Design decision made for Kendal's Stramongate streetscape improvement

Three design options were considered as part of the streetscape improvement scheme to transform the town’s Stramongate area to provide a better shopping experience.

In March South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) revealed it will lead the project to transform the upper section of Stramongate where it meets Blackhall Road.

Read more: Planned street improvements 'will benefit businesses, residents and visitors'

During a meeting of the South Lakeland Highways and Transportation Working Group in April, it was revealed two design options had been ‘disregarded’ and that funding contributed by a developer following the development of Sainsbury’s needed to be used by November this year.

And last week Cumbria County Council’s local committee for South Lakeland decided to proceed with design three which was recommended by the working group to the local committee.

WINNER: Design option 3

The design will see raised roadway levels to create a continuous footpath across Stramongate using a combination of natural stone setts and flagstones, existing kerb stones would remain in position, the resurfacing of existing footpaths with natural flagstones to existing levels to ‘achieve continuity’ across the full width of the street.

Ramps at the entrance and exit to the continuous footpath to ‘constrict the carriageway and slow vehicles down to a crawl’, necessitating an ‘understanding that priority is not absolute’.

A chamfered kerb line at the existing parking bays will widen the footpath locally for ‘improved mobility’ across the street.

Tree planting in the street surface will ‘frame’ part of Stramongate, providing amenity and greenery to an ‘otherwise hard-surfaced’ shopping street.

The continuous footpath area will incorporate new signage and approved mobility paving as part of the new streetscape design. Elsewhere along Stramongate, existing highway markings and parking arrangements are unchanged.

Design one would have seen:

• The resurfacing of Stramongate carriageway with new tarmac to replace existing tarmac, and relaid to existing road levels.
• Upper Stramongate carriageway narrowed by realigning existing kerb lines to widen existing footpaths.
• Tarmac infilled behind realigned kerbs to create wider footpaths that are level with existing surfaces.
• Existing carriageway markings and parking arrangements to be reinstated along Stramongate.

ILLUSTRATION: Design option 1

According to plans this option would have ‘improved mobility for pedestrians’ but would require additional future investment as there is ‘very little flexibility’ in the street design to accommodate future walking and cycling facilities.

Design two would have seen:

• The rise of surface across the carriageway from kerb line to kerb line using natural stone setts, whereby pedestrians are provided parity with motorists.
• Roadway ramps at the entrance and exit to the shared space would provide gateway thresholds for motorists to ‘understand that vehicles are entering a space where priority is not absolute’.
• Resurface existing footpaths with natural stone flags for the continuous footpath access across Stramongate.
• A chamfered kerb line at the existing parking bay widens the footpath and alleviates an existing pedestrian “pinch point”.
• Elsewhere along Stramongate, existing highway markings and parking arrangements would remain unchanged.
• IMAGE: Design option 2