WORK has begun on a controversial pedestrian crossing costing £130,000 in Keswick.

The installation of the new 'puffin crossing' on Main Street, near the Lakes and Dales Co-op, intends to bring improved accessibility into the town alongside improved connectivity to edge of town car parks - specifically aimed at the site of the upcoming Premier Inn.

The Premier Inn developers have been requested to orchestrate the work by Cumbria County Council.

Some town councillors, however, have criticised Cumbria County Council for being 'hell-bent' on bringing the puffin crossing to the town despite numerous objections along the planning process, as councillors fear it will only make traffic issues even worse on what is already a busy street - especially during the summer period.

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Councillor Tony Lywood said: "They might as well call it a white elephant crossing rather than the puffin crossing.

"It's a complete white elephant, not needed, an unnecessary waste of money and only because Cumbria County Council want to extract their pound of flesh from the developers," he said.

Similarly, Cllr Allan Daniels said: "First of all, there's no point in putting a crossing there because the people going to the Premier Inn are not going walk up to the Co-op, cross the road and walk back down again are they?"

"The whole of Keswick Town Council asked them not to do it and now the people who live in Keswick have to deal with it and know exactly how much of a nightmare it will be for the traffic."

Cllr Daniels said since the beginning of its construction last week, it's already hampering the town.

"It's the chaos we expected, the traffic last week was backed up to the rugby club on one side, to the Borrowdale roundabout on the other entrance to the town and basically back up to the war memorial. 

"Cumbria County Council don't want to look like they've made a mistake, they have made it, but they don't want to admit it," he said.

Next week the Keswick Convention 2022 arrives and the work will be paused intermittently, with plans of resuming come August.

In the officer decision record, highway bosses said: "The pedestrian crossing has been passed to ensure patrons of the new hotel have safe access to the nearest off street carpark.

"The alternative request from the Town Council for signage does not increase the safety of users to the hotel who may opt to use the closest off-street carpark off Main Street." 

In February 2021, the hotel asked for 'Condition 7' of the planning approval, which relates to the provision of the crossing, to be removed.

However, the LDNP refused the request for the following reason: "The proposed hotel with restaurant and bar would cause an increase in vehicular traffic and pedestrian movements and an increased number of pedestrians would access nearby public car parks and the town centre.

"A puffin crossing  is necessary for safety, particularly of vulnerable users," they said.

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