SIR, Instead of crowing about the success of the new traffic lights at the Milnthorpe Road/Romney Road junction, Cumbria County Council should try shopping in Marks & Spencer.

Last Friday their staff were having to apologise to shoppers for the log-jammed traffic on Library Road and were having to ask customers to phone Capitadbs to complain about the situation .

Having ignored the concerns of the town's smaller businesses for more than twelve months, perhaps Marks & Spencer's views may make the councils, councillors and Capitadbs reconsider their plans for pedestrianisation and banning loading and unloading between 8am and 6pm.

Bart Lechien

Kendal

SIR, Staying for a spell in Kendal, I find two points that are very disconcerting to visitors.

The lack of toilet facilities between Peppercorn Car Park and the Westmorland Shopping Centre.

This closes at 5.30pm and officially it is not classified as a general public toilet. The New Road toilets are rather out of the town centre.

The other point is that there is bound to be a serious accident at the top of Lowther Street. Visitors and even locals see no more traffic coming up Highgate and start to cross, forgetting, or not knowing, that traffic from Beast Banks is heading down Lowther Street.

I have in the few days here witnessed quite a few near misses. It seems to be taken for granted that the road is clear when no traffic is coming up.

But with the visitor season approaching, the lack of toilets is very bad publicity.

Mrs P Dawson

Millom

SIR, This is the Diary of a Kendal man:

2001: sat in traffic for 2 minutes, 0 cigarettes.

2002: sat in traffic for 15 minutes, 2 cigarettes.

2003: sat in traffic for 30 minutes, 5 cigarettes, cup of coffee.

2004: sat in traffic, pack of fags, flask of coffee, fish and chips?

2005: still here, 200 duty free ciggies, sleeping bag, Kendal mint cake!

Dave Parry

Via email

May 29, 2003 15:00