Kendal walking and cycling routes plan submitted to council

Cumbria County Council has submitted the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for Kendal, outlining the areas, methods, and reasons for improvement over a 15-year period.

The scheme has been part of an ongoing process and the latest document states: 

"The town of Kendal is relatively compact with a number of retail, education, and leisure sites banding the river corridor. 

"Many people live and work within a distance that can be undertaken on foot or by bike. 

"Investment in the streets where people live or work could create more attractive and desirable places, particularly where the investment promotes sustainable modes of travel."

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The potential for changing the travel habits of Kendal residents is emphasised by figures gathered in 2011.

"Despite short commuting distances, there is a high level of car dependency with around 60 per cent of trips using this mode of travel," it said.

"Around seven per cent of journeys to work were found to be made by cycling and 29 per cent by walking."

GRAPHIC: How people commute in Kendal

Other goals the LCWIP sets out are 'Supporting Health, Wellbeing and Access for All', as the document states that the health cost of inactivity in South Lakeland is £1.9 million.

'Improving Accessibility and Social Inclusion' is another stated goal, with 18 per cent of households in Kendal being without access to a car.

Following a public consultation with 230 people in November 2021, the document states:

Responses emphasised the importance of providing safe, segregated routes that provide direct connections to the places people want to get to. 

The need to provide routes that were separated from other modes of travel was a common theme in the responses and was identified as a key measure for encouraging more cycling and walking. 

PLANS: The walking network (left) and cycling network (right)

Greater priorities for cyclists, less traffic on the roads, and lower speed limits were also supported.

The main perceived barriers to cycling and walking were busy roads, quality of routes, feeling unsafe, and junctions that are difficult to cross.

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The document cites other ongoing schemes and proposals that would dovetail with the LCWIP, including the Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme as an opportunity to improve the river corridor, the proposed Kendal-wide 20mph scheme, which, though not confirmed, 'can create a better environment for cycling and walking and can make it easier to provide cycling improvements that meet the new design standards."

The Gooseholme Bridge replacement, expected to be completed in Summer 2022 is also cited as 'the replacement bridge has been designed to be fully accessible to both cyclists and walkers'.