A raft of schemes to improve transport and travel in six Allerdale communities has today been agreed by the area’s local county council committee.
The improvements are contained in six Community Travel Plans which local people in Allonby and Holme St. Cuthbert; Belwaldeth, Bassenthwaite and Underskiddaw; Embleton, Wythop, Setmurthy and Blindcrake; Woodside and Waverton; Keswick; and Dearham have helped Cumbria County Council’s highways engineers create over the course of several public meetings.
Some of the improvements will be carried out during the next financial year while others will be funded out of future financial settlements. Among the early improvements people can expect to see from April 2008 are:
* The introduction of lower speed limits on the B5300 near Allonby;
* Traffic calming measures near the Ravenstone Hotel in Bassenthwaite;
* A new footway linking housing near Winder Farm in Dearham to the village;
* Improvements to the junction at Brathay Hill on the old A66, giving priority to traffic using the Ouse Bridge to Embleton road;
* A new pedestrian crossing point near High Hill and Crossthwaite Road in Keswick;
* The construction of a new footway through Oulton, linking existing footways.
Community travel plans look at local travel needs for people living and working in communities for now and in the future.
Residents and local community groups can have their say about local travel and transport issues and work towards reducing the impact of travel on their quality of life.
The plans look at all aspects of travel, including walking, cycling, public transport and the safe use of cars.
Councillor Gerald Humes, Chairman of the county council’s Local Committee for Allerdale, said: "Each of these plans reflect the travel priorities expressed by local people at a series of public meetings.
"They will now be used as a roadmap for highways engineers to plan further improvements in each area as funding allows."
ENDS