Residents in Burneside, near Kendal, have a final opportunity to comment on amended plans for 20mph speed limits before Westmorland and Furness Council decides later in 2026 whether the scheme should go ahead.
The council has opened a 21-day statutory consultation on a revised Traffic Regulation Order. This is the final formal stage for residents to respond before any new speed limits could be introduced.
How to comment on the Burneside proposals
Residents can use the council’s consultation information to say whether they support or oppose the proposals. People who responded during the earlier community engagement exercise can also restate their views when commenting on the revised design.
The detailed amended layout was not included in the information supplied for this report. Residents will therefore need to check the council’s consultation information for the full Traffic Regulation Order and the precise details of the proposed changes.
The plans were amended after feedback from an earlier community consultation. The council says the revised design reflects local views, while the statutory consultation gives residents another opportunity to make their position clear before councillors decide what happens next.
Why the speed-limit plans changed
Burneside is one of 17 community-backed proposals in the third phase of Westmorland and Furness Council’s wider 20mph programme. The programme is intended for built-up towns and villages where the existing maximum speed limit is 40mph or less.
The schemes have been designed in line with Department for Transport guidance. Their stated aim is to create safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
Eleven phase-three schemes are progressing as originally proposed. Six, including Burneside, are moving forward with amendments. A further nine proposed schemes will not proceed because the required level of demonstrated support was not received.
Other South Lakeland schemes
In South Lakeland, High Carley and Pennington, Lowick Green and Outgate are progressing without amendments. Burneside, Grasmere and Ulverston are progressing with changes.
Changes to the Ulverston proposals include Soutergate, part of Town Bank Road, Rake Lane and Oakwood Drive. Proposals for Elterwater, Rydal, Troutbeck and Windermere are not being taken forward because respondents did not demonstrate the required level of support.
Westmorland and Furness Council introduced a streamlined process for 20mph applications in December 2023. It said the change made it easier and quicker for communities to submit requests and reduced the application process by several months.
Since then, 49 requests have been made, covering 79 proposed schemes across Westmorland and Furness. The phase-three proposals were first considered by the Eden, Furness and South Lakeland locality boards after communities supported them during the initial consultation.
A decision on Burneside is expected later in 2026, once the statutory consultation has closed. Until then, residents’ responses to the final consultation will help inform whether the amended scheme is implemented.