[R]esidents are being invited to public meetings tomorrow where they can learn more about plans to close an area of common land in Kendal to vehicles on safety grounds.
Members of South Lakeland District Council’s (SLDC’s) Cabinet took the decision last week after considering an officer’s report that said the layout of the site and its relationship to the adjacent road has the potential to lead to accidents and personal injury for members of the public, both within the area and on the road, with particular concerns raised about the access to and from the site from the road.
The decisions to close the land to vehicles and the vision for landscaping have been ‘called in’, which means they will be referred for further consideration by the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Meetings will be held tomorrow where residents can hear more about the reasons for Cabinet’s decision, the proposals to mitigate the impacts of the closure and proposals to develop the common land at New Road as a riverside park.
The public meetings will be held at Kendal Town Hall on Wednesday, 6 September, 2017.
Presentations, followed by question and answers, will be led by Council Leader Councillor Giles Archibald, Economy portfolio holder Councillor Graham Vincent, Deputy Leader Councillor Jonathan Brook and SLDC Chief Executive Lawrence Conway at 2pm and 7pm.
Anyone unable to come along to the presentations at these times will still be able to call in to the town hall anytime between 2pm and 9pm to pick up an information pack, including copies of the safety report, speak to councillors and officers and look at information displays.
Anyone who can’t attend the meetings can also contact Councillor Archibald by email to ask questions or arrange a separate meeting: [email protected]
SLDC’s Cabinet has already agreed a package of measures to address concerns over the effect the closing of New Road to vehicles could have on parking demand in the town, including cheaper all-day parking in the Westmorland Shopping Centre car park.
Cabinet has also asked officers at the council to investigate further packages of parking measures and offers to take account of the potential impact on part-time and shift workers, town centre residents, church-goers and market traders after considering feedback from the public.
Tomorrow’s meetings will update on the progress of these investigations, with options being considered including extending the opening hours of Westmorland Shopping Centre car park earlier and later and to include Sunday hours, consideration of an all-day Sunday parking fee within the shopping centre car park and possibly on a nominated surface car park, extending the ‘early bird’ offer to a nominated surface car park, provision for parking of vans associated with the market and how the parking permit system may be modified to address the needs of town centre residents.
Councillor Archibald commented: “I would urge anyone who has concerns or questions about the decisions and proposals related to the land at New Road to come along to tomorrow’s meetings.
“A great deal has been said and written about this issue and unfortunately not all of it is accurate. These meetings are your opportunity to hear our reasons for taking this action and to learn more about the work that is being done to address the impacts.
“To assist, the council has also produced a comprehensive response to many of the most frequently asked questions, which is available on our website at www.southlakeland.gov.uk’’
Background
The area on the south side of New Road is owned by SLDC and is designated ‘common land’, which means that the public have legally protected rights of access for ‘air and recreation’.
It is also unlawful to use a mechanically propelled vehicle on common land.
Following the results of the health and safety assessment – and after further legal consultation and discussions with insurers – the report to Cabinet said that allowing the unregulated parking to continue was not considered an option and that a way forward for New Road now needed to be decided.
Cabinet approved the closure of the land on the south side of New Road to vehicles following the funfair on 17/18 September and that Full Council be recommended to allocate £430,000 to be invested to create an area of accessible green space for community use.
The Cabinet report explained the possibility of ‘de-registering’ the area to remove its common land designation had been investigated, which could then allow it to be lawfully developed as car parking.
A feasibility study has confirmed that, should the land be de-registered, 68 parking spaces could be safely accommodated, only around a third of the estimated 200 vehicles that currently use the area during daytime hours.
But Cabinet accepted the report’s view that looking to provide parking on New Road was not being recommended because of the uncertainty and lengthy timescale around the de-registration process.
In order to de-register common land, suitable land for a replacement common must be offered in the immediate area of the same size and that identifying and securing an acceptable alternative would prove difficult. The de-registration process alone would take between 12 and 18 months to complete, with no guarantee of success, before any work could potentially begin on building a car park.
In the meantime, because of the safety advice received, the land would still need to be closed to vehicles.
Cabinet also approved that options be considered to increase long-term parking capacity in Kendal and work is progressed on a feasibility study to see whether land at Beezon Fields could be developed as a car park, to include coach and RV (Recreational Vehicle) parking.
Cabinet also approved that land at Gooseholme be approved for temporary use for an initial three-year period by Taylor’s fair, which currently uses the New Road site for its twice yearly fair, and heard that positive discussions had already been held with Taylor’s about that prospect.