Welcome to our Windermere Gateway Transport Infrastructure Delivery Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). Our ambition is to secure a transformational gateway for Windermere which sustainably connects to the onward travel network and contributes to the vibrancy of the town by delivering housing and employment opportunities.
This SPD was adopted on the 15 December 2021. On the page below you will find the content of the SPD. Supporting its adoption are the following documents:
Windermere Gateway Consultation Responses (pdf)
Click on the image below to enlarge it
Windermere town with 13 key areas of planned improvement. See the details in the 13 images in the gallery below.
Illustrations courtesy of Planit-ie.com, influenced by Alfred Wainwright.
Figure 1: The boundary of the Lake District National Park.
© Lake District National Park Authority. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2021.
Mapping © Lake District National Park Authority. © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 Ordnance Survey
The following sections will provide you with information on our proposals, the requirements and implementation and delivery.
This Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) relates to the gateway to Windermere which includes Windermere Railway Station and Bus Terminus and the surrounding land occupied by Booths and Lakeland and the site at Orrest Head Farm, which is allocated for a mixed use development. Please see figure 2 below. It does not cover areas beyond the red line, including Windermere Town Centre or onward travel.
This SPD provides additional guidance to support:
Contextual information supporting this SPD is provided in the supporting technical documents. Further detail will be provided at the planning application stage for both the access proposals and the mixed use development at Orrest Head Farm.
Figure 2: Supplementary Planning Document Area
Allocations of Land © Lake District National Park Authority. © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 Ordnance Survey
The primary purpose of the SPD is to ensure a strategic and co-ordinated approach to transport, travel and movement infrastructure provision within the Windermere Gateway area that facilitates the delivery of:
Contextual information supporting this SPD is provided in the supporting documents. Further detail will be provided at the planning application stage for both the access proposals and the mixed use development at Orrest Head Farm.
The layout of the current vehicular access from the A591 to Windermere Station and the adjacent Booths is inefficient, and the Booths access adds traffic to the existing one way system in Windermere town centre. There are capacity constraints associated with the current junction layout. Pedestrian and cyclist mobility between Orrest Head Farm and the transport hub is also restricted. Movement between Windermere Station and Windermere town centre is also restricted, including to pedestrians and cyclists. This has a negative impact on the sense of arrival into the World Heritage Site.
The vision is therefore to:
Establish a transformational new gateway for Windermere which sustainably connects to the onward travel network and significantly contributes to the vibrancy of the town by delivering affordable and local needs housing, employment opportunities, and improved sustainable travel opportunities for residents and visitors. The intervention will deliver design excellence, sensitive to the world class landscape in which it is situated.
In response to the area’s context and characteristics, the following provides a summary of the key constraints presented by the area, as illustrated in the diagrams.
Figure 3: Access, movement and arrival.
PROW © Lake District National Park Authority (working copy). © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 Ordnance Survey
The layout of the current vehicular access from the A591 to Windermere Station and the adjacent Booths is inefficient, and Booths store access adds traffic to the existing one way system in Windermere town centre. There are capacity constraints associated with the current junction layout. Pedestrian and cyclist mobility between Orrest Head Farm and the transport hub is also restricted. Movement between Windermere Station and Windermere town centre is also restricted, including to pedestrians and cyclists.
There is limited existing parking and drop-off at Windermere Station restricting the attraction of rail use, and limited space for buses and taxis. There are constraints accessing and egressing Windermere Station, and lack of canopies on the platform.
Figure 5: Heritage and sense of place
Listed Building extents and Conservation Areas © Lake District National Park Authority and Historic England. © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 Ordnance Survey
The Lake District has World Heritage Status, the SPD area is located within and adjoining the Windermere Conservation Area and there are listed buildings within the area and on the adjoining the Orrest Head Farm site.
The existing station lacks a sense of arrival into the World Heritage Site.
Figure 6: Flooding, Topography and Key Views
© Lake District National Park Authority. © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 Ordnance Survey
Flood Zones © Environment Agency copyright 2021. All rights reserved.
The SPD area slopes from north to south with the northern portions of the area more visually sensitive due to their elevated position.
The area is in flood risk zone one however areas of surface water flood risk will need to be mitigated and a resilient sustainable drainage system must be provided for.
The landscape character and wider views of Lake Windermere must be safeguarded.
Figure 7: Landscape character
Landscape Character Assessment and Conservation Areas © Lake District National Park Authority. © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 Ordnance Survey
Figure 8: Opportunities
Listed Building extents and Conservation Areas © Lake District National Park Authority and Historic England. © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 Ordnance Survey
There is the opportunity to create a new strategic gateway for Windermere, improving the transfer of people form one mode of travel to another at the transport hub at and around Windermere Station and supporting traffic and movement improvements by:
This could be improved to create a sense of arrival to improve the experience for visitors and residents, including improved Station facilities and parking to encourage the use of sustainable travel choices.
Improvements to the Windermere Gateway Area will help to increase the capacity of the Lakes Line, supporting the proposed passing loop.
The area can provide high quality development that reinforces the sense of place and enhances character whilst protecting the setting of the heritage assets.
Delivery of a comprehensive surface water drainage strategy which incorporates SUDS.
The allocated site at Orrest Head Farm can deliver local needs and local affordable needs housing as well as employment opportunities.
There is an opportunity to create open spaces and green infrastructure that will provide safe and functional informal recreation opportunities for existing and local residents and visitors.
This document puts in place a vision for the Windermere Station gateway for the next five years and beyond. This Supplementary Planning Document is intended to be a strategic guide to the future delivery of transport, travel and movement infrastructure provision within the Windermere Gateway area that facilities the delivery of:
The Infrastructure Delivery Plan and ongoing project development through the preparation of this Supplementary Planning Document has been used to inform the required projects and funding sources. The next piece of work is to understand in greater detail the costs of each piece of infrastructure.
Windermere Gateway has been developed in an integrated manner, with access, interchange and housing each critical to the success and sustainability of this proposal and the benefits it is intended to unlock for Windermere and surrounding communities. Delivery will also need to be achieved comprehensively with this especially important with respect to the relationship between housing development and wider infrastructure.
Developer contributions and grant funding will be important in respect to the comprehensive delivery of the gateway area. The new housing development must deliver essential enabling and access infrastructure, while working with the Local Planning Authority to establish a clear and deliverable funding strategy for the delivery of the comprehensive scheme, and this would include the exploration of additional grant funding opportunities. The housing development cannot be considered in isolation.
While an approach to phasing is suggested, this relates to indicative delivery timescales and does not remove the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach to securing delivery of the entire proposal.
Phase 1 is estimated as 2022-2025. Phase 2 is estimated as 2025-2029
Thwaites Lane junction and highways improvements to form a roundabout and new highway access to the station.
Highway measures to manage traffic if required
Improved cycling and walking connections linking the site allocation CSE01M to the Station, onward travel and existing network
Improved surface water drainage infrastructure associated with site CSE01M and Thwaites Lane improvements.
Provision of open space and green infrastructure within the Orrest Head Farm site CSE01M.
Provision of affordable and local needs houses through delivery of site allocation CSE01M.
Station and interchange hub improvements, and public realm enhancement.
We will continue to work with Cumbria County Council, Network Rail, Lakeland, Booths, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, Windermere Town Council, South Lakeland District Council, the National Trust and their preferred development partner for the Orrest Head Farm site to deliver the projects to deliver Windermere Station Gateway.
To support the preparation of the Supplementary Planning Document a number of technical reports have been prepared.