Further to your report (Gazette, October 25, 'Extra parking plan delight') I can confirm, as Chair of Kendal Town Council’s planning committee, that we wholeheartedly recommended and supported Mr Shepherd’s application to increase the size of the car park at Oxenholme House recently.

We felt the development was of undoubted benefit to local residents, given the existing parking difficulties in the immediate vicinity.

It was also pleasing that we could work together to get as many residents' comments as possible and not just work behind the scenes as we did when the car park was first agreed.

While we definitely recognised the benefits of the separate plan for a 20-space car park, the committee raised distinct concerns about safety at the double, blind junction with the B6254, and with there being pedestrians on the roadway unless direct access to the platform could be guaranteed.

Station parking is a problem both in Oxenholme village and on the other side of the station in Helmside Road.

More parking and residents’ parking is needed, not just to help parking congestion for residents but also to enable vehicles (especially buses) to drive safely down Helmside and Hayclose Roads.

The Westmorland Gazette has raised this before, and together with long-running district councillor-resident discussions in both areas, South Lakeland District Council has commissioned an independent external parking study for car parks and residents' parking. That will be reporting to us shortly and we’ll continue to work with Oxenholme and Kendal Parks residents associations to move this forward together.

Cllr Doug Rathbone

Chair, Kendal Town Council Planning committee

District Councillor, Kendal South & Natland