Lakes bids for £4m Euro cash

The park has applied for European money to help its 10-year-old Low Carbon Lake District project, which aims to tackle climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

If successful, the funding could enable the roll out of a renewable energy and efficiency programme at its flagship Brockhole Visitor Centre, near Windermere.

The park is also keen to expand its state-of-the-art self-driving “pods” – which are electric vehicles using sensors to detect road conditions and obstacles.

It is part of the park’s long-term vision for travel in the Lake District to reduce the reliance on cars.

The aim is to cut the percentage of visitors arriving by car from 83 per cent in 2015 to 64 per cent by 2040. The park attracts around  20 million visitors a year.

Any successful bid could also helps towards a project to reconnect the Keswick to Threlkeld multi-user trail along the path of the former railway.

The scheme will involve extensive building, design and consent works, including a 5km trail re-opening and repairs.

National park chief executive Richard Leafe is due to update members at a full meeting of the authority taking place in Kendal next Wednesday (24TH OCTOBER).

He said a decision on the bid was expected soon.

A report by the park partnership’s climate change sub-group suggests work still needs to be done to meet tough carbon emission reductions.

It said: “Whilst we have had some successes we are not yet meeting our target of one per cent per annum. A one per cent emissions reduction target for 2017-18 should equate to 31,367t carbon dioxide equivalent.

“The actual total emissions reduction for this period was 14,000t of carbon dioxide equivalent.”

“Importantly, this work goes beyond our own organisations’ greenhouse

gas emissions, but applies to the whole park.

“Achieving the one per cent target will require a concerted effort by senior leaders throughout the partnership to instigate change.”