DECONTAMINATION work has started today (February 26) on Kendal's New Road in a bid to make the site 'safer, more attractive and more accessible'. 

The work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of April, will deal with contamination and installation of pathways.

This will lay the groundwork for the long-term use of the site, which will be determined following a public consultation.

The designs for the interim work have been drawn up to take account of the use of the site by the fair and the layout of the site in the interim plan has been designed to allow the continuation of the fair.

Once the interim work is completed a second phase of the project will see options for the long-term use of the common land at New Road drawn-up which will be subject to public consultation.

The long-term options for New Road will also need to take account of the Environment Agency’s flood defence scheme proposed for the town.

The Environment Agency (EA) is spending £24 million on defence infrastructure along the River Kent to protect homes and businesses from the kind of flooding that hit the town during Storm Desmond in 2015.

The long-term options could include turning the land into safe and lawful parking but only if the land could be de-registered as common land and a car park design was compatible with the proposed flood defence scheme. 

A successful de-registration would require an application to government and involve identifying a suitable piece of land to offer as a ‘swap’ for the common at New Road.

Other options, in line with its existing common land designation and therefore not requiring de-registration, would be for some form of open space for community use.

Lawrence Conway, Chief Executive of South Lakeland District Council, said: “Work that has started on New Road Common today is only the beginning of the project.

“Options for the land’s long-term use must take account of what the EA is proposing to do with the flood defence scheme, which hasn’t been finalised.

“It would then be up to a couple of years before the flood defence work reaches New Road, so in the meantime we wanted to make the area more attractive, safe and accessible so that it can be enjoyed in line with its common land designation, for open air recreation for the community, and something that would prove to be a positive asset for the town in this prime riverside location.

“The council is committed to involving the community in decisions about the common’s long-term use. The work starting this week is simply to ensure that the site can be better used for its existing purpose as a common, until such time as we establish what that long-term use will be.’’

During the interim works there will be no public access across the common land.