Relief could finally be at hand for visitors to the popular Keswick to Threlkeld trail.
Councillors from Keswick and Allerdale have met to discuss reopening the toilets at Keswick station platform, which have been closed for more than 10 years.
The six-mile trail reopened last December, on the fifth anniversary of Storm Desmond, after an £7 million repair project.
It has been strengthened and made more resilient to future flooding, while two bridges have been replaced and Rawsome’s bridge has been repaired.
This year more than 300,000 people have walked or cycled the trail, but until now they have had to use temporary portable toilets.
Also present at the meeting, in which the lay-out and viability of the revamped loos were discussed, were members of the Keswick Community Asset Company and Andy Davis, from design engineers Danfo UK.
As part of the plan, Allerdale Borough Council has applied for a Changing Places grant of £40,000 from government to put a state-of-the-art disability toilet alongside two or three possible unisex toilets.
Tony Lywood, a Keswick councillor and chair of the Community Asset Company, said: “The path needs toilets, and with the help of Allerdale Borough Council I am hoping that we can re-open these long closed toilets.
“However, the reality is that this renovation will only take place if it is deemed to be commercially viable by the company running them.
“Unfortunately, in the absence of a fairy godmother to subsidise the toilets there will also have to be a charge to the user.
“This is just the first stage of a very long process.”
Meanwhile, the Civil Engineering Contractors Association Northwest (CECA NW) has awarded Cubby Construction the winners of Project of the Year – over £5million, for the restoration and re-instatement of the Keswick to Threlkeld railway trail.
The £7 million project was carried out by the Carlisle-based construction and civil engineering company on behalf of the Lake District National Park Authority. It has brought the much-enjoyed outdoor trail back to life for both residents and tourists.
The project continued along a five kilometre stretch of the walkway, including the substantial excavation of the previously infilled 19th century railway tunnel.
During Storm Desmond two former metal railway bridges lifted off their abutments and were deposited in the river downstream.
A further bridge was rendered dangerous and closed due the washing out of one abutment, with a further six more bridges caused significant damage.
