Residents on an estate in Keswick designed for local families fear there could be a “nasty accident” unless a footpath can be installed along a busy road at the side of it.
Penny Ferguson has lived in Calvert Way since it opened five years ago and is appealing for those who were involved in creating the development to come together to create a path for residents ahead of Cumbria County Council officially adopting the road in the coming weeks.
There are 55 homes in Calvert Way, mostly a mix of two, three and four-bedroomed homes for local families.
Impact Housing and Keswick Community Housing Trust have provided social housing there, in addition to private homes which were built for sale by Atkinson’s builders.
Mrs Ferguson says that although there are paths within Calvert Way itself, once people reach the end of the estate, they must walk on Brundholme Road until they reach safety.
She said: “There is a gravel path behind the houses but with a set of steps down to the road, which makes them unsuitable for mums with buggies or older residents, and the exit is dangerously close to the mini-roundabout at the back of the leisure pool, where vision is poor.
“When residents use the road exit from the estate, there are no suitable footpaths, which means they have to walk along the road, where there are many parked cars, until they reach an existing footpath.
“On three occasions in the last two weeks my husband has witnessed drivers going across the roundabout from the bridge direction, instead of around it, which could lead to a serious collision with drivers coming from the Briar Rigg direction.”
Mrs Ferguson explains that with the re-opening of the Keswick to Threlkeld Railway path, the situation has got worse as there are many more cars parked on the road, making it more dangerous.
She added: “I feel the exit from Calvert Way has become a danger for the occupants. I have heard talks are on-going about expanding Calvert Way in the future but the pedestrian access must be improved for all residents before this happens.”
Mrs Ferguson has spoken to Cumbria County Council and Lake District National Park Authority member Tony Lywood about the situation.
Councillor Lywood thinks national park planners should have conditioned the provision of a footpath from the estate before planning permission was granted to Atkinson Builders, which developed the site.
He said: “Safety should have been a priority. The situation means residents, including mums with young children and buggies, have to walk along a busy road to get into the town or to the park.
“Should any new development be considered in this area, road safety must be the first consideration.”
Meanwhile Mr Lywood is working with Allerdale councillor Sally Lansbury to see if a footpath could be developed from the estate exit through to the former Keswick railway station which would make it safer.
