The creation of a 2050 Penrith Strategic Masterplan (‘PSM’), in conjunction with a 2050 Vision for Eden, was a significant attempt by Eden District Council (‘EDC’) to take a stronger role in shaping every aspect of the environment, economy and society of the region in future years.
The PSM, produced over the spring and summer of 2018 aims to address a pressing need for Eden and Cumbria to tackle the demographic challenge of a rapidly ageing population, by shaping thinking and action in ways that extend far beyond the statutory duties of a District Council. This approach to long range policy making places the council as a central place-shaping organisation, bringing together diverse voices in order to think through and plan out the development path of the region. This is an ambitious goal for EDC to pursue.
Such an approach is fraught with risk, and certainly there will be experiments, some mistakes, opportunities won and ideas lost, as the organisation learns new ways of thinking and working. We believe that any attempt to build a sustainable, healthy and prosperous future for the region needs to engage with long term, far reaching issues and that external engagement is critical, and needs to be supported by business, academia and the wider community of Eden. That is why Lancaster University and the University of Cumbria are supporting EDC with the analysis in this report.