The Council is calling for communities to help shape spending plans for a £1.7 million funding pot to put the wheels on more bus services across Westmorland and Furness.
The Department for Transport has awarded Westmorland and Furness Council £1.7 million of Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) funding to enhance services across the area in 2024/25.
To ensure that services supported by the latest tranche of BSIP+ funding meet the needs of communities and lead to well-supported provision, the Council has launched a consultation offering residents, businesses and visitors the opportunity to shape spending plans.
Work has already started to devise a list of 35 suggested bus routes the monies could fund. The consultation offers the opportunity for people to comment on the routes and positively impact services from years to come.
Councillor Neil Hughes, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environmental Services, said: “The £1.7 million funding awarded to our council, supports us in taking a significant step towards enhancing bus provision across Westmorland and Furness.
“Living in a rural area like ours, providing more frequent, enhanced services will open the door for our residents and visitors to choose bus as their preferred way to travel and create more enjoyable, sustainable journeys for all.
“It is the Council’s ambition to allocate the funding towards creating a network of well-supported bus services that moves us closer towards achieving our net-zero ambitions. We recognise that in order to do so, supported routes must meet the needs of communities and visitors across the area.
“I encourage you to take part in our consultation, whether you currently use bus transport or you aspire to, to make sure we get the most out of every pound that we spend.”
Those who wish to take part can complete the online Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus Funding Consultation.
Six drop-in sessions have been arranged at various locations in April, providing communities the chance to engage directly with the Sustainable Transport Team and share their perspectives.
Sessions will be held on the following dates in Barrow-in-Furness, Grange, Kendal, Kirkby Stephen, Penrith, Sedbergh and Ulverston:
• Penrith Library - Thursday 4 April, 10am to 2pm
• Westmorland Shopping Centre, Kendal - Wednesday 10 April,10am to 2pm
• Grange Library - Thursday 11 April, 10am to 2pm
• Methodist Church, Kirkby Stephen - Thursday 18 April, 5.30pm to 6.30pm
• Sedbergh Medical Centre – Tuesday 23 April, 5.30pm to 6.30pm
• The Coronation Hall, Ulverston - Thursday 25 April, 10am to 2pm
• The Forum, Barrow-in-Furness. Friday 26 April, 10am to 2pm
For those that are unable to attend during the day, an online event has been arranged on Wednesday 24 April from 6pm to 7pm. To receive a link to join, please email media@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
The Council is also exploring the possibility of holding additional public meetings at locations across the area.
Paper copies of the survey will be available to complete at Westmorland and Furness Council Libraries in Barrow, Grange, Kendal and Penrith from Monday 25 March until the end of the consultation period on Tuesday 30 April.
The suggested enhancements the Council would like communities to comment on include:
Eden
- 104: Carlisle to Penrith - Increase frequent from every 60 to every 30 minutes
- 104: Carlisle to Penrith - Increase Sunday frequency from every 120 to every 60 minutes and make it more direct
- 105: Greystoke to Penrith - Offer new Daily service, possibly with links to other areas (for example Settle - Carlisle line at Langwathby)
- 106: Kendal to Shap to Penrith - Improve days of operation to Monday to Saturday and improve frequency
- 508: Windermere to Penrith - Improve Summer (2025) frequency to every 60 minutes from every 120 minutes
- 561: Appleby to Kendal - Re-introduce the Wednesday service
- 563: Penrith to Kirkby Stephen - Re-introduce regular service from Kirkby Stephen - Penrith, six days a week, possibly with service at peak times.
- 646: Penrith Town Service - Introduce early morning and later afternoon service - to complement existing daytime service
- 680: Nenthead to Carlisle - Re-introduce service twice a week, with the possibility of starting one day at Garigill instead of Nenthead
- UB1: Ullswater Service - Support new services provided on behalf of Sustainable Ullswater
- X4/X5: Keswick to Penrith - Double frequency from every 60 to every 30 minutes to improve rail connections at Penrith
- X5: Workington to Penrith - Maintain hourly Sunday Service through Winter
Furness
- 1: Biggar Bank to Hawcoat - Improve frequency of Sunday service
- 2: Town Hall to West Shore - Add an evening service
- 2: Town Hall to West Shore - Improve frequency of Sunday service
- 3: Newbarns to Ormsgill - Improve frequency of Sunday service
- 4: Holbeck Park to Hindpool - Improve daytime frequent to every 20 minutes (from 30 minutes)
- 4: Holbeck Park to Hindpool - Add Evening Service
- 4: Holbeck Park to Hindpool - Improve frequency of Sunday service
- 6: Barrow to Windermere - Improve Daytime frequency
- 6: Barrow to Windermere - Add extra early and late journeys for access to work
- X6: Barrow to Kendal - Improve daytime frequency from every 60 to every 30 minutes
- X6: Barrow to Kendal - Add earlier arrival in Barrow from Kendal
South Lakeland
- 6: Barrow to Windermere - Improve Daytime frequency
- 6: Barrow to Windermere - Add extra early and late journeys for access to work
- 40: Kendal Town [Sundays] - Retain service
- 106: Kendal to Shap to Penrith - Improve days of operation to Monday to Saturday and improve frequency (working with existing local funding group and their operator)
- 505: Coniston to Ambleside - Offer earlier journeys for work
- 508: Windermere to Penrith - Improve Summer (2025) frequency to every 60 minutes from every 120 minutes
- 516: Dungeon Ghyll to Ambleside - Offer earlier journeys for work
- 532: Cartmel to Grange - Offer extra journeys three days a week to compliment the 530 to Kendal
- 552: Arnside to Kendal - Improve frequency from three to six days a week
- 555: Keswick to Kendal - Improved Evening service
- 561: Appleby to Kendal - Re-introduce Wednesday service (using Council school transport vehicle)
- 564: Sedbergh to Kendal - Re-introduce service to replace withdrawn Woof's of Sedbergh service. Potential for extra enhancements
- 567: Kendal to Kirkby Lonsdale - Improve frequency to make better connections with service from Settle for access to/from Leeds-Settle-Carlisle rail line
- 597: Windermere Town Service - Improve days of operation from two to three
- 11 / X12: Coniston to Barrow - Design and improve timetable. Possibly six days a week (X12) and access to Education (X12)
- X6: Barrow to Kendal - Improve daytime frequency from every 60 to every 30 minutes
- X6: Barrow to Kendal - Earlier arrival in Barrow from Kendal
Residents and visitors to the area have already started to reap the benefits of an initial £412,130 BSIP+ funding granted in 2023/24 as new services launched earlier this month.
Key connecting routes in Kendal have been maintained, and services restored as a part of the new timetable in Alston, Arnside, Appleby, Grange, Penrith, Sedbergh and Windermere. A further £178,000 of ring-fenced monies has gone towards supporting the transport of workers in the hospitality and tourism sector, with the frequency increased of two bus services from Keswick to Penrith, and Barrow to Windermere.
