IN RESPONSE to your piece about the Shap Road shared use footway (Gazette, September 12, 'Shared path is "insanity" '), the current pavement was constructed many years ago at a time when Kendal finished at the area near the old rugby club

This pavement now feeds into Queen Katherine School, three supermarkets, several other large stores, the new rugby club complex, several motor dealers and two industrial estates.

It is in poor condition and needs upgrading. Funding for this became available from the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and from the Sainsbury’s store on the basis the county council delivered a shared access scheme.

Children cycle along this pavement leading to potential issues with pedestrians due to its narrowness in parts. Are we to suggest these children should move onto Shap Road or, alternatively, should we be providing good facilities for mobility scooters, families with pushchairs and leisure cyclists to be able to safely access this end of town?

In this time of increased awareness of climate change, air quality and childhood obesity, I believe we should be putting in place measures to enable every child to be able to walk or cycle safely to school.

This would not be at all controversial in many other towns; indeed, we would be challenged to go much further!

I welcome this investment into “active travel” which, along with the new Gooseholme Bridge and continued progress on the Kendal northern bypass, will help to deliver the vision of a Kendal for all, whether we walk, cycle or need to use a motor vehicle.

Cllr Peter Thornton

Cumbria county councillor, Kendal Strickland and Fell

Deputy council leader