Farron offers to "help fix the puncture"

Local MP Tim Farron is today offering to host conciliatory talks to find a way forwards for the Kendal town cycle path. Plans for a £400,000 cycle route linking Kirkland to Dockray Hall have recently floundered following members of the County Council voting against the scheme due to concerns over the loss of 40 free car park spaces. Environment and cycling campaigners have been outraged by this decision, and Mr Farron has offered to step in to help to "fix the puncture" to hopefully find a way to resolve the dispute to the satisfaction of all sides and allow the cycle path to go ahead.

Commenting, Mr Farron said:

"This important plan which could be of great benefit to the town by lowering congestion, not to mention helping the environment and encouraging exercise, has stalled due to understandable concerns about the already limited number of parking spaces in the town. Hopefully we will be able to find a way forward by getting together all those concerned in order to try and reach a compromise.

"I can see both sides of the argument, but am also well aware of the need to encourage cycling - people who have visited countries such as the Netherlands will have noted how increased funding and support for cycling can lead to far greater use. We may have significantly more hills in the lakes than they have in the Netherlands, but we could certainly see a much higher proportion of people cycling than we currently do, and this scheme would be a fantastic step towards achieving this."