MP asks for urgent action over Longpool bridge

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has attended a meeting on Friday afternoon to call for action over the roadworks at Longpool. The meeting was organised by the Federation of Small Business (FSB) and was attended by Network Rail and Cumbria County Council.

Around a dozen businesses came along to explain their frustration with the ongoing work to the railway bridge on Longpool.

Tim, who was at the meeting alongside councillors Giles Archibald and Dave and Shirley Evans, asked the contractors to look at 'every option' to hurry the work up. Local businesses at the meeting said that they losing between 80-90% of their trade, so Tim also promised to contact to government and ask for a business rates rebate for the people affected.

After the meeting, Tim commented: "The message out of the meeting was clear: local businesses are open. We asked that Network Rail and the contractors do everything possible to hurry the work up. I hope in the days ahead we see that happen.

"I pledged to do what I can to help and one thing we can do is to ask the government to give business rate relief to those affected by the works. I will work with South Lakeland District Council to apply for that."

Giles Archibald, the SLDC portfolio holder for Town centres and Small Businesses added: "We very much welcomed Network Rail's engagement in the meeting. The FSB is to be congratulated on organising the meeting which produced some good ideas for potentially limiting the effect of the remaining repairs. I look forward to working with Tim to see if we can get business rate relief for the affected businesses."