Recreation and Access ~

Masterplan Topic Paper ~ RECREATION AND ACCESS ~

Contents

Background...... 2

Purpose of this paper...... 2

Existing provision of green space in Plymouth...... 2

Current levels of recreational use ...... 3

Current provision for access and recreation ...... 4

Opportunities to enhance access and recreation...... 18

This is one of five topic papers that have been prepared as reference material to accompany the Masterplan Report for Saltram Countryside Park on behalf of The National Trust, Plymouth City Council and Natural England.

The other papers cover the following topics: • Farming and Landownership • Landscape Character • The Historic Landscape • Biodiversity

Copies can be downloaded from www.plymouth.gov.uk/saltrammasterplan

Land Use Consultants, Bristol. 15 February 2011

BACKGROUND The Countryside Park is made up of a number of areas of distinct character, which provide interest and add to the recreational value and offer of the site. Some parts of the Countryside Park, the National Trust Estate in particular, are currently extensively used for recreation by a diverse range of user groups. However, other areas are only occasionally used and some such as Chelson Meadow and land under private ownership have not been used for recreational activity due to their current land use.

Most visitors to the areas currently used for recreation arrive by car, as public transport provision and walking and cycling links to the surrounding communities from the Park are poor. Within some areas of the Countryside Park there is a good provision of recreational walking and cycling routes, especially around the National Trust Estate. However, there are no areas of open access land (as defined by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000) anywhere on the Countryside Park site, with much of the Countryside Park being characterised by working farmland.

The developments at Sherford and at Plymstock Quarry will significantly change the character of the area and the demand for recreational opportunity and access to (and through) the countryside will significantly increase as communities who live within walking and cycling distance of the Countryside Park increase.

A key long term objective for the management of the Countryside Park is to provide new opportunities for public recreation and enjoyment and development of a network of high quality recreational routes. As the area changes in light of new planned developments, opportunities will be created to improve the cohesiveness of the Countryside Park, the connectivity between the distinct areas and visitor orientation and experience. This will help foster a new identity for the Park.

PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER This paper provides information about public access and recreation in the Countryside Park to provide context to the Masterplan and the actions that will deliver it. The paper is split into the following sections: • Existing provision of green space in Plymouth • Current levels of recreational use • Current provision for access and recreation • Opportunities to enhance access and recreation

EXISTING PROVISION OF GREEN SPACE IN PLYMOUTH The Neighbourhood analysis of Plymouth green spaces carried out to support the Green Space Strategy 2008 – 2023 provides a helpful summary of the green space provision in the neighbourhoods surrounding and covering the Countryside Park site. The key findings of relevance to the Countryside Park are given below: Plympton St Maurice exceeds the Plymouth quantity standard and the majority of the accessible green space is of good quality. Notably only two spaces fail, being of fair quality; these are Plym Valley Walk and Marsh Mills (speedway track). A large area of the neighbourhood has a deficit for play provision, which is something that the Countryside Park can help to address.

The audit identified the following areas for improvement along the Plym Valley walk: “disability access, information availability, boundary, path and seating maintenance, provision of litter and dog waste disposal facilities, horticultural management, biodiversity enhancement, sustainable management and promotion of the space as a community and educational resource in order to increase community use and address the vandalism and littering currently occurring within the space.” Hardwick Wood is identified as a greenspace of city wide importance, being the largest accessible green space within the neighbourhood. The audit identified accessibility for all users, information availability and entrance location and maintenance as in need of improvement. There are no allotments within Plympton St Maurice. Elburton and Dunstone fails the Plymouth accessible green space standard and therefore every accessible greenspace in the area is of high importance. The Countryside Park should help to address this. The A379 acts as a significant barrier to people moving north. The northern half of the neighbourhood is predominantly inaccessible agricultural land. Lack of play provision is also an issue for this area. Plymstock exceeds the quantity standard for accessible green space, although there is a deficit of play provision. Saltram Park and Billacombe open space are two of the most important open spaces in the area. Generally open space is of a good quality. The audit identified that improvements could be made to the Plym Estuary to make it more welcoming and improve information and signage. Yealmpstone fails the Plymouth quantity standard of accessible green space although the quality of the space is good. There is also a deficiency of play provision. The Countryside Park can help to address both these issues. Lipson and Laira neighbourhoods fail the green space standard and the river forms a major barrier between it and the proposed Countryside Park. Along with the adjacent neighbourhood Efford they both have play deficits.

CURRENT LEVELS OF RECREATIONAL USE The majority of existing public access in the Countryside Park takes place on the National Trust’s land and this section draws on information collected by the National Trust in a survey of summer and winter visitors in 2009.5 It estimated that there are currently approximately 350,000 visitors to the Estate. Key points about the profile of visitors are listed below: • In the winter almost 100% of visitors are from Plymouth and the surrounding areas, in the summer this reduces to a more even 40% – 60% split between visitors from Plymouth and the surrounding areas and those from further afield. • About three quarters of visitors claim to visit every month. • 90% of visitors travel to Saltram by car (including the locals) • About 15% of visitors visit the house and gardens when open. • Dog walking and walking are by far the largest activities on the Estate, especially during the winter months. • The majority of summer visitors were with one other person. • The majority of people stayed between 1 – 2 hours. 75% of visitors stay between 1 – 3 hours.

To help understand visitor behaviour further, national findings on walking show that1: • Almost half the adult population participate in recreational walking. • Walking is one of the two most popular activities undertaken on a leisure day trip; the other is eating and drinking. • Most people travel quite short distance to go walking and associated party size and expenditure levels are relatively low. • Walking is a component of the majority of domestic holidays. • Short walks of up to 2 miles are twice as popular as longer walks.

CURRENT PROVISION FOR ACCESS AND RECREATION Walking, cycling and Horse riding routes Existing walking and cycling routes are shown in below in Figures 1 & 2. The South West Coast Path long distance foot path touches on the southern edge of the Countryside Park as it crosses over the Laira Bridge. There is a good provision of walking and cycling routes around the existing National Trust Estate and linking into it.

1 The National Forest Trail – An assessment of potential use and impact. The Tourism Company. September 2008.

Figure 1: Existing walking routes

Figure 2: Existing cycle routes

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The eastern end of the site has a network of sunken green lanes which provide much historical interest but are in varying states of repair and not always easy to find or access. The green lanes that are not public highways have no formal status as rights of way (i.e. they are not recorded as public footpaths, bridleways or restricted byways). The network of green lanes is disjointed in places and improved connectivity would help improve their recreational function as well as providing alternative through routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Kennet Hill sunken green lane Sustrans National Route 2 of the National Cycle Network is a proposed long distance route between St. Austell and Dover which will cross Devon between Plymouth and Seaton. It is likely to link in with the cycle ways provided by the Sherford development and possibly cut across the bottom of the Countryside Park then continue over the Laira Bridge. The Plym Valley cycle route which passes along the western edge of the Countryside Park makes up a section of the Sustrans National Route 27. The following extract from Devon online describing the Plym Valley cycle path says a lot about the perception of the Saltram section of the path and the difficulties of navigating Marsh Mills. (http://www.devon- online.com/towns/dartmoor/dartmoor-cycling-plymvalley.htm) There is a need to enhance this part of the network to encourage more people to include this section of the route in their journey.

“The trail itself starts in the grounds of Saltram House (National Trust) - one of Devon's grandest mansions located on the banks of Plym Estuary... The route markers will guide riders through the busy Marsh Mills road junction across the main A38 trunk road to Coypool - where you will pass the Plym Valley Railway. The Marsh Mills retail park is visible from this section, complete with the ever-present PC World and more importantly a Halfords store - for any last minute accessories. Many people prefer to start the trail at Coypool -it cuts out the problem of negotiating your way across the A38. There is ample parking available in the DIY super store car park, or along the roadside at the start of the trail.”

Point cottage entrance and MarshMills end of the Saltram section of the Plym Valley cycle route. The proposed Cycle Hub further up the Plym Valley and the development at Plymstock quarry are likely to increase use of this route in the future. There are currently no bridleways near the Countryside Park site and they are sparse throughout the wider area. The lack of provision of bridleways was highlighted as a key issue during the consultation on the city’s Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2 and was raised during the initial Countryside Park consultation. Although there are no commercial stables in the area, there are a high number of horses within Plymouth and a large number of pony paddocks within the proposed Countryside Park area. Historically a number of carriage rides existed around the Estate; see the Historic Landscape topic paper for more information.

Use of access routes for commuting Initial evidence and feedback from the public has revealed the need for the City's rights of way network to provide more accessible routes to where people live/work 2 LUC undertook some travel to work analysis for this study, which looked at those trips that are less than 3 miles (as the crow flies, so journeys may be a lot longer) that start or finish within 1 mile of the Saltram boundary and may travel across the site (again, as the crow flies from A to B, the path crosses the site). About 77% of people currently make these trips by car, so there is significant potential to create accessible walking and cycling routes suitable for commuting as well as leisure pursuits.

Recreational gateways The historic lodges provide important entrances into the Saltram Estate. The main entrance from Merafield Road is the only vehicular access route onto the site and this space is shared with cyclists and pedestrians. However, this entrance is not welcoming to pedestrians or cyclists as the driveway is narrow and at certain times (summer weekends), busy with cars. The Stags Lodge entrance is only open to pedestrians and cyclists, though it is not obvious that you can enter the

2 Rights of Way Improvement Plan Consultation Feedback http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/transportandstreets/prow/rowip.htm

estate this way. Merafield Road / Colesdown Hill outside the Stags Lodge entrance is a busy road with fast moving traffic.

The Merafield Road and Stags Lodge entrances to Saltram Estate.

There are two other main entrances and routes into Saltram Estate that will also be important entry points to the new Countryside Park. Marsh Mills and the Laira Bridge entrances. The road from the Laira Bridge currently takes you up the side of the industrial estate to the entrance to the civic amenity site. Traffic is quite heavy to this point, then the road narrows and leads up to Point Cottage. There is no indication that this is an entry on to the Saltram Estate, or that there is anything at the end of the road that is worth visiting.

The footpath/cycle path from the Laira Bridge, the entrance to the civic ammenity site and the road as it carries on up to point cottage. Marsh Mills is the other significant entry point onto the National Trust Estate and will also be important for the new Countryside Park for people coming from the west of the City.

Views through Marsh Mills on to the start of the Plym Valley Cycle path The alternative walking/cycling route access from the north to the Saltram section of the Plym Valley cycle route is via Marshall Road. This then passes through an industrial estate and then along a narrow unsurfaced footpath which follows the fence line of the sewage works and then under the Marsh Mills flyover. The footpath is currently overgrown and rutted / muddy and would be difficult for cyclists to use. There is also odour pollution from the sewage works which makes it an unwelcoming entrance to the Countryside Park.

Marshall Road entrance to Saltram Estate Generally the entrances to Hardwick Wood are concealed and hard to find, with poor signage to either indicate you are entering the woods or to where the paths lead.

Entrances to Hardwick Wood

Signage Signage is generally poor throughout the existing accessible parts of the new Countryside Park making orientation difficult. This is with the exception of the Sustrans routes which are well signed. However, existing signs don’t always direct you on to the estate by the most desirable route. 10

Initial evidence and feedback from the public on improvements needed to the City's rights of way network3 echoes this sentiment:

2 • too many public paths remain unrecorded 2 • better information (needed) on where to go walking/cycling in Plymouth Maintenance of access routes Foot and cycle paths are in a mixed state around the Countryside Park site with some well maintained and others impassable due to vegetation and poor surfacing. Improved maintenance and way marking2 was identified in initial evidence and feedback from the public on improvements needed to the City's rights of way network4. Wear and tear to the National Trust Estate is also an issue that needs addressing as it is becoming very visible in the central core area of the park.5

Conflict between users As the core area of the National Trust Estate has reached its capacity, conflicts have started to arise between paying visitors to the Estate (including National Trust Members) and free users of the site (particularly dog walkers).5 Conflicts between dog walkers and other users is a fairly common issue.5 There is also a perception that shared use bridal paths would be a source of conflict between horse riders and other users.

Physical barriers Following site visits it is apparent that there are a number of barriers to walkers and cyclists accessing the site of the Countryside Park and also moving around within it. Drunken Bridge Hill is a major barrier and deterrent to walkers and cyclists. Marsh Mills is a significant barrier for people trying to walk to the Countryside Park from nearby housing in Woodford, as well as those coming from bus stops at Marsh Mills Crabtree and those coming down the Plym Valley cycle track. The Plymouth Road (B3146) is also a barrier to those coming from the Plym Valley and the road access underneath the B3146 – Coypool Road – is poorly signed, slightly scruffy and feels unwelcoming.

3 Rights of Way Improvement Plan Consultation Feedback http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/transportandstreets/prow/rowip.htm

4 Rights of Way Improvement Plan Consultation Feedback http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/transportandstreets/prow/rowip.htm

The end of the Saltram section of the PlymValley Path under Marsh Mills leading you out on to the B3146 where you can either cross over the dual carriage way or pass underneath it. Connectivity between Hardwick Woods and the National Trust Estate is poor and difficult to negotiate. Although visually from the house the Estate and Hardwick Wood appear as one unit, the A38 and Merafield Road now create a significant physical barrier between the two. The National Trust Bridge over the A38 up to the Merafield Road entrance to the estate is a key crossing point to Hardwick Wood, however you still have to cross Merafield Road and the entrance to Hardwick Wood is obscure and hard to find. The other crossing of the A38 is on the Haye Road Bridge, although this is an extremely busy road and there is no pedestrian access across it; it is worth noting however that the bridge may need to be replaced in the near future.

Merafield Road in front of entrance to Hardwick Woods and the Haye Road Bridge over the A38.

The waters edge of the Plym Estuary is currently quite inaccessible and the numerous small beaches along the shoreline are particularly difficult to access for those with mobility problems.

Public Transport The key public transport entry points to the Countryside Park are the Laira Bridge and Marsh Mills, with several bus routes passing near these points, shown below (Figure 3). However, both these entry points are currently not very pedestrian friendly and require people to negotiate heavy traffic and walk through what are currently quite unattractive environments before they reach the edge of the estate.

Figure 3: Indicative bus routes

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The closest bus stop to the Countryside Park is currently on Cot Hill and is served by the number 20 bus from the city centre. The closest access route from the Cot Hill bus stop is along Marshall Road and then continuing along the footpath that runs alongside the sewage works and then under Marsh Mills flyover. A more direct and friendly route should be investigated. Improvements to the Marsh Mills access into the Countryside Park are of paramount importance to bus users, as staying on the bus from Marsh Mills to the Cot Hill stop to get marginally closer access to the Estate adds an extra 20 minutes (approx) on to the journey time. The Cot Hill Road bus stop is therefore only likely to be used by people catching the bus in the Plympton area (Newham Road onwards), with those catching the bus from the city centre more likely to get off at March Mills to enter the estate.

Cot Hill bus stop with the Thatched lodge leading on to National Trust Estate in the background. There are a number of harbour ferries and boat hire companies that offer services and cruises around the Plymouth harbour side. However, these do not come further than the Laira Bridge as the river becomes un-navigable at low tide. The river is used by rowers from the rowing club on the opposite bank to the National Trust Estate, although for the most part at low tide the navigable channel is well away from the banks on the National Trust Estate.

Cars and car parking Figure 4 shows the location of car parks currently in the vicinity of the Countryside Park and also vehicular routes that currently pass through the proposed site. The National Trust car park directly outside Saltram House is the main car park within the Countryside Park, although informal parking occurs in other locations. There are two other current car parks on the edge of the Park boundary. The National Trust used to have a few other car parks, but found they had management issues with them so they were closed. One was located near Stag Lodge, just off Wixenford Road, while the other was in the piece of woodland just in from Merafield Lodge. There also used to be a Plymouth City Council car park at Saltram Point that later became the travellers site.

Figure 4: Main roads and car parks

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Car parking was by far the most common issue that people wanted to see improvements to about the National Trust Estate.5 The parking capacity of the National Trust Estate is regularly exceeded, with cars having to park on grass verges outside the designated car park spaces.5

Main car park at Saltram House on a summer weekday Coypool Park and Ride is located on the other side of Marsh Mills from the Countryside Park along the route of the Plym Valley trail. Signs at the entrance of the Park and Ride specifically state that visitors to Saltram should not use the car park as it is solely for the use of those using the shuttle bus service to the city centre. A new Park and Ride is proposed to serve Sherford, and there is potential for it to be of use to those wanting to visit the Countryside Park as it will lie south of the A38 on the eastern edge of the Countryside Park.

Coypool Park and Ride, which is already heavily used.

Existing attractions in Plymouth and the surrounding area Dartmoor National Park lies on the edge of Plymouth and provides residents of Plymouth with large areas of ‘wilderness’, unspoilt, tranquil open countryside. A number of woods along the Plym Valley (Cann and Great Shaugh woods in particular) offer further opportunities for access to the river and woodland walks and cycle rides. Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is the other existing Country Park that is easily accessible to Plymouth’s residents and visitors to the city. Whilst a more lengthy drive from Plymouth (approximately 40 minutes), the Cremyll ferry runs between the Park and the Barbican in

5 Saltram Estate Visitor Survey (2009) The National Trust

Plymouth and with a journey time of just 10 minutes ensures easy access for foot passengers and an interesting and impressive start to a visit to the Country Park. The layout of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park bares many similarities to Saltram, with a stately home and formal gardens (in a pay zone) at its centre and wider estate beyond. This is an established Country Park run by PCC and Cornwall Council which includes a wide range of experiences for visitors. The challenge will be for Saltram Countryside Park to distinguish itself from Mount Edgcumbe and provide a unique and high quality visitor experience. Mount Edgcumbe Countryside Park includes 865 acres of coastal scenery and countryside and includes formal gardens and landscaped woodlands. Mount Edgcumbe is a very formal country park and appears to fulfil this function very well. Saltram Countryside Park can offer the visitor a slightly different, ‘wilder’ experience with more woodland, working landscapes and more of a countryside feel. Saltram could cater for (and is probably more suited to) the more adventure- orientated pursuits such as canoeing up the Plym – with a landing stage somewhere on the estate, survival type wilderness camps in Hardwick Wood, off-road mountain bike trails in the woods, and a slightly more rugged feel to the open spaces used for people to gather and socialise. We need to be clear on how the two are providing different experiences as this will be key to encouraging visitors to try something different and to visit Saltram rather than competing with more of the same.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE ACCESS AND RECREATION Sherford new community and the Persimmons housing development at Plymstock Quarry will significantly change the area surrounding the Countryside Park and the flows of people moving around and through the Countryside Park. The Eastern Corridor improvements are already considering whether the old iron Laira railway bridge should be restored for use by pedestrians and cyclists. Figure 5 below shows the layout of the proposed development at Sherford and Plymstock Quarry.

Figure 5: Proposed developments

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The Forestry Commission and National Trust have a joint regional project called 1SW. The National Trust woodland at Plymbridge has been identified as one of six locations across the south west to be a cycle hub which will include new trails for families, novices and intermediate riders. Cycle trails will be purpose built and other facilities might include bike hire facilities, cafes, areas to develop bike handling skills and info on how and where to ride across the region. The network of trails will be colour coded (like ski slopes) in terms of difficulty and will be aimed at intermediate mountain bikers rather than advanced downhill riders. The project is being partly funded by the Rural Development Program for England. Given the established link along the Plym Valley Cycle path between this new cycle hub and Saltram and the potential for additional cycle facilities to be located at Saltram the use of the Saltram section of the Plym Valley cycle path could significantly increase. The A38 Marsh Mills junction remains a significant barrier to linking the two initiatives successfully.

Summary of Recreation and Access Issues and Opportunities • There is a need to improve the cohesiveness of the site and help visitors to understand its identity, orientation and the offer to visitors of all areas of the Park beyond Saltram House.

• Visitors need to feel welcome to the Countryside Park and gain a sense that they are arriving in a special piece of the Countryside.

• There is a need to encourage visitors to use other forms of transport than the car to travel to the site, and also provide alternative car parking away from Saltram house to relieve the pressure on the core of the Estate.

• There is scope to encourage visitors to fully explore the Countryside Park by removing and /or improving actual or perceived physical barriers (e.g. Marsh Mills and the A38) and increasing signage so they can move freely around the Park and reconnect with less visited areas.

• It is currently difficult for people from the nearby communities to move from north to south (or vice versa) across the Park safely on foot or by Bicycle. The new planned communities at Plymstock and Sherford will also create a need for new or improved east to west connections.