Plans for a £200 million bypass around Kendal have been excluded from the UK Government’s latest road and rail investment programme, prompting Westmorland and Furness Council to seek talks with the Department for Transport.
The proposed Kendal Northern Access Route would create a single-carriageway link between the A591 Windermere Road and the A6 Shap Road. Supporters say it would reduce congestion in the town and improve air quality, while the council says it would make the local transport network more resilient when traffic is diverted through Kendal after incidents on the M6.
Why the Kendal bypass was proposed
The route has been promoted as a way to tackle congestion affecting Kendal, particularly when the M6 is closed because of accidents. The council also says the project could reduce the impact of modern traffic volumes on the town’s historic centre.
Supporters argue that a northern access route would benefit residents, businesses and visitors by taking some traffic away from existing roads. The scheme’s estimated delivery cost was put at £200 million.
Government says only affordable schemes can proceed
The Department for Transport said the previous government had not funded the proposals. It said difficult decisions had been required because of the financial position it inherited, and that only schemes considered affordable for taxpayers could move forward.
“The previous government did not fund these projects. Given the challenging financial picture we inherited, we have had to make difficult decisions on a number of road projects and can only progress schemes that are affordable for taxpayers.”
The department said it was backing drivers with more than £1 billion for 16 major road schemes, alongside £7.3 billion for local road repairs and pothole work.
Local representatives demand answers
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, described the decision as bitterly disappointing. He said congestion in Kendal town centre was a major problem and said he would seek a meeting with ministers to ask why the scheme had been shelved.
“It's bitterly disappointing news that the Government have axed funding for a Kendal Northern Relief Road.”
He also said the decision was “a real kick in the teeth” for the area and criticised what he described as reduced funding for Westmorland and Furness Council.
Westmorland and Furness Council has labelled the decision disappointing and said it intends to challenge it. Councillor Peter Thornton, the council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT, said the route would have strengthened Kendal’s transport resilience, reduced congestion and improved air quality.
The council has asked to meet the Department for Transport to challenge the reasons for the decision. It noted that the minister had said the decision did not prevent the scheme from being considered in the future, leaving open the possibility of further discussion about the route.