Penrith masterplan goes to consultation
Eden Council will invite public views on its masterplan for Penrith with an eight-week consultation, starting in early September, as it looks to gather feedback on its 2050 vision for the town.
The council launched a search for a masterplanner last December, and appointed Land Use Consultants, which has offices in Lancaster and Manchester, to the scheme in January this year.
The strategic plan, covering a vision for the town and its surrounding area to 2050, focusses on partnering with developers and housing associations to build between 5,000 and 8,000 homes; building a road from the A66 to Junction 41 of the M6; construction of new bridges across the borough; and investment in healthcare facilities.
The council also plans to create a major strategic employment site and aims to build a series of schools and education facilities.
Other ambitions include the construction of a leisure and recreation park along the A686 to the east of the town. The proposed employment site is likely to be located just off Junction 41 of the M6.
The masterplan has now been drawn up and is set to be signed off for consultation by Eden Council’s executive at a meeting on 4 September, allowing the consultation process to begin the following week.
It has already been through a series of consultations with the masterplan’s stakeholder group, which includes representatives from Penrith Town Council, Homes England, Highways England, and the Environment Agency amongst others.
Penrith’s masterplan will sit separately from Eden’s Local Plan, which was this month sent to the planning inspectorate for final approval.
The consultant team is also now drawing up an updated travel plan for the area to replace the existing dataset, which the council said was “out of date”; this will complete in March 2019.
