Funding has been secured to improve pedestrian access to the town centre from a popular residential area of Penrith and make safety improvements to a well-known double mini-roundabout junction at the top of Sandgate/bottom of Fell Lane.
The project aims to address issues faced by pedestrians on key walking routes from the Scaws area into Sandgate. This includes widening of pavements and improving crossing opportunities at the junction and on adjoining routes.
Changes will enhance safety for all road users. This includes those walking or wheeling, particularly children and parents going to and from Beaconside Primary School and the nursery at Penrith Pre-School.
Led by Westmorland and Furness Council, early design work is starting now with a public consultation planned for June this year to invite views on the proposals. Once designs are agreed, it is hoped the improvements will be completed in Spring 2027.
By improving accessibility and safety, the council hopes to encourage more people to feel confident using the route to walk into the town centre, as part of its plans to create better infrastructure to enable more people to walk, wheel or cycle for everyday local journeys such as going to school, work or to the shops.
A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “These are early days and we don’t yet have any worked up designs, but we know that there are several issues in this part of Penrith that need addressing to make it safer and easier for people to walk into town.
“The complicated double-mini-roundabout junction at Sandgate and Fell Lane is a significant barrier for pedestrians and is confusing for motorists, which creates safety issues and puts people off trying to cross the road at this point.
“Elsewhere, we know some narrow pavements and a lack of crossings points in this part of Penrith can make things difficult for people walking and the plans will look to create more space for pedestrians and improve road crossings.
“Coupled with the recently approved introduction of a 20mph zone in this area and some landscaping improvements, we hope the scheme can ultimately make this ‘gateway’ to Penrith town centre safer for people walking, wheeling and cycling, more attractive and less confusing for all road users.’’
The council has undertaken some feasibility work and has secured funding to deliver the scheme from a variety of sources, including Active Travel England, the Local Transport Grant and the Eden Road Safety Fund.
The next stage is to work up designs to present for public consultation in June. As part of the discussions to inform the design, the council will be speaking to key stakeholders including project partners and organisations and residents located on the route of the proposed improvements