The first stage of a £1 million project to make it easier for people to walk, cycle and travel in sustainable ways in Westmorland and Furness has been given the go-ahead.
Members of Westmorland and Furness Council gave their support to 22 schemes ranging from pedestrian crossings to funding for community buses and improvements to footpaths, stiles, a ford and a bridleway.
The proposals were considered by the council’s Locality Boards for Eden, South Lakeland and Furness. Each area has been allocated a sum of money - £250,200 for Eden, £230,400 for Furness and £419,400 for South Lakeland - to spend on enhancing the natural environment and supporting wellbeing by making it easier for people to walk, cycle and travel in environmentally sustainable ways.
A further £150,000 has also been set aside from the Local Sustainable Travel and Transport Fund for three dedicated project officers for each area to oversee the work and encourage the community to use the new schemes.
Councillor Neil Hughes, the council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environmental Services, said: “This major investment will support our Council Plan priorities for people, climate, communities, economy and culture.
“Cycling, walking and community transport bring a series of benefits to public health and to our environment by reducing congestion on our roads, air pollution and carbon emissions, as well as supporting healthier lifestyles.
“In the longer term, reducing the proportion of car journeys will also lower maintenance costs on our highways network.
“Community buses can also bring huge benefits to residents who would otherwise be isolated or excluded, helping them to live independently and be part of their wider communities through education, work, health services and social activities.
“I look forward to seeing these very worthwhile schemes coming to fruition.”
The schemes supported by the Locality Boards so far include:
Eden
- High Street, Kirkby Stephen – pedestrian crossing - £50,000
- Thacka Beck, Penrith, bridleway crossing – resolve surfacing and access issues - £92,000
- Eden community bus grants panel - £20,000 for community group applications
- Drovers Lane and Cross Lane junction, Penrith - dropped kerb to allow residents (including mobility scooter users) living in supported housing on Cross Lane to access Drovers Lane into Penrith town centre - £4,500.
South Lakeland
- Duck pond, Grange-over-Sands – zebra crossing - £45,000
- C5056/C5057 road between Burneside and the A6 – feasibility study to consider widening the road at pinch points to allow two vehicles to pass without giving way - £50,000
- Longpool, Kendal – feasibility study to consider traffic signals at junction with access requirements for GP surgery, railway station and hotel coach parking - £20,000.
- X112 community group – help with running costs of community buses between Barrow, Ulverston and Coniston - £5,000.
Furness
- The Haggs public footpath – further improvements to the right of way from the Brown Cow pub in Dalton-in-Furness to Millbrow in Barrow-in-Furness.
Further schemes will be brought to the council’s Locality Boards in January 2024 for approval.
The funding for local sustainable transport is one of 14 key projects identified as part of a £5 million priority investment programme by Westmorland and Furness Council in the coming year.
Other projects include funding for projects around biodiversity and nature, social care, children, culture and education.