05/05/04 - Keswick Market Square - public presentation and consultation

From 2pm – 7pm on Thursday 13thMay at The Friends Meeting House, Tithebarn St, Keswick, Cumbria County Council’s Neighbourhood Forum for Keswick & District will be displaying the plans of the next phases of the Town centre refurbishment and proposals for the Market, bus station and pedestrian crossing.  Anyone interested is welcome to drop inand look at the displayed plans, make comments and ask any questions.

County Councillor Stanley Hinde, Chair of the Neighbourhood Forum says

“"It is important for members of the public to come along, have a look at these schemes and let us know what they think.  Neighbourhood Forums provide an excellent opportunity for consultation on a wide range of matters and they enable the community to raise issues of local concern.  The pedestrian crossing has been continually requested and petitioned for in the past and comments on it will be particularly welcomed.”

The large unfinished areas of the Market Square and Market Place will be paved with natural stonesetts.  There will also be some associated work on Main Street including a pelican crossing.  This will be completed in 6 phases from July 2004 to March 2005.  Parts of the Market will need moving while work is carried out.   Among the plans on display will be one showing the proposed layout of the new Market stalls, which will be fixed into the surface.

Plans will also be displayed on the proposal from Booths Supermarkets to change the parking arrangements at their store in Keswick.   These include a much-improved bus interchange facility for the town.  The County Council has long sought this improvement and is able to provide financial support, from the successful Rural Bus Challenge bid to improve the Workington-Penrith “Cumbrian Connexion” services.   Booths have made a planning application for a scheme, which provides an improved layout to their car park, an enlarged bus interchange with provision for coaches. This will allow better connections between the Local services and the express network as well as improving accessibility to public transport.