Sir, It is easy to understand why there is support for the idea of a relief' road to solve Kendal's traffic problems.

Unfortunately, as the report to the county council's local committee makes perfectly clear, the proposed Plumgarths-A6 link would not provide this solution. Vehicle flows on Stricklandgate and Aynam Road, after construction, are projected to decline by less than three per cent.

This may seem surprising but most journeys in Kendal town centre arise because people want to work, shop, visit or do things which involve moving from one part of the town to another.

Through traffic to and from Shap Road makes only a

small contribution to current problems.

There are winners and losers in any road scheme. A Northern Link would take away some lorries from the town centre and reduce traffic in the lanes north and south of Burneside.

Against this, it would cost

£10 million and destroy a swathe of countryside.

Landscape degradation would be considerable the hillside descent from Plumgarths would be visible for several miles and the route would have to be elevated to cross the Kent and Sprint and adjacent flood plain.

A section of Burneside would be separated by the road and parts of the village would experience significant traffic noise.

In-fill development would be encouraged between the relief road and the town. HGVs and other traffic travelling between south west Cumbria and anywhere north of Tebay would be attracted off the motorway, through the Kendal area and up the A6 because mileage cuts could be achieved by cutting off the loop down from Brettargh Holt to junction 36.

Kendal's congestion problems would not be solved. It is more likely that the prospect of a supposed relief' road would distract from seeking realistic solutions to them.

The balance of rational decision-making seems to point against the link. So why do most of our local councillors support the scheme? The report has two stated objectives: to remove inappropriate traffic and to facilitate development, identified as particularly in the Shap Road/ Burneside Road/Sandylands areas'.

This seems to be more of a Northern Development Route' than a relief road. It is about expanding Kendal.

Perhaps our representatives need to encourage wider public discussions of such visions for the future of the town? Also, rather than pretending that constructing a road some time in the next few years might provide a quick or easy fix to Kendal's congestion problems, I wonder if they would be better advised to expedite HGV restrictions in town, improve public transport, protect cycle routes, park and ride schemes etc.

Tony Cousins

Skelsmergh

April 25, 2003 12:30