Sunday marked six years since the county was battered by Storm Desmond and 2021 has proved to be a pivotal year marking Kendal's recovery from the catastrophic event, however some communities feel ‘left behind’.

This year saw work commence on Kendal’s £76million Flood Risk Management Scheme as well as the new £2million Gooseholme Bridge.

The new bridge will be wider than the original footbridge to provide shared access for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users.

Meanwhile the controversial flood scheme has seen work-including new flood walls and replanting- completed in several areas of Kendal since its start in February, however campaigners, including Save the Heart of Kendal, are still calling on the Environment Agency to ‘rethink’ the project and opt for natural management methods instead.

In October existing defences were put to the test as heavy rainfall descended on the county once again, it was close but the River Kent did not burst its banks and county councillor Stan Collins said Burneside had escaped much of the flooding thanks to Ford Bridge, which was replaced and reopened in 2019 after being damaged by Storm Desmond.

However, instances of heavy rain cause huge anxiety for residents of the village, which is part of a later stage of the Flood Risk Management Scheme.

“The drains haven’t been fixed and we’re still waiting for substantial flood defence work,” said Gayle Howarth, leader of the village’s flood resilience group and chair of Burneside Residents Association.

“Everything seems on hold at the moment it’s not progressing enough.

“When we had the heavy rain we had pumps out, sandbags, for people who flood the mental health is really bad.”

The community’s flood resilience group has developed plans of action for when flooding strikes.

“We’ve got clear response pathways so we’ve become more resilient in the village,” said Ms Howarth.

“We’re a very proactive group and the community really pulls together.

“We haven’t got any houses that are still empty after Desmond but we have houses that are at flood risk.

“Burneside is one of those areas that is forgotten about, we’re not in Kendal so we’re not a priority and the sewerage that goes into the river from the overflowing drains is still happening six years on.

“With the delays in Kendal it has a knock on effect, they haven’t started with the consultation or any firm communications about what is going to be done.”

Stewart Mounsey, area flood and coastal risk manager for Cumbria said:“Many of us will vividly remember the devastating impact Storm Desmond had on our communities when record-breaking rainfall led to some of the highest river levels ever recorded.

“Together with our partners and local communities, we have worked tirelessly since then to better protect properties and infrastructure in Cumbria with over £55m already invested across 25 flood schemes including Ulverston, Carlisle, Keswick and Rickerby.  Work has also started on the Kendal scheme that will better protect over 2600 homes and businesses.

“By working collaboratively with local people we’ve been able to identify solutions together to better protect 30,000 homes and create climate resilient communities. We know there is more to do which is why we are delivering on the government’s record £5.2bn investment in new flood and coastal defences to better protect 336,000 properties by 2027.

"Up to £82m will be invested in over 100 schemes in Cumbria and Lancashire during the first year of the new programme.”