A delegation of councillors and a senior officer from Cumberland Council paid a fact-finding visit to St John’s Street to see for themselves the problems being caused by vehicles travelling the wrong way down the one-way street.
Keswick businessman Tim Fisher, who runs the Northern Lights Gallery, who has been campaigning for improvements to the road signage and infrastructure, was one of those consulted about the reported havoc being caused by drivers faithfully following their satnavs and consulting Google Maps.
Earlier this year he told The Keswick Reminder that approximately one car every hour drives down the one-way street, the wrong way, and the problems are exacerbated by the occasional coach coming down into the town from the A591 and struggling to turn down Derwent Street on reaching the Alhambra Cinema.
“I don’t think it’s fair on heavy goods vehicle and coach drivers to find themselves stuck outside the cinema because they have nowhere else to go,” he said. “We as residents, business owners and visitors are being put in jeopardy by the failure of infrastructure which permits this behaviour.”
Mr Fisher did suggest that the end of St John Street, at the junction with Derwent Street, might be made a give way. He also believes that a width restriction be created at the top of St John’s Street.
“It would stop people putting their foot down and doing 30 to 40mph down this road and it would calm everything down,” he said. “Push the pavement out so that it visibly looks like a single carriageway.”
He said that residents and business people who confront motorists who have found themselves travelling the wrong way down St John’s Street are often subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse.
“It’s clear people are being sent down by satnavs while others are being directed by Google Maps,” he said. “The elephant in the room is the cyclists. They come down here at some speed with complete impunity. We don’t get involved because it happens so frequently.”
Mr Fisher said he was encouraged by the visit but was not sure what it would achieve.
“I can only point out what I see are infrastructure failings and hope that somebody else in authority agrees with me,” he said. “These things are glacial but the fact is we have got enough people working in the background who understand, in part, some of the issues that we are struggling with. We have to be methodical about this. It’s all drip fed and the greater the evidence we provide then the more likely it is that somebody in authority says: ‘Let’s have a look at this’.”
Cllr Markus Campbell-Savours said after the fact-finding trip: “Since its implementation during the pandemic, the one way scheme has failed to live up to its primary objective, to be safer for pedestrians on St John’s Street.
“I’m receiving regular reports of cars driving much faster along Station Street, daily issues with cars driving the wrong way down the one-way system and even properties being damaged by heavy goods vehicles and coaches that cannot turn on to Derwent Street.
“I’ve asked the council to look at improved signage and to see how we can stop heavy good vehicles turning down Manor Brow in the direction of town but too many appear to following out of date satnavs or following routes they’ve used for years. It won’t please some people, but if we cannot fix this through improved signage, I will seriously consider requesting the whole scheme is reversed. It needs to be safe.”
Cumberland Council’s portfolio holder for highways, Cllr Denise Rollo, said: “Pedestrians and driver safety is our top priority and we will work with senior officers to ensure appropriate signage is in place. We thank the local residents and businesses who have collected evidence of the issues over the last few months and we appreciate your ongoing patience and support.”
