Carlisle District Local Plan.indd - Carlisle City Council

Carlisle District Local Plan 2001 - 2016 Revised Redeposit draftT5The prime purpose of the proposal should be to facilitate the development of railfreight. Rail access should be available before the site is occupied and a site travel planwill be required. The proposal should be in a location so that the viability of the site willnot be compromised by restrictions on activity or opening hours.Mitigation: The policy could identify that proposals need to take into consideration thepotential effects on development on biodiversity, landscape and townscape.(See Policy LE1)7.15 The Carlisle urban area inset map leaves much of the railway land use unallocated. Thereis currently no preferred option by the rail authorities to enable one site to be identified. Theunallocated position will not preclude rail related development which is the primary use ofthe land.7.16 The North West Regional Freight Strategy was produced in November 2003, which raises anumber of issues which have to be resolved to enable provision of rail freight in the NorthWest. This includes the option to reopen the former Carlisle ‘avoiding’ lines to addresscapacity and operational flexibility. This would assist in addressing existing constraints. Thealignment of the disused Carlisle Freight Avoiding Line from Bog Junction to Willowholme issafeguarded on the Proposals Map.7.17 Carlisle is located at a railway junction for five local, regional, inter-regional and nationallines. It is therefore an important junction which suffers from congestion and conflict asa result. Rail freight services have increased 41% overall since railway privatisation. TheCarlisle Freight Avoiding Line if reinstated would remove freight trains from the congestedsection of the line through Carlisle Station, thus providing additional capacity for passengerservices. The reinstatement would enable freight growth by removing a constraint on thenetwork’s capacity.The Carlisle Freight Avoiding Line has been safeguarded for many years although no directrail route has been reinstated. Carlisle Renaissance proposes to regenerate the CaldewRiverside with new development between the River Caldew and Viaduct Estate Road. TheCarlisle Freight Avoiding Line would directly conflict with this proposal. Furthermore theprotection of such a route may conflict with preparation of new flood defences for theCaldew. Whilst there is still a need to promote rail freight the safeguarding of this route maynot be the most appropriate solution.POLICY T6 Public Transport InterchangeWithin the Plan period the Council will consider the possibility of developing a publictransport interchange. Until such time as one is developed, the City Council will notpermit development that would prejudice the continued use of the Lonsdale Street BusStation.7.18 The City Council considers a good system of public transport necessary as a meansof providing mobility for all sections of the community and fulfils a central part of theSustainable Strategy of the Plan. Public transport helps to reduce pressure on City Centreparking and the highway network. The bus station is an essential component of the publictransport service, providing a termination and stopping point for out of town and expressservices and should therefore be maintained.7.19 Currently the development of additional bus facilities in English Street and additional buslanes are ways of integrating rail and bus facilities, but do not provide for an integratedinterchange. Further measures may be required during the Plan period to improve publictransport in Carlisle.126 September 2006