A COUNCILLOR has urged Cumbria County Council to review its policy on coaches using country lanes following an incident involving children which he said could have been fatal.

A coach reportedly collided with a stone wall at the junction between the B5360 and the A5074, near Bowness-on-Windermere.

The impact left a large hole in the wall, on the other side of which was a significant drop.

Police reported “a number of children” were aboard the vehicle but that, thankfully, no injuries were reported.

However, according to Cllr Mike Stafford of Windermere Town Council (WTC), the incident could have been far more serious.

“It could have gone right through the wall and there’s a three-metre drop,” he said.

“(The driver) would have gone right over. He potentially could have been killed.”

And now Cllr Stafford has urged the county council to review its wider policy on allowing coaches on certain lanes in Cumbria, some of which he feels are not big enough to allow for safe passage of vehicles of certain sizes. “Some coaches are not suitable for narrow roads,” he said.

“Some coaches are not suitable for narrow roads,” he said.

The problems caused by coaches in Cumbria show no sign of abating, with the mode of travel apparently increasingly popular in the county.

Last September, the Gazette published claims that ‘unprecedented’ numbers of coaches in Windermere and Bowness had led to a ‘chaotic’ situation in both towns the over summer.

Julie Hartley, WTC clerk, said: “We are a county of narrow roads, and we are a county of narrow roads where coach travel is on the increase, so it’s going to be a problem Cumbria-wide I would think - (in the) Langdale Valley, the areas around Windermere, the areas around Grasmere.”

A key issue for the town council is the lack of parking available for the high volume of coaches, something it has voiced concerns about on a number of occasions.

A county council spokesman said: “Each year the highways department studies the locations of collisions throughout Cumbria and prioritises routes for further investigation.

“This may inform recommendations about a variety of road safety measures – including new or additional signage, speed limits, and traffic calming.

"Local people have a number of ways to contact the highways team to raise concerns about speeding and/or road safety."

He added: "Decisions on speed limits are ultimately made by the local committee for each district in the county."

The highways hotline can be called on 0300 303 2992.