Call for short-cut to ease traffic problems

South Lakeland District Council member for Kirkland Rob Cocker feels the time has come to open up another route into Kendal to stop people rat-running through residential estates.

He wants the town's "cheeky gate" open for people to use as an access on to the A591.

The route is currently a private road, just off Underbarrow Road, which is open for restricted traffic to get on and off the bypass on the southbound carriageway.

The traffic is controlled by a gate, which is closed from early evening until early morning.

"One of the continual problems brought up by people on my ward is the traffic streaming through the (Kirkbarrow) estate using it as a rat run," he said.

"The traffic is a danger for young kids running around and it is not easy for cars turning out of Glebe Road to exit Kendal.

"Getting people in and out of town safely should be a priority."

The proposed by-pass access would need work and a longer slip road creating but Mr Cocker said he would eventually like to see access to and from the bypass in both directions.

The road is a private road with authorised access to and from the waste transfer site and the quarry. But motorists do use the route as a shortcut out of town.

Although welcomed by some people, the plan is strongly opposed by residents on Greenside, which would carry traffic from the "cheeky gate" into Kendal town centre.

Residents are concerned at the volume of traffic that would pass along Greenside and queuing traffic from the traffic lights at the bottom of Allhallows Lane.

Cumbria County Council, the highways authority, said there were no plans to open up the route in the near future.

"We have looked in the past at what benefits would or would not arise from using that junction and found it would have minimal benefit and would create more problems - particularly at the town hall junction which is a key junction in the traffic system," said county council spokesman Mark Graham.