I find the improvements to the street visually acceptable though wonder how it cost so much to consult on for two years to end up with some paving slabs on the road?

Also the benches that depict the Hadrians Wall route are running East to West from our perspective and are completely the wrong way around.

2 years consulting and they missed basic geography, what was the money spent on?

cant see how there could be "quite a lot" of people sitting out as there are less than a dozen seats available "continental style" outside of the shops.....

Danleo - The Castle Street scheme was developed from 2007 onwards, and consulted on for two years. There wasn't a recesssion then. Consider also that the £700k or so cost went 95% on UK materials and labour. This kept money in the local economy. Think on that when u next buy your Kenyan mange tout.

I always thought it was a complete waste of money, and never liked this design, which in my opinion just doesn't work. It looked OK before and it always seemed like something being done for the sake of wasting money that came the Council's way. I also think it's made the road a bit more dangerous as it's like a rat run now. Those giant matchsticks around Bitts Park do nothing to promote Roman Heritage either - a total lack of imagnination.I'm sorry that the businesses have lost customers as a rsult of this stupid expenditure.

All this revamping may be desirable but do it at a time when we all can afford it, at the moment we are having to pay folk off because you can't afford to pay the salaries
etc, now lets use a bit of common sense and save jobs, even your own stop wasting money.

What is the obsession with joing the castle with castle street. I don't see how it will improve anything.If you stand on a certain part of Castle street you can't even see the Castle. There are more important thing to do than that.

I love the new look area, I would love it to be extended right across to the castle but that would create its own problems. I think any park and ride into Carlisle would benefit from the drop off point being beside the castle, with this new area part of the main thoroughfare into the town centre. Think positive people!

Dave (2 April) - how about the 'disabled' come to you to determine whether they qualify for a blue badge. Naturally, you will award these on the condition they prove to you they are "genuinely disabled", perhaps by sitting in a wheelchair (the only official recognised form of disability) and promising to have a thoroughly miserable time. Of course, their shopping bags will tell us otherwise, right lads!?

Have the buses stopped running?
Have people's legs stopped working?
Has someone closed the large carparks only 500m away?
It's getting serious when people are complaining that they're being forced to walk a little bit more.

Take a look at street view of Castle street before the alterations. The street looks much nicer next to our major tourist attractions, the Cathedral, Castle and Tullie House. Tourism is the way forward for our city centre. The city centre paving is being cleaned and new machines are coming to cleanse the pavements and make our city smart and attractive. So lets get positive and quit moaning about car parking etc etc..