A campaign to reopen a Lake District road under threat of complete closure stepped up another gear with the involvement of a cycling charity.
Consultation over the possible closure of the road that passes along the western shore of Thirlmere Reservoir ended last Friday.
But in the lead-up, Cycling UK called upon its thousands of members to email Cumberland Council objecting to the controversial proposal as a matter of urgency.
The charity, which inspires millions of people to take to their bikes, has been campaigning for 140 years to make cycling safe and accessible for everyone.
It points out that the permanent closure of the U7003 would block off a key part of the National Cycle Network — route six passes along the western shore of the reservoir.
“This lane along the lakeshore is not only stunningly beautiful, but also one of the only safe road cycling routes leading towards Keswick,” it says on its website. “The alternative route up the eastern shore, along the A591, is along a narrow section of busy A-road, hemmed in by walls with fast traffic and HGVs.”
The road has been temporarily closed for two years following Storm Arwen and Cumberland Council has proposed a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to permanently close part of the road to all traffic — including cyclists and walkers — because it is deemed dangerous because of the threat from falling rocks and other debris from the crags above. This would leave two dead-end roads with no through route and no safe alternative.
Cycling UK points out that temporary road closures usually have a maximum time limit of 18 months, with some exceptions. It submitted a Freedom of Information request to the council which revealed that the local authority still does not have any predicted date for repair or reopening of the route.
It submitted another Freedom of Information request seeking copies of the risk assessment for the closure and diversion route.
This was responded to with the comment: “The diversion route only stipulates suitability for vehicular traffic; therefore no diversion route is provided for pedestrians and cyclists at this time. This is under reassessment as the extent of the work required is established with United Utilities.”
