Vaughton Hill / Station Road in Deepcar that forms part of the Little Don Link has been approved and should go ahead this financial year 20/21. The North Don Trail has had lots of interest and activity and it will create a link to the TPT at Deepcar. Chesterfield: Signage has been installed along the route to help inform users the towpath is only 1.5m in places and social distancing may not be possible. A new sculpture has been installed by the Chesterfield Canal. Waterside applications continue to be monitored by both Derbyshire and TPT. Selby/ North Yorkshire: Funding was secured from Sport England to upgrade the section through Burn Airfield. This will provide much needed surfacing improvements to provide safe access for Trail users. Highways are currently leading on the project undertaking dig hole sampling. York: Environment Agency path closure is ongoing. The Environment Agency want to close the route under Lendal Bridge whilst they put in new flood gate in 2021. However, York have requested that the closure doesn’t overlap with Terry Avenue one to reduce impact on users. Resurfacing works from Millennium Bridge to the ramp at Terrys Avenue have been completed. There has been an internal Council bid submitted to look at access barriers as there are no consistency in the controls. East Riding: The TPT is closed between and due to Network Rail but there is a full diversion available for Trail users. Hull: Environment Agency works on the Humber Foreshore at St Andrews Quay and Victoria Dock is ongoing with temporary diversions in place and the Ferry Terminal route design work is progressing well. Credit: Chesterfield Princess Quay Bridge works are ongoing with ramps underway. Cycling Campaign

Trail Highlights

“At the age of 35 I was discovering routes on my doorstep I never knew existed, I felt the years roll back and I guess the excitement of an ‘adventure’ I once loved as a youngster came flooding back” Health – The Trans Pennine Trail continue to be a great route for all users of all abilities to get out and enjoy the countryside using quite traffic free routes. During lockdown we have seen an increase in new users to the Trail who are currently using it for leisure and health purposes. Below is a story we from a user who discovered the Trail after being told by his doctor he was borderline diabetic detailing his enjoyment of the Trail whilst getting healthier. https://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/your-trail/your-stories/ Discovering the Trans Pennine Trail - Following repeat attacks of gout and being told by my doctor I was borderline diabetic, I decided it was time I did something about it. I began to sort out a diet and I purchased a cheap and cheerful bike from eBay and headed out on it round my home in Rotherham. I’ve always enjoyed cycling, but like a lot of things it became a bit of a chore doing the same route and the excitement didn’t last very long. I was hoping this time it wouldn’t end the same way. I started to become more aware and interested in all the blue cycling signs around my area and began to head out a little further to see where these would take me. I found Credit: Andrew out this was part of the Trans Pennine Trail and researched it further. Needham At the age of 35 I was discovering routes on my doorstep I never knew existed, I felt the years roll back and I guess the excitement of an ‘adventure’ I once loved as a youngster came flooding back. I downloaded the ordnance survey map which showed all the different routes I could take, this really appealed to me as I’m not very confident cycling on the road. The main benefit of the Trans Pennine Trail for me is the majority of it is all off road with no traffic. I was beginning to become slightly obsessed, plotting new routes all the time, going further and to different places was great for me and at the same time without realising, my weight started to come down. I ordered the coast to coast book from amazon which is a fantastic read and fuelled my ambition to ride even further. I was starting to become even more adventurous and purchased a brand-new bike. This gave me more motivation and I began to increase my mileage. Lockdown was a very worrying time for me to begin with but there is often good to come out of a bad situation and my experience with cycling the Trail has certainly been good. I guess having the extra time played a massive part. With a group of friends, I headed from Rotherham to Dunford Bridge, then returned to Rotherham. It was my first ride above 20 miles and to think I had cycled almost halfway to Manchester felt like a huge achievement. The views when reaching the top at Credit: Andrew Needham Dunford Bridge overlooking the reservoir were incredible. It was also a perfectly sunny day. From completing that route, I then became even more adventurous, whether it be with a group of friends or riding alone. The ability to push my body further and explore new places was a fine combination. I felt myself getting fitter and the urge to keep going out on the bike increased after every ride. I’ve completed the route to Leeds and back from Rotherham many times now, it’s one of my favourite rides and also my longest at 83 miles. I’ve cycled from Manchester to Rotherham on what was a terrible day weather wise but still very enjoyable in its own way, even with a puncture and my friend’s broken chain, we did it. Rotherham to York was extremely tough given the fact it’s very low in elevation, this sounds odd to say but because there is a long time in the saddle due to it being so flat and constant peddling means a bit of pain the day after, I also rode to Hornsea which was a very similar experience. Apart from the section from Southport to Warrington I’ve conquered all of the Trail. My aim when I can, is to complete the whole coast to coast of 215 miles across 3 days which will probably be next year. In the meantime, I will continue doing a mixture of the routes I’ve already sampled. I really value the Trans Pennine Trail. I’ve experienced so much; I’m promoting it to others all the time and I have to say a big thank you to the people who maintain it. Ultimately, I needed to motivate myself to get out, get fit and lose weight and just generally begin to feel better about myself, the Trail has really helped me do this. At the start of lockdown, I struggled to do 10 miles, next week I’m aiming to do 100 miles in one day, it’s amazing what you can achieve. Environment – This year we have experienced some amazing weather and due to lockdown, this has meant that many more users have been able to enjoy the Trail in all its glory. Our social media pages have been full of wonderful user images of the Trail in all its glory as well as helping us to remember why the Trail is so important to so many people. Below are a few highlights of what we have received:

“The TPT has been a lifeline throughout the lockdown and it's shown how important it is to our communities”

Tourism – This year has seen a dramatic increase in ‘staycations’ as we have all been noticing how wonderful the UK really is. This has had a really positive effect for the TPT as we have found many new users have discovered the Trail in their local area but also once restrictions are lifted wanting to venture further and complete the Trail in its entirety. This is fantastic for both the TPT national office but also our Partners as this will result in new visitors to the area as well as increased visitor spend.

Transport – Active travel has always been high on our agenda, but it has been great to see how members of the public have now realised the value in getting out and walking, cycling and horse riding and the affect it has on the planet. There have been reports of people purchasing bikes for the first time and even bike shops selling out! This is something we hope will continue and not be a passing trend once the pandemic ends.

Economic Development – The online maps have proved to be even more popular this year with view steadily increasing throughout the year. The cycling maps have been the most popular, followed by the walking, accessibility and then equestrian maps. Over the year we have had almost 3 Million views which I am sure you would agree is an incredible achievement.

Across the Trail network there are many cafes, sandwich cabins and restaurants that are located on or close to the Trail that have been extremely popular since the restrictions were reduced with users calling in to get a takeaway refreshment and quick bite to eat. Thanks and Acknowledgements

The TPT Executive would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for all your hard work and dedication this year helping to support and strengthen the Trans Pennine Trail partnership. It is times like this where partnership working is key.

We would especially like to say thank you to the Friends of the Trans Pennine Trail for recognising the importance of securing the longevity of the TPT national office in terms of the successful funding bids that have been submitted this year.

Looking Forward

The Trans Pennine Trail Project has a lot to look forward to!  Work is continuing to create circular routes for all our users  Seeking funding for Trail improvements, accessible furniture and website upgrades.  In 2018 we launched our accessibility project with an aim to make the Trail barrier free. In 2020/ 2021 we will be working closely with our local authority partners to achieve this with the help our current access reports. This project is being supported by our colleagues at Sustrans.  Continue to respond to consultations and planning applications to help protect the Trail and also seek enhancements. If there is anything in particular you would like to see the national office focus on, please do let us know. With your continued support we will be able to work together to create a fully accessible Trail for walking, cycling and horse riding for future generations to come.