It has been suggested that tourists’ cars could be prohibited from certain parts of Lake District and Peak Districts in order to reduce congestion.
More than 90 per cent of the Lake District’s 19 million annual visitors arrive by car and officials say the tourist spot has reached ‘peak car’.
Bosses now plan to make the shift to more sustainable travel, with many of the most popular valleys being closed to vehicles during peak season.
The ‘car-free scheme’ is being looked at in popular locations like Great Langdale (which includes Bowfell, the Crinkle Crags and Wasdale).
Residents, walkers and cyclists will have access to the valleys for their own use.
In the Peak District, officials want to try an on-demand bus system to make it easier for visitors to park their cars elsewhere.
Lake District leaders plan to shift towards more sustainable travel by banning tourists cars. File photo
Meanwhile, in the Peak District, chief executive Sarah Fowler also said that car-free days were ‘a really interesting concept’ she was keen to explore
According to the park’s chief executive, it was like Uber on bus scale.
Sarah Fowler stated that she found car-free days a “really interesting concept” and was eager to investigate it.
Richard Leafe is the Lake District’s chief executive and said that it felt like the country was at peak car. It is something I would like to see decrease in dependence on.
It cannot continue to get worse, otherwise it will be too overwhelming for our national parks. It is time to shift towards more sustainable travel.
However, the LDNP has also come under fire for granting planning permission for ever-bigger car parks.
The new car parks are supposed to stop people from flying into hotspots. However, locals have reacted furiously, claiming that they will cause disruptions in bats and create climate and congestion problems.
Staycations are gaining popularity due to travel restrictions and lockdowns. The Lake District is one of the most popular destinations.
A charity alerted the public in August that the Lake District’s hillsides and paths were being ravaged by staycationers.
Fixed The Fells stated that the area was devastated by a “huge increase” in footfall.
It has spent £10million on repairing paths and erosion in the Cumbrian national park since being set up 20 years ago.
Pete Entwistle from Ranger Pete said it was a good thing to have more visitors because they can look at what’s available in the country. They also see what that needs protection.
“But I could see us having a lot of work in the future if it were to continue at the current numbers.”