A recently formed Friends of Castle Park group, inspired by a desire to restore one of Penrith’s most cherished assets, has announced an ambitious vision to revitalise the park.
Frustrated by years of limited action, the group is determined to return Castle Park to its former glory and elevate it as a key destination for residents and visitors.
The group comprises a diverse range of members, including tennis club members, Castletown residents, and other park users from across the town.
At their most recent meeting on November 7, held in the Bowling Club Bower at Castle Park, the group adopted a constitution, re-elected officers and agreed on a pathway toward securing a bright future for the park.
The next stage will be to launch the group to all Penrith residents with a meeting.
During the meeting, while considering options, the group heard from Ray and Kevin Dowding, who presented the successful management model of Hope Park in Keswick.
The commercial retail operation — covering the park café, golf course, pitch and putt, and obstacle golf — is under the overall management of a trust arrangement with Keswick Town Council.
Despite Castle Park’s cultural significance, including the castle itself, group members present felt that both Westmorland and Furness Council and Eden District Council before it have allowed the park to deteriorate.
Though Penrith Town Council has previously expressed an interest in managing its upkeep, there has been little action or motivation to make this happen.
“This leaves us with two choices”, a Friends spokesman noted. “We can either continue lobbying for the unitary authority to implement a comprehensive development plan, or undertake research into the prospects of a community-led approach, with the group taking responsibility for the park.”
The meeting agreed to further explore community-led options. A committee member and town councillor Hilary Snell said: “This model has worked well in other places.
“Substantial evidence supports the idea that community groups like the Friends of Castle Park are deeply attuned to the needs of residents and park users. This connection enables them to make choices that directly reflect the interests of those who use the park most.”
Richard Utting, chair of the Friends of Castle Park, said: “While recent enhancements such as the renovation of tennis courts, improved lighting, and additional seating are noteworthy, feedback from residents confirms that while Castle Park remains one of Penrith’s most treasured assets, it has been in slow decline for years. It is felt that what has been done has served to highlight the poor nature of the rest of the park.”
Richard added: “However, immediate issues, such as limited parking and the lack of a clear action plan, must be addressed as priorities. Without a vision and commitment, the park’s development risks continued stagnation.”
Building on foundations laid by the 2016 Development Plan, the Friends of Castle Park are keen to revive and expand upon prior ideas, such as a National Lottery grant application that was unsuccessful at the time.
The group intends to add detail to their vision for a community-led approach to managing the park.
Group member Geoff Rockliffe-King said: “We believe investing in Castle Park will yield substantial economic, cultural, environmental and public health benefits.
“Our vision is to create a place of relaxation, recreation and community pride, celebrating Penrith’s heritage while shaping its future.
“Unless the council embraces this approach, they need to inform residents of their plans for the future of the park, how much they intend to invest, the actions they will take to reverse the deterioration and how they will address the challenging issues, all with a detailed timescale to implement a renewed vision.”
The group now intends to arrange a meeting with representatives of the unitary authority to explore how they can work together to make progress with the development of the park.
