Lakes visitors asked to 'plan ahead, respect the county and leave no trace' as Easter weekend approaches
Visitors to the Lake District are being asked to plan ahead, respect the county, and leave no trace, as the Easter weekend approaches.
Cumbria’s Local Resilience Forum, which includes the Lake District National Park Authority, Police, local councils and Cumbria Tourism, is gearing up for an influx of visitors over the next few days and beyond.
They have reassured residents that plans are in place to manage the expected increase in visitor numbers.
Measures include:
Additional temporary car parks in key locations all available at saferlakes.co.uk
New temporary campsites, from 12 April when overnight stays are permitted, to help people avoid illegal fly camping.
Multi-agency patrols by officers from Cumbria Police, the Lake District National Park and volunteer rangers.
New posters and signage across the National Park area Temporary toilet facilities where required.
Media and advertising campaigns to encourage people to follow the new Countryside Code and behave with respect.
A new guide for motorhome users.
Andrew Slattery, Assistant Chief Constable and Chair of Cumbria Local Resilience Forum, said: “Visitors are so important to the county and it’s great to be able to start welcoming people back. We’ve been very proactive in planning for this, our area action plans are in place to help manage the problems we’ve seen previously – whether that’s parking, fly camping or the anti-social minority.
"I’m also delighted that we have over 100 Safer Lakes volunteers who will also be patrolling the park every day, helping us respond quickly to any new issues that arise.”
Lake District National Park Authority Chief Executive, Richard Leafe said: “We know how important the Lake District is going to be in the coming months to help with people’s health and wellbeing.
"Our message is whether coming for the first or 50th time, is: plan ahead, try to discover somewhere that’s new to you and enjoy your time here, but please leave no trace."
Cumbria's director of public health has warned people to ‘remember the rules’ warns as we head into the Easter holidays.
The overall infection rate in Cumbria has remained low and below the England and North west regional average. However there has been a slight increase in cases in some districts, including Copeland.
Hospital admissions have also remained low and the total number of people in hospital for COVID-19 has continued to decline.
Colin Cox, Cumbria’s Director of Public Health said: “At the moment Cumbria seems to have broadly stabilised at around 25 cases per 100 thousand population and the short-term spikes in some parts of the country last week are in line with what we would expect to see in these circumstances.
"As we head into the Easter holidays, I really urge people to continue to follow the new realms. It’s great we can meet more people, but do it outside, give each other space and remember hand washing.
" I’d also remind people that they can get a rapid-result COVID-19 test if they would like reassurance before they meet with others."