Views wanted on improving green travel in Cumbria

People have been asked their views on green travel, including cycling. Credit: PA Images

People have been asked their views about plans to develop cycling and walking routes in part of Cumbria.

Cumbria County Council has said it wants to improve provision for green travel in Workington, Whitehaven and Penrith.

The authority has plans to develop Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for several towns in the county. These are being produced with Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and Cumbria's six district councils.

In Workington, proposals include:

  • improving to the underpass and footway/cyclepath on Central Way;

  • upgrading routes between the train station and the town centre;

  • improving Curwen Park and Hall Brow as part of the Allerdale Borough Council £9.1m Levelling Up Fund bid.

In Whitehaven, proposals include:

  • upgrading the Coast to Coast cycleway (C2C - National Cycle Network 72);

  • improving pedestrian routes between the train stations and the town centre to make them more accessible to the disabled;

  • more cycle parking in the central shopping and commercial area of Whitehaven;

In Penrith, proposals include:

  • improving to walking and cycling connectivity within the town near the town centre, key employers and the bus and rail stations.

  • plans for non-drivers as part of the dualling of the A66 from Penrith to Scotch Corner.

  • better walking and cycling links into Penrith from nearby communities.

Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "Cycling and walking have many benefits, not just for our mental and physical wellbeing but also for improving air quality, reducing congestion and making our towns more vibrant. During the pandemic we've seen an upturn in cycling and walking for exercise and safe travel. With the Covid-19 restrictions starting to ease and more people returning to work, we are looking at measures to support this shift towards more active travel.

"To help develop our proposals, we are inviting the public to give us their views on the proposed routes. Identification of improvements will follow, taking account of the feedback we receive, and we will consult further on those later this year. We invited people to comment on infrastructure for Barrow, Carlisle and Kendal last month and we're now consulting on proposals for Workington, Whitehaven and Penrith.

People are invited to give their comments by completing an online survey, which will run until Friday 6 August 2021. To find out more, click here.