The Westmorland Gazette’s July 25 edition included two related mentions of problems for residents of the Aynam Road area at Kendal.

Ruth Southall (Letters, ‘More space for parking’) correctly alludes to the obvious lack of daytime, on-road parking for careworkers etc.

Properties, though certainly not all, may have a narrow rear access to some off-street parking but this is no substitute when a doctor or care worker needs to make an essential call.

Her parents are not alone in facing this issue. Not only is Aynam Road almost wholly residential but many of the residents, both at the Sleddall Almshouses as well as elsewhere, are elderly and may need to be regularly visited by car.

However, the solution offered is, unfortunately, quite unrealistic. Getting rid of the pavement next to the houses so that this can be turned into residents’ car parking would be disastrously unsafe.

Yes, the public would be forced to walk along the riverside pavement instead. But that includes residents themseves who, if they needed to walk along Aynam Road, would be forced to cross first a dangerous main road to reach the only pavement on the other side. So there is a need for a pavement on both sdes.

There is only the one hazardous Zebra crossing in the whole road length from Miller Bridge before the one at Nether Bridge.

If proper traffic-calming measures are introduced in Aynam Road, as called for by Jim Barker and fellow petitioners (‘Pressure grows for action on ‘race track’ death road’), then perhaps a residents' on-street parking scheme might become feasible, but without removing the essential pedestrian footway in front of the houses.

If that, too, is a non-starter the perhaps a limited residents-only parking area could be provided on a tiny part of the old canal area at the rear of Aynam Road. Some provision must be made, surely?

J. Higson, Kendal