T O W N C E N T R E M A S T E R P L A N KESWICK K e s w i c k A r e a P a r t n e r s h i p W M U D F i n a l R e p o r t N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 6 Keswick Area Partnership Ltd 50 Main Street Keswick Cumbria CA12 5JS t 017687 74144 f 017687 75738 Ke s w i c k Town Centre Masterplan November 2006 WMUD Willie Miller Urban Design 20 Victoria Crescent Road Glasgow G12 9DD t 0141 339 5228 f 0141 357 4642 [email protected] p r e f a ce This Masterplan Report is the result of twelve months of intense activity by Keswick Area Partnership Ltd, the local residential and business communities and the wide range of public agencies involved in the future of Keswick. It is an important stage in the work of the Partnership to progress the economic, social and cultural development of Keswick and its neighbouring parishes. The study is built up from many strands examined during the year and which converge to make up the ‘Keswick Experience’. The Report is structured in a logical progression from the background research through to the concluding outline proposals. These are ideas and recommendations intended to stimulate discussion in the community and to motivate constructive forward thinking. The proposals cover a range of ideas and schemes from short term relatively easy to implement plans through to longer term, and perhaps more controversial ideas for the development of the town. I would encourage everyone with a stake in the future of the town to seriously consider this study and explore ways of contributing to its implementation. Sean Crawford Chair, Keswick Area Partnership Ltd 08012007-id-fr#02//wim-it study team: WMUD | Martin Stockley Associates | Ryden | yellow book Nicola Atkinson-Davidson Janet Benton Katharina Hübl Peter Larsen John Lord Willie Miller Viktoria Purser Mark Robertson Martin Stockley Ines Triebel Nick Wright Ke s w i c k Town Centre Masterplan co n t e n t s section 1 introduction 1 section 2 policy context 3 section 3 economy and property 17 section 4 urban design and traffic 27 section 5 the visitor experience 73 section 6 the Keswick community 83 section 7 issues and directions 89 section 8 themes and proposals 95 section 9 stakeholder and community involvement 125 section 10 action plan 131 November 2006 | WMUD 1 introduction This Final Report on the Keswick Town Centre Masterplan was the town is necessarily part of the study area. The importance of commissioned by the Keswick Area Partnership Ltd (KAP) in November connection between the town centre, the lakeside, public parks 2005. A consultant team led by WMUD carried out the study. and the neighbouring parishes beyond has meant that a wide geographical area has been embraced around the central core. Also, The brief for the work described the following scope and objectives of because some of the larger scale development opportunities lie just the commission: outside the retail core it has been necessary to look at the town in fairly broad terms. • to enhance and make better use of Keswick’s assets • to introduce a greater variety of uses and broaden the town’s This Final Report is in ten sections as follows: appeal • to enhance the routes, gateways and corridors into the town • Section 2 sets out the national, regional and local policy context centre for the study • to better link the lakeside and public parks with the existing • Section 3 contains a review of the economy and labour market of commercial core Keswick as well as a review of the local property market • to unlock and provide a focus for commercial development • Section 4 sets out an urban design appraisal of the town of opportunities at key sites Keswick and integrates this with observations on transport, traffic and access In the first stage of the study, the consultant team carried out • Section 5 focuses on Keswick’s staple industry, tourism, and an extensive programme of site visits, research, analysis and offers a critical appraisal of the visitor experience consultations, the results of which are summarised in this report • Section 6 sets out our assessment of the Keswick community and and recorded at greater length in a separate baseline report. In the the issues facing it second phase of the study, the consultants developed six strategic • Section 7 provides an overview of the issues and challenges and themes for the town in response to the issues raised in the first stage sets out some of the strategic choices for KAP and the Keswick of work. Within these themes, 22 project headings describe a range of community aspirational and practical projects for the town. • Section 8 describes our strategic themes for the town and the range of proposals developed in response to them The focus for this report is Keswick town centre but the rest of • Section 9 sets out a stakeholder and community consultation Keswick Town Centre Masterplan | Keswick Study Area strategy to accompany the implementation of the masterplan • Section 10 sets out an action plan for the implementation of the masterplan with project costings and sources of finance where appropriate A separate annex to the report contains the baseline report and a description of the work leading towards a Public Art Strategy for the town prepared by Nicola Atkinson Davidson. November 2006 | WMUD 2 the policy context Keswick and Derwentwater from the north INTRODUCTION This section of the report explores the national, regional and local policy context for the study and sets Keswick and its town centre in the current context of planning policy and related initiatives. NATIONAL POLICY The Rural White Paper (2000) set out 261 commitments aimed at achieving the sustainable development of rural areas. The White Paper focused on three key themes: improving public services; diversifying the economy and protecting the countryside. The Rural White Paper Implementation Plan (March 2001) set out plans for the implementation and delivery of the measures announced in the White Paper. A key theme was the growing concern for the future of market towns. Funds were allocated to the Countryside Agency and Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to address these concerns through the Market Towns Initiative (MTI). The MTI initiative is based on the following principles: • market towns should be the basis of sustainable rural communities • local communities should have a say in the future of their market towns • the revitalisation of market towns should improve quality of life, Keswick Town Centre Masterplan | the town in its landscape provide essential services, jobs and goods, and enhance the diversity and vitality of rural economies The Rural White Paper Review (2003) assessed progress towards the White Paper commitments; in parallel with this Lord Haskins carried out his Rural Delivery Review. The Haskins Report’s recommendations included: a greater focus on targets; the setting up of an integrated Countryside Agency to rationalise government support for rural areas; increased rural responsibilities for RDAs and the creation of Regional Rural Affairs Forums. The Government responded to the Haskins Report by publishing its Rural Strategy (2004) which set the framework for the Government’s rural policy for the next 3-5 years. The Rural Strategy identifies three key priorities for rural policy: • economic and social regeneration: improving skills and business support, a positive planning regime, sustainable farming and a focus on economic and social disadvantage • social justice for all: better access to public services, affordable housing, Social and Community Programme, promoting citizenship and communities • enhancing the value of the countryside: streamlined funding, protecting the rural environment and promoting the enjoyment of the countryside The Government also announced that from January 2007, it will devolve control of European Union (EU) structural funds programmes to RDAs, to ensure that EU funding is joined-up with other rural regeneration and sustainable farming and food programmes. The Rural Strategy also launched new definitions of rural areas, with November 2006 | WMUD much of the Lake District categorised as sparse villages or dispersed REGIONAL POLICY settlements. Regional Economic Strategy The 2000 White Paper introduced the Rural Services Standard which set out for the first time the level of services that rural communities The North West Regional Economic Strategy (RES) was reviewed in should expect, for example: 2004-05. The draft RES was released for consultation in July 2005 and the document has now been published. The RES seeks to create, a • presumption against school, post office and other closures sustainable, competitive, high added value, knowledge-based, inclusive • access to GP/primary care professionals economy. Action will focus on 5 key areas: • geographic access standards • response time targets for emergency services • business • provision of telephone services (eg. NHS Direct, Pensions Direct) • skills and employment • access to online services • regeneration • help with essential travel costs • infrastructure examples of 2oth century residential development • access to bus services • quality of life Some key themes of the strategy are of particular relevance to Keswick and these include: • development of an enterprise culture, diversification of the business base and enterprise and higher level skills • raising income levels by increasing the number of high value added jobs • improving the conditions for economic activity in rural areas through: - affordable housing - sites/workspace for business Keswick Town Centre Masterplan | - supportive planning framework June 2006 and the formal Examination in Public runs from November - development of the business and leisure visitor economy 2006 to January 2007. The RSS is the statutory planning document and the cultural offer setting out the proposed scale and distribution of development in the region over the next 15-20 years.