Westmorland and Furness Council has completed a £320k investment in a new pedestrian-friendly ‘gateway’ into Kendal town centre.
Led by the council, the improvement project on the upper section of Stramongate has created a ‘gateway feature’ to Kendal’s main high-street, improving the route for the local community.
The scheme has seen new raised natural stone and flagstone footpath developed to improve accessibility, cycle racks introduced, and tree pits planted at the junction of Stramongate and Blackhall Road, creating a visually appealing entrance reducing traffic noise and air pollution in the area.
A grant of up to £150,000 was allocated to the project by Westmorland and Furness Council from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
This additional funding enabled the programme to expand on initial plans to improve the pedestrianised area and resurface the top of Stramongate and Kent Street, making it a more enjoyable journey for road users accessing the town.
Cllr Peter Thornton, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Assets said: “As a part of our commitment to improving our town centres, this new ‘pedestrian-friendly gateway’ in Kendal has built on an already thriving link between the town centre and local amenities.
“We’ve used natural materials for this important scheme and it’s been good to see our approach welcomed locally.
“The team has worked hard to ensure pedestrian access to the area was maintained helping to make sure that local businesses and the fruit and vegetable market could remain open.
“We like to thank everyone for their support and patience whilst we worked on this project.”
The project has been guided by the aspirations and objectives in the Kendal Town Centre Strategy and aligned with Kendal Futures’ Kendal Vision, which initiated a call to embrace change, new ideas and innovation for the town’s future.
Mark Cropper, Chair of Kendal Futures said: “It’s fantastic to see the Stramongate improvements successfully delivered by Westmorland and Furness Council.
“The Council embraced partnership working and the principles set out in the Kendal Vision for this scheme. It shows the impressive level of quality which can be achieved through great design, the use of natural, stone materials and introducing greenery into our streets with trees and a planting bed.
“While a small area, the quality of the space now sets a design standard for future improvements in our public places and spaces in Kendal. We look forward to working with Westmorland and Furness Council and other partners on further schemes.”
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