Visitors willing to 'take their chances' with parking fines

People wanting to park near a Lake District beauty spot are willing to breach parking restrictions and "take their chances" on being fined rather pay for parking further away, local residents say.

Cumberland Council issued more than 25,000 penalty charge notices (PCNs) for parking contraventions in the past financial year, with the top five locations all in the Keswick area.

The C2057 road between Portinscale and Grange had the highest number, with 1,081 drivers fined. Parking has historically been an issue there because of its proximity to Catbells, a popular hill for walkers.

Proposals last year for a car park and park-and-ride service at Portinscale were rejected by the planning authority.

Almost £80,000 in income was generated in the 2025-26 financial year across the Cumberland Council area from 25,824 PCNs, according to a report by Cumberland Council's Highways and Transport Strategic Board.

As well as the C2057, the other top five locations included the Lakeside Car Park (710 PCNs), Station Road (626), Central Car Park (491) and Bell Close Car Park (473), all in the Keswick area.

Naomi Clague, who lives in Portinscale, said while the fines acted as a deterrent for most people, some people were prepared to "take their chances".

"I think in general it does put people off," Clague said. "Unfortunately though, you'll always end up with some people who will say, 'Oh well, it's fifty quid'."

Temporary double yellow lines were introduced on the C2057 in 2022 after concerns were raised that inconsiderately parked cars were obstructing access for emergency service vehicles. Some were made permanent the following year on particularly problematic sections.

"I think the double yellow lines have stopped people parking in more dangerous areas," Clague added. "But now it's about ensuring people don't assume, because there aren't lines in other areas, that it's totally safe to park there."

Plans for a 150-car facility at Ullock Moss in Portinscale were submitted by Lingholm Private Trust in 2025, but were rejected by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) on the grounds the site would "cause harm" to the area and not resolve parking issues.

The proposals divided local opinion, with the LDNPA receiving 248 letters of objection and 272 in support.

Roger Newby, from Nichol End Marine, a boat hire business and cafe on Derwentwater, said while a park-and-ride service would not benefit that business, a formal car parking area was needed.

"For our business, we need people to be able to drive in and park near to us. They've got their lifejackets, their kit, the kids, the dog. They can't get that all on the bus."

John Lumbard, from North Yorkshire, regularly visits the Lake District to go walking. He said that in recent years he had stopped visiting as a "daytripper" because parking had become restrictive.

"You cannot get parked unless you're here really early in the morning," he said.

"The cost of car parks is prohibitively expensive for a lot of people, so some people will just take the risk. If there's four people in the car, they'll split the cost of that fine between them."

Lumbard added public transport in the Lake District needed to be improved in order to encourage more people to use it.

"People need to be guaranteed a bus and they need to go to the more remote places where everyone tries to park."

A spokesperson for Cumberland Council said "popular destinations such as Keswick, Portinscale and the Catbells area experience significant visitor numbers, particularly during peak periods, and it is every driver's responsibility to park legally, safely and considerately".

They said the council encouraged people to "consider alternative ways of travelling, including public transport" and they were "working with partners to promote sustainable travel options and help visitors access popular destinations without adding to parking pressures".

The council added it would also be considering a vehicle-removal policy, which would give it powers to tow away vehicles. It said the introduction of the policy would "help address situations where some motorists may be willing to risk receiving a penalty charge notice."

LDNPA said it "recognised the traffic pressures in certain areas and at peak times," and it shared "messaging encouraging people to plan ahead with multiple car park options in mind and not to park on roadsides or block paths or gates".

It also highlighted a number of seasonal, temporary car parks are also established in the National Park to help provide additional capacity.

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