Recent Westmorland Gazette headlines (like many other papers) shrieked of chaos in local hospitals (January 8, 'A&E crisis).
That this comes as a surprise surprises me. The population is surging even before the council’s plans for thousands of new homes blotting out green fields and woodlands have got under way.
Every cranny in Kendal has had houses shoehorned in and scores of farms have been converted to mini urban islands with four, five or six homes, where before there was only one. (These developments are in addition to the councils plans).
Not only has the population increased, it has got older (care homes are also popular with developers) and facilities at Westmorland General Hospital have been closed.
Lancaster’s population is also ballooning.
The problem will not be confined to hospitals, but to roads (already almost at capacity) and other infrastructure (water, sewage, etc.), schools, etc.
How have our councillors imagined — maybe they don’t imagine — that we will cope when there are tens of thousands of new people in South Lakeland, with their cars, health problems and other requirements?
Kent Brooks
Kendal
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