A TWO-way system of traffic in the centre of Kendal was one of the many ideas put forward to improve the town following a period of public consultation.

A privately-funded ‘Vision’ document - outlining the improvements in more concrete terms - will be made available online by public/private sector partnership ‘Kendal Futures’ in time for Christmas. It will be used to encourage investment in the town.

Businesses and members of the public gathered at The Shakespeare Centre to put forward suggestions for making Kendal a better place to live and work. Themes included traffic, public transport and a perceived lack of activities for young people to do.

Mark Cropper, vice chair of Kendal Futures, said the response was “fabulous.” He added: “I really feel that the town of Kendal in all its various guises has spoken.”

At a meeting last Tuesday, an explanation of some of the ideas to improve the town was given. A key proposal was the development of four town centre sites in terms of housing, new commercial uses, hotels and amenities.

This would include between 1,500 and 2,000 new homes across four areas: Kendal Station and Beezon Road, the Westmorland Shopping Centre and Blackhall Road, Waterside and Canal Head.

The vision will also factor in re-use of existing accommodation on the high street, as well as construction of larger homes on Kendal’s outskirts as part of the town’s existing housing allocation.

Regarding traffic, Noel Farrer, of landscape architecture firm Farrer Huxley, which is delivering the Vision along with master-planning firm JTP, said: “Everyone [in Kendal] is doing a lot of miles to get where they want to go to.”

There are plans to tackle the issue, and the proposal made to the audience on Tuesday was to get rid of the town’s one-way system, which would involve de-pedestrianisation of Stricklandgate. This would work alongside other changes, including the introduction of a 20mph speed limit, to make the centre more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists.

Other proposals included:

- Integrating the public transport network by making Kendal Station the main stop for buses and coaches, and moving the bus depot further out of town.

- Creating affordable places for parking in the centre, with cheaper parking further out.

- Planting trees to provide environmental benefits and ‘soften’ the town centre’s appearance.

- Improving the public transport system, for example by having buses follow a ‘figure of eight’ route round the town.