A COUNCIL is committed to finding a new free car park in Kendal after the controversial closure to cars of land at New Road.

South Lakeland District Council - which faced hostile criticism for the New Road closure - is hoping to create a 41-space car park on land off Parkside Road.

However, it emerged this week that it could be months before the car park opens - and it might not even be free to motorists.

The news has been met with outrage by some who want New Road to be restored as a free car park and they are demanding more immediate action.

Last September council leader Cllr Giles Archibald told a public meeting he was committed to creating a space in the town, for at least 200 vehicles, which would most likely be on land at Beezon Fields. He said there was going to be quite a bit of housing development which brings in infrastructure cash and it was his recommendation that some of that money be used to construct a free car park.

But Beezon Fields is no longer being considered an option as the work required to develop it into a car park would be too expensive and problematic due to its difficult access.

Cllr Archibald this week confirmed to the Gazette that SLDC had submitted a planning application to turn land at Canal Head, off Parkside Road, by the tow path next to Phoenix Fitness Centre, into a car park for 41vehicles.

He explained that no decision had yet been made regarding tariffs for the Parkside Road car park but added that a free one was still an option.

However, some people are not happy with the suggested site. The delay in providing replacement free parking has also angered members of the public, who say they are tired of waiting.

"We have pledged to provide additional parking and we have proposed a car park at Parkside Road to planning," said Cllr Archibald. "This is instead of the original plan for a car park at Beezon Fields, which the feasibility report found was an unsuitable location.

"We have not assumed any tariff for the Parkside Road car park at the moment. We have looked at our budget for the cost of putting the car park there, but we have not put anything into a revenue budget.

"I promised that I would be recommending that some of the parking we created to replace New Road would be free, but any charges for the Parkside Road car park would be a matter for the full council to decide on.

"It is possible that this car park will be the one used to fulfill the promise made to replace New Road."

The council confirmed that although the planning application for the car park, which would be on land already owned by SLDC, had been submitted, it was still being discussed by officers and would not go before the committee for some time.

Ian Kell, who campaigned against the closure of New Road Common car park, said that in relation to the facilities in the centre of Kendal, Parkside Road was "in the middle of nowhere."

"Even if you walk the fastest way along the canal path this is not a like for like replacement for New Road in any way shape or form," he said.

"I think that anybody who thinks that a Parkside Road car park is a good substitute for the one on New Road needs to get their head checked."

Cllr Archibald said the council was also looking at land all over the district that would be suitable to provide car parking.

Some new parking availability has already been provided, with the 45-space car park at Kendal Snowsports Club being made available to the public, and monitored by SLDC, with a charge of £1 per day.

Kendal residents have been lobbying the council to provide the parking as quickly as possible. In one letter to Cllr Archibald, John Waddington accused the councillor authority of promising more parking just to win more votes.

"It is now ten months [since Cllr Archibald first pledged to provide replacement parking] and he has still not fulfilled his promise," he said. "I'd like to know when Cllr Archibald is going to do this, or why he has not done this yet.

"Was this just campaign talk to boost his chances of being re-elected?"

Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised over the council's use of the New Road Common since it was redeveloped.

"Rather than just admit they made the wrong decision, the council are using the land cynically and politically," said Mr Kell.

"They spent an awful lot of money on the feasibility report for Beezon Fields only to turn around and say it couldn't be done."

Mr Waddington also called on Cllr Archibald to consult the public over its use of the common land.

"It is about time we had a consultation, like you promised months ago," he said.

Cllr Archibald stressed that the plan was still to consult the public over how the land was used, however they could not do so until the Environment Agency had laid out the flood defence plans, in case that effected the viability of different options.