ONE of Cumbria’s busiest tourist towns is bracing itself for traffic “chaos” with vital £2m flood defence due to get underway this summer.

The works would see the six-week closure of Keswick’s Penrith Road, the main arterial road into the town for visitors exploring the Lake District.

A meeting of the county council’s local committee for Allerdale heard that the project had to be undertaken in summer because the tourist hotspot is prone to flooding in winter.

Planning applications for construction have now been lodged with the Lake District National Park Authority for a pumping station on Penrith Road.

The scheme also includes a reservoir known as an “attenuation basin” at Springs Field designed to stop water flowing into the main part of the town.

Councillor Tony Lywood said: “I don’t know they are going to do it, but they are intending to close Penrith Road, the main arterial road into Keswick for up to six weeks.

“Can you imagine what that’s going to be like in the middle of summer? I was trying to get it to be done at night but all the B&Bs and locals are kicking off saying ‘No, it can’t be done at night’ so it might end up being utterly chaotic.”

The meeting heard that Penrith Road had previously flooded before the Greta burst its banks as a result of overflowing becks coming down off Walla Crag, with the measures intended to address surface water issues.

Houses and businesses were left underwater in 2009 and 2015 after storms hit the county.

Amber Sykes, highways network manager, said she had “expressed concerns” about a possible summer date but stressed it was a “difficult balance”.

She added: “I am as conscious as anyone as the difficulties of doing anything in Keswick because of the tourism.

“I have have been working with the project manager and with our traffic team regarding the closure and with Coun Lywood to try to minimise as much as possible the disruption. But there will inevitably be disruption.”

Construction work is expected to start in August 2019.

Concerns have been raised over the appearance of the gates and access track to the field where the flood basin is set to be built.

Residents also have concerns over access and road debris during the construction phase and the effect on privacy.

But following drop-in sessions, the county council has worked with residents to develop a revised design. This will involve moving the gate to reduce the visibility from people’s windows, the planting of additional hedging to provide more screening and bringing the gate closer to the road to stop people parking there.