Pedal Peak District Rhonda Pursglove - Project Development Manager

1. Pedal Peak DistrictRhonda Pursglove - Project Development Manager

2. What will it do ? • Link the existing Monsal, High Peak and Tissington Trails into a complete circular route between Matlock and Buxton • Create a spectacular leisure experience for visitors and local people • Increase access to cycling especially for families, new users and the less mobile • Increase connectivity to gateway towns and transport hubs enabling access into the National Park in a practical and sustainable way

3. Partnership and Funding • National Park Authority will be the lead partner to co-ordinate funding for the whole route • Cycling England will fund the capital and revenue elements of Phase 1 from Bakewell to Buxton which will be completed by March 2011 • Further phases of Bakewell to Matlock and Buxton to the High Peak Trail need additional external funding • Potential sources of funding include Heritage Lottery Fund and the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund • Partnership delivery with DCC, DDDC, HPBC, Emda, Destination Management Partnership and Derbyshire Primary Care Trust

4. The Peak Cycle Route

5. Phase 1 • Continuous route from Bakewell to Buxton • Re-opening of 4 railway tunnels closed to the public since the late 1960’s with environmentally friendly lighting and surface illumination • Putting over the message of sustainable living by increasing the uptake of cycling for health and well being • Leave the car at home and cut carbon emissions • Marketing of the new route particularly to new or occasional users who can gain confidence in a safe and traffic-free environment

6. Progress so far • Detailed surveys carried out on the Monsal Trail and Woodale route • Ecology, archaeology and bat surveys completed • Actively looking at other existing routes such as Pennine Bridleway and Limestone Way to provide choice and variety as part of an improved Peak District network of cycle routes

7. Progress on Monsal Trail • Tunnel surveys complete and repair works due to begin at end of July • Lighting design and feasibility study undertaken by DCC to put out to contractors • Resurfacing of the tunnels and areas in-between to be carried out over winter/spring 2011.

8. Social Marketing • Important area of the project to encourage more people to cycle more often • Pedal Peak District main leaflet – 100,000 leaflets produced and currently being distributed to the tourism sector • Peak Cycle Hire leaflet – 30,000 leaflets about the project and where the cycle hire centres to go to so that they can sign up. • White Peak Trails leaflet – 30,000 leaflets about cycling routes in the White Peak area • Pedalling Picnics, Biking Banquets – 30,000 leaflets about food and drink businesses on or near the High Peak and Tissington Trails, Manifold Track and Carsington Water. • Welcome to the Monsal Trail – 10,000 leaflets giving interpretation about the history of the route but includes some information about Pedal Peak District

9. Progress to date • Pedal Peak District website went live at www.pedalpeakdistrict.co.uk with registration form, information about cycling, cycling events etc. • Several successful events held and reactions put on ‘YouTube’ • Basic website for Saddle Up For Summer – joint cycling month in conjunction with Visit Peak District and Derbyshire went live at www.visitpeakdistrict.com • Basic website section went live at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/cycle which includes information on: • cycling routes • public transport links to them • cycling information for people with accessibility issues • health benefits of cycling • information about the wider project including a question and answer section • information about cycle hire centres and • a link to register on the national website.

10. Main issues so far • Marketing and events programme has made great progress through specific targeting of groups e.g Asian women, mental health and women only sessions • Social media vital in capturing successes and quick wins • Capital and infrastructure works always require more time than originally envisaged and need good preparation and lead-in times • Build in additional timeframes for Local Authority procurement rules

11. Issues – cont’d • Think ahead – how will the new cycle route/facilities impact on future maintenance budgets • Important to have as much baseline data as possible to ensure effective evaluation of investment • Protected landscapes offer the greatest challenges for infrastructure development

12. Future Phases • Continuation of the route southwards to Matlock • Buxton linkage to the High Peak and Tissington Trails • Cycle hire proposals for Buxton and Matlock stations to reduce car use and congestion • An enhanced social marketing programme which capitalises on the expanded infrastructure to increase leisure and utility cycling e.g cycling to work and school • Development of sustainable tourism opportunities along the route e.g cycle-friendly accommodation and refreshment stops

13. Outreach Potential

14. Longer term vision • Lays the foundation for a much more sustainable transport programme – visitors arrive by public transport and use bicycles to explore • Improved connections to the market towns neighbouring the National Park, villages and attractions adjoining the route • Behavioural change becomes more apparent as cycling becomes a widespread and accepted alternative to some car journeys • An exemplar project to roll out to other National Parks

15. First for a National Park • Anticipated to become the top cycling route in a National Park • Brings additional pressures for delivery • Creation of new routes can be more complex and time-consuming because of environmental designations e.g Special Areas of Conservation and SSSIs • Additional planning considerations • Intense focus on the project because of our existing popularity as a recreational destination -35,000 cycle hirings annually and 16 million people living within 60 miles of the boundary