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In September 2022, Copeland Borough Council
applied to the Changes Places Fund on behalf of Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway for a grant of
£68,000 towards a £110,000 scheme to install a Changing
Places facility on the station at their premises in Ravenglass.  Co-funding
is being provided by the Ravenglass and
Eskdale Railway, including match to the capital installation and
ongoing maintenance of the Changing Places once installed.
 
Decision taken: 
·      
as Accountable Body for this funding, to award a capital
grant of £68,000 from the Changing Places Fund to
Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway to enable them to the Changes Places Fund to
install a Changing Places facility on the station at their premises
in Ravenglass.
 

Reasons for the decision

Ravenglass is a
great location for a changing places facility.  In order to secure a grant the host organisation needed to meet key
criteria specified in the RiDC Insight
research, which included tourist attractions in a leisure
setting.  Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway supports visitors
and locals to access the coast and fells from the mainline Lake
District West Coast railway. 
 
The Changing Places facility will allow more
people to have days out and take part in and enjoy leisure
activities in and around Ravenglass
providing access to walking, cycling, running routes and local
attractions as part of a day trip or holiday.  Ravenglass
is located in two world heritage sites
(Lake District National Park & Hadrian’s Wall) and close
to Muncaster Castle with good transport
networks and access to the beach.
 
This grant provides vital infrastructure to
strengthen Cumberland as a visitor destination and supports health
and wellbeing, as well as Access for All.  Access to facility by radar key would be
maintained 24/7 – the site is open all year. In support of
the facility, there are allocated disabled parking spaces at
Ravenglass station and level access to
platform 1 Changing Places facility.
 
Of the total number of visitors to railway,
69% are 60+ and families with young children who would benefit from
the facility.  There are over 7,537
residents in the former Copeland area with additional needs and an
increasing aging population. Cumbria Visitor Survey 2018 indicates
that 20% of visitors to southern Cumberland have a disability and
could benefit from a changing place.
 

Alternative options considered

1.    
Cumberland Council refuses to draw down grant funding.  Rejected as this is a significant grant to a local
business that will provide a facility benefitting
Cumberland’s local population directly, as well as increasing
the local tourism offer.
 
2.    
Cumberland Council uses alternative funding.  Rejected as there are no alternative funding
options currently available and the
Changing Places Fund have offered a grant.