This year's trial of a new traffic management system designed to make Appleby Fair safer for everyone has been so successful that it will repeated in future years.
It is now planned to put in place a permanent traffic regulation order to close the 120m stretch of road in Appleby Town Centre known as The Sands to traffic every year. The Sands was successfully closed for the first time this year during the fair between 9am and 5pm by a temporary traffic regulation order, access was limited to emergency vehicles only.
Thousands of people gather next to The Sands, at the bank of the river Eden, to watch the spectacle of horses being washed in the river. The closure of the road allowed horses to be gathered safely away from moving traffic and also added to the carnival atmosphere of the fair.
A one-way system was also enforced in the town this year along with no waiting restrictions in the centre. Clear signage enabled drivers to get to allocated car parks and avoid the town centre wherever possible.
North of the town, additional wooden fencing was also installed along the so-called 'flashing lane' on the Long Marton road so that pedestrians and visitors could remain safely behind a barrier while the tradition of horses being run and displayed continued. The fencing was paid for through an injection of £10,000 funding from Cumbria County Council's Eden Local Committee and was backed by the Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group (MASCG) behind this year's fair.
Cllr Philip Chappelhow, chairman Cumbria County Council's Eden local committee, said:
"Tens of thousands of people flock to Appleby every year for the fair and we need to balance the needs of people attending the fair and those needing to get around the town for other reasons. Our ultimate priority must be the safety of people and this year's arrangements showed our approach to be successful. We still need to look closely at how we manage traffic over the bridge as having two lanes of traffic as well as pedestrians and sightseers on the bridge meant that section of road was very busy indeed. One possible solution will be to limit vehicle traffic on the bridge to one lane only with traffic control and fencing to separate pedestrians from the cars. This is something that will be discussed with the Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group in the future."
Chief Superintendent Andy Davidson said:
"Public safety during the fair was, as always, our top priority and the new traffic plan reflects this. People co-operated well with the new closure at The Sands this year and in turn, this reduced the risks to members of the public and animals, as well as creating a positive atmosphere in the town centre itself. The investment in extra signage and fencing also helped to ensure safety on both the flashing lane and on roads across the area."
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