St Cuthbert's Garden Village Carlisle
Consultation on the St Cuthbert's Local Plan Publication Draft started on 17 March and closed on the 6 May 2025. All comments received will be submitted to the Secretary of State alongside the Local Plan and other supporting documents. For more information please visit the Local Plan page.
St Cuthbert's Garden Village is identified as a broad location for growth in the Carlisle District Local Plan.
St Cuthbert's was designated as a Garden Village as part of the Government’s Garden Towns and Villages Programme in 2017.
The St Cuthbert's Masterplan developed the concept and vision for the Garden Village and was published in 2020. The Masterplan is being used to inform and shape the St Cuthbert's Local Plan, together with a series of additional technical evidence bases. The Local Plan will ultimately be the document that brings the Masterplan to life. The Local Plan is nearing completion and will be heading for its last round of public consultation in March 2025 ahead of being submitted to the government for independent examination.
The need for a new Carlisle Southern Link Road to unlock the full potential of St Cuthbert's Garden Village was identified early in the process. Work to develop the new link road has progressed along side plans for the Garden Village. Work on building the new road started in 2023. The road is due to open in late 2025.
Promoting sustainable growth
St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, Carlisle is an ambitious proposal that could include the development of around 10,000 new quality homes, new employment opportunities, community facilities and a new Southern Link Road.
Of all the sites included in the Government’s Garden Village programme, St Cuthbert’s is by far the largest in terms of its potential capacity. It is amongst the most ambitious development projects being actively progressed within the north of England, and is one of the leading projects for meeting the growth ambitions of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and the wider Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.
Carlisle is the City of the Lakes.
It is located just south of the Scottish border and is within easy reach of two internationally renowned World Heritage Sites - the Lake District and Hadrian's Wall. It is an important station on the West Coast Mainline with regular train journeys departing for London taking just over three hours. The city enjoys excellent road and rail connections to a number of major cities including Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester.
St Cuthbert's Garden Village is located just south of the City of Carlisle, enjoying commanding views of the North Pennines and Lake District Fells and easy access to Carlisle's regional connections.
All the benefits of urban living in a healthy, green enviroment
On 2 January 2017, the Government announced plans for number of new Garden Villages and Towns across the country. These new settlements are to provide a modern take on the traditional Garden Cities movement that has its roots in the late 19th Century.
The idea of the Garden City was first suggested by Sir Ebenezer Howard in his book 'Garden Cities of To-morrow' during a time of rapid industrialisation across the country. At its core, the Garden City intended to marry together the best bits of living in a thriving, urban community with the health and wellbeing benefits of living in the countryside. By planning and designing more greenery into a new city, it was considered that residents would have the best of both worlds. There would be good access to jobs and services, as well as opportunities to socialise, coupled with the chance to breathe fresh air, drink clean water and enjoy open, green spaces. The concept was first introduced with Letchworth Garden City, and it has been a major influence on town planning across the world ever since.
For the 21st Century, Garden Villages continue to focus on providing excellent access to services and jobs within a healthy, well connected and green environment. The term continues to be internationally recognised as sign of prestigious design and environmental quality.