21 July 2017 Land of Oak and Iron Green Travel Assessment Final report 1. Introduction Introduction: The Land of Oak & Iron The Land of Oak & Iron Investing in Heritage: identifying, enhancing and managing the little known natural and industrial heritage; The Land of Oak & Iron is centred on the Derwent Valley, North East England. The area covers 177km 2 and is home to Investing in People: investing in people to develop skills, learn about the heritage and volunteer time; approximately 112,000 people. One end is more rural, bordering the Derwent Reservoir and North Pennines Area of Investing in Communities: improved access to and interpretation Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The boundary then of the heritage, reducing negative environmental impact, expanding engagement and ownership, and promoting the area follows the River Derwent down to the River Tyne where it is to make it a better place to live, work and visit. much more urban, bordering the edge of Newcastle and Gateshead, including the Metro Centre. The Land of Oak & Iron Landscape Partnership The Land of Oak & Iron Landscape Partnership comprises organisations from across the public, private and voluntary sectors who share the following vision: “Working with local communities to celebrate, conserve and enhance our natural, industrial and cultural heritage. With partners, it will deliver a legacy of job creation, tourism, regeneration and economic benefits.” The Land of Oak & Iron programme The Land of Oak & Iron programme comprises 14 interconnected projects grouped into the following three themes: Introduction: The brief The brief The Assessment will need to identify deliverable actions for implementation of the Go Green project: The aim of the Go Green project is to support the reduction of environmental impacts in the Land of Oak & Iron area by Information about sustainable transport developed for promoting and improving opportunities for sustainable travel. promotion to encourage walking, cycling and the use of public transport. Promotional materials to be based at key Through the identification and implementation of schemes Heritage Centres; that promote walking, cycling and the use of public transport, Go Green will encourage those who live, work and visit the Bikeability cycle training courses for residents; Land of Oak & Iron to travel in a more environmentally Activities to engage residents in cycling, walking and friendly manner. running activity in the Land of Oak & Iron through support for existing events or establishing new ones; The brief is to carry out a Green Travel Assessment that Promotional activity with public transport companies; identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the existing green travel network and makes specific recommendations on what Capital support to residents and organisations, including is required to encourage more people to cycle, walk, use car bikes, safety equipment and cycle racks to encourage the uptake of walking and cycling. clubs and the existing public transport network. Activities that encourage sustainable transport within the A detailed review of the existing cycle infrastructure network Land of Oak & Iron’s other projects. in the Land of Oak & Iron to identify areas of connectivity and gaps in the network is also required. This will also help identify and support the best approach to enhance the existing facilities or establish a new cycle hire/e- bike scheme. Introduction: The method Tasks This report To address the project aims, the following tasks were This report is structured as follows: undertaken: Section 2 provides the information from our audit of the green travel network and assets, including mapping of Inception meeting visitor attractions, walking and cycling networks, public Mapping of green travel networks and assets transport routes. We have also identified a range of Cycle network audit information sources on walking and cycling activities, and walking and cycling groups operating in the area. We Policy review conclude this section with a SWOT analysis. Consultation with stakeholders Section 3 provides a short policy review. Workshop Section 4 details consultation held with stakeholders Issues and recommendations report during the study. Section 5 provides our recommendations. 2. Audit of the green travel network and assets Audit: mapping of networks and assets The initial task was to map the existing network and assets. This included: Population centres, visitor attractions and other key destinations; Cycle routes, including off-road, on-road and signed routes; Public Rights of Way, including longer-distance routes and promoted trails; Bus network; Information available on walking and cycling opportunities in the area; Other transport services in the community: including walking and cycling groups, bike shops and bike hire facilities, car club providers. Audit: Overview map of area see Map 1 Heritage Sites Nature Sites Nature Sites Walk / cycle sites 1 Derwentcote Steel Furnace 15 Hamsterley Riverside 29 Cattyside Woods 37 Greenside Waggonway 2 Allensford Blast Furnace 16 Chopwell Woods 30 Bradley Hall Gardens 38 Woodhouse Lane Byway 3 Path Head Water Mill 17 Ryton Willows LNR 31 Blaydon Burn Nature 39 Red Kite Trail Reserve 4 Gibside 18 Blackhill & Consett Park 40 Pedalling Squares 32 Daniel Farm 5 Cherryburn 19 Derwent Walk Country 41 Tyne Riverside Café Park, Kite Hill and Nine Arches 33 West Wylam Wood 6 Hollinside Manor 42 Pontop Pike Viadut 34 Watling Wood 7 Prudhoe Castle 43 Hownsgill Viaduct 20 Clara Vale LNR 35 Derwent Gorge and 8 Hagg Bank Bridge 44 Crawley Dam 21 Stargate Ponds & Bewes Hill Muggleswick Woods 9 Kiln Pit Hill Church 22 Allensford Country Park 36 Shibdon Pond &Meadows 45 Ovingham Bridge Local Nature Reserve 10 Battle of Newburn Ford 23 Allensford Woods 46 Prudhoe Heritage Trial Visitor Centres 11 Ryton Holy Cross Church 24 Priestclose Woods A Tyne Riverside Country Park 12 Postick Mill by River 25 Pont Burn Woods Ebchester B The Lodge 26 Stother Hills and Victoria 13 Vindomora Roman Fort C Proposed LOI Heritage Garesfield LNR (Ebchester) Centre 27 Milkwellburn Woods 14 Whinfield Coke Ovens D Swalwell Visitor Centre 28 Tyne Riverside Country Park E Thornley Woodlands Centre Audit: Overview of attractions Attraction Visitors Additional info Derwent Walk 406,933 1 Increase in 9,000 since 2012. Busiest part at Winlaton Mill. Chopwell Woods 200,000 1 Gibside 160,000 1 Increase of 60,000 over last 10 years. ThornleyWoods 11,506 1 Doubled since 2012 C2C Cycle Route 7,500 – Complete the route each 15,000 1 year The Lodge 9,000 1 1: LOI Landscape Conservation Action Plan Part 1, pg. 35 Audit: Cycle and walking network see Map 2 Map 2 in Appendix A shows: Overview of all cycling routes, divided into NCN, off-road routes, on-road (as shown on Gateshead Cycling Map) and NCN / regional routes adjacent to area Walking network shows public rights of way for all 3 authority areas. Audit: Cycle & Walk routes information Various organisations publish information on walking and cycling Sustrans publishes a guide book for the C2C route, which routes in the area, including the following: covers Derwent Walk, Consett to Sunderland Railway Path and Keelman’s Way (from Derwent Walk eastwards) retailed Gateshead Cycling Map : http://www.tyneandwearltp.gov.uk/wp- on-line: https://shop.sustrans.org.uk/ultimate-c2c-sea-to-sea- content/themes/ltp/maps/gateshead/gateshead_north.pdf guide Derwent Walk Country Park: Tim Deveaux has also published a book of Derwent Walks, http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/dbimgs/Derwent-Walk-Country- retailed on-line. Park-Leafet-2015.pdf http://www.durham.gov.uk/media/4402/Railway- Path---Derwent-Walk/pdf/RailwayPathDerwentWalk.pdf Information is also available for some of the regional cycling / multi-user routes adjacent to the area: Keelman’s Way: Riverside Route: http://www.walk4life.info/sites/default/files/walkdocs/walkdoc-9967.pdf Waskerley Way: http://www.durham.gov.uk/media/4423/Railway-Path--- Chopwell Woods: Waskerley-Way/pdf/RailwayPathWaskerleyWay.pdf https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/ChopwellWalksLeafletamended.pdf/$ FILE/ChopwellWalksLeafletamended.pdf Lanchester Path (Consett to Durham) http://www.durham.gov.uk/media/4405/Railway-Path--- Red Kite Trail: 20 page leaflet: Lanchester-Valley/pdf/RailwayPathLanchesterValley.pdf http://www.friendsofredkites.org.uk/page20.htm Tanfield Path and Bowes Rail Path: Gibside walking routes: https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/DocumentLibrary/Leisure/ https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside/features/walking-at-gibside CountrysideWildlife/countryside/NewMarkingtheWaysleafl Blaydon Burn Trail: et.pdf https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/DocumentLibrary/Leisure/Leaflets/country The Consett to Sunderland Railway Path and Waskerley Way side/blaydonburnleaflet.pdf form part of C2C route for which there are guidebooks. Clara Vale Local Nature Reserve: https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/DocumentLibrary/Leisure/CountrysideWil dlife/countryside/Clara-Vale-Leaflet-Nature-Reserve.pdf Audit: public transport network see Map 3 Map 3 in Appendix A shows bus routes and bus stops, rail routes and interchanges. Audit: car access see Map 4 Map 4 in Appendix A shows main roads and car parking in relation to visitor attractions. Audit: other community activities and organisations Social / health walks Walking groups Gateshead Health Walks: provides health walks Northumbria Walking Group: arranges walks throughout throughout area, including Whickham and Blaydon Northumbria : http://www.northwalk.org.uk/walk/ https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder/north-east/get-