Plans for a Cumbrian bypass have been given a £250,000 boost by the Government.

Eden District Council has been awarded the cash as part of a bid to support joint research with other agencies into the feasibility of a bypass for Penrith.

The road would connect the A66 with Junction 41 of the M6 to ease traffic congestion.

The money has been awarded by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.

Kevin Beaty, Eden District Council leader, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the council has been awarded central government funding to help us working jointly with Highways England, Homes England, Transport for the North and the County Council to research the feasibility of this important strategic bypass for Penrith, which was outlined in the Eden Vision 2050 document.

“The construction of a strategic bypass Penrith linking the A66 with Junction 41 of the M6, would avoid the traffic congestion around the A6 Kemply Bank junction and M6 Junction 40.

"It would improve traffic movement, including journey times for logistics between Scotland and the East and South East of England.

"Creation of this new road could unlock land to deliver 10,000 new homes and 500 acres of employment land, along with land for recreation and strategic water holding facilities – to potentially reduce the impact of flooding on residential communities in Cumbria.”

The central government funding will be used to evaluate the geography and geology of the land where the bypass and the road junctions can go, undertake assessments of the environment and ecology and verify locations for water storage areas.

John Owen MBE, the council's development portfolio holder, said: "We can use the findings brought forward from this joint agency working to underline and support the aims and objectives of the Penrith masterplan which we have recently commissioned consultants LUC to produce.

"It is the council’s intention that the masterplan will eventually be adopted as a supplementary planning document to influence the future development of the district."