Changes to the road layout to help shoppers get to a new development in the heart of Carlisle could lead to traffic chaos, councillors have warned.

Plans for a new retail development and multi-storey car park to be built over the current Iceland supermarket and neighbouring car park between Lowther Street and Georgian Way were approved last year.

Now an application to vary the conditions of the proposal has been submitted.

If agreed, it would see the introduction of a filter lane on the southbound carriageway of Georgian Way that would allow vehicles to access the site by making a right-hand turn across the northbound side.

That would mean drivers coming from the north would not have to go along Castle Way to the Civic Centre and then along Lowther Street to get on to the site.

The application was outlined to councillors during a meeting of the development control committee but concerns were expressed that introducing a filter lane could increase the risk of accidents.

Ray Bloxham, Conservative member for Longtown and Rockcliffe, was one of those who expressed doubts over the plan.


Ray Bloxham He said: “You’ve just got to look at the right turn outside The Cumberland News [office on Dalston Road] as an example and the number of people who have had accidents there.

“Installing traffic lights would be a better way of dealing with this. People come down Georgian Way from Victoria Place at some speed – I’m not saying they’re above the limit – but it could be a problem.”

Heather Bradley, Labour councillor for Currock, added that she agreed with Mr Bloxham.

“I’m not happy about it,” she said. “I do have some concerns over what traffic will be like on the road. We don’t know how long the filter lane will be and how many cars will be allowed to queue there before turning.”

Wetheral’s Tory councillor Barry Earp added: “I can understand why others have concerns about the traffic going down towards Hardwicke Circus from Victoria Place.

“The only thing I can suggest is traffic lights are installed similar to what we have at the entrance to The Lanes multi-storey car park at the minute.”

A planning statement, submitted by WYG Transport as part of the application, concludes: “The development in question already benefits from planning approval but the approved application featured an access junction which only permitted left turn inbound and left turn outbound traffic movements. The addition of the right turn lane will make for shorter, more convenient journeys for some of the development visitors.

“Some visitors who may find the new right turn in more convenient will consequently take that route and avoid the other city centre roads around the Civic Centre, Lowther Street and Victoria Place.

However, the statement also said an increase in traffic would also be expected on the A595 approach to Hardwicke Circus from the west as motorists sought to avoid the Scotch Street/Drovers Lane/Lowther Street/Victoria Place route and instead decide to travel directly to Hardwicke Circus and south on Georgian Way.

When the original development was given the go-ahead last year, North Associates, the city-based firm behind the scheme, said the Lowther Street development had already attracted “significant interest” from a number of national retailers.

Jane Meek, the city council’s director of economic development, suggested that the matter be deferred so an independent highways report could be completed.

This course of action was agreed by councillors.