An under construction pedestrian crossing has been causing traffic snarl-ups in Keswick which town councillors say is a precursor to what will happen when it is fully installed.
Traffic lights have been erected on the A5271 Main Street between the Coleridge Court junction and the Co-op to allow contractors to erect the £130,000 puffin crossing which was a condition imposed on the developers of the controversial Premier Inn by highway bosses at Cumbria County Council.
But Cllr Tony Lywood said that on Sunday traffic was backed up as far as Great Wood, while coming into town in the opposite direction it was equally bad.
“It’s not even in place yet and already it’s causing traffic chaos,” said Cllr Lywood. “This is an example of where the county council has not listened to local concerns.
“This is a crossing that nobody wanted and did not want to pay for and even progress,” he said. “We were sceptical about it but the county council decided to press ahead with it anyway.
“It’s a crossing that’s not needed. It’s being built by Premier Inn and it’s probably 300 to 400 metres away from the development. How it’s going to benefit them, I really don’t know.
“The county council is demanding their pound of flesh from the developer. Normally I would support planning gain for a development but in this case this is not planning gain, it’s just a complete waste of people’s money with no appreciable advantage.”
Councillors fear that once the puffin crossing is fully operational massive traffic jams will form at the mini-roundabout where Main Street meets Tithebarn Street which backs up with huge congestion in the summer months. Last year there was a traffic control at this point for traffic visiting the Keswick Convention which caused long tailbacks.
Keswick mayor Cllr Steve Harwood said the consequence of perpetual traffic jams at busy times in such close proximity to the Tithebarn Street roundabout is considered to be “a further step to traffic armageddon” whenever traffic lights are introduced.
“Consideration does need to be given to provide safe crossing for pedestrians but my preference is the creation of traffic islands where road width permits – as already exists on Tithebarn Street,” he said.
The request for the inclusion of the crossing in the planning approval conditions came about because of the lack of sufficient parking behind the new hotel, the nearest off street car park being 245 metres away on the old Pencil museum site just off Main Street.
The county council’s officer decision record states that casualty data for pedestrians around the area of road used to access the off-street car park were a concern. Also within the Keswick Transport Study, published in January 2019, Main Street was cited as a length of road difficult for pedestrians to cross.
In February 2021 the applicant building the hotel asked for condition seven of the planning approval, which related to the provision of the crossing, to be removed.
But the Lake District National Park Authority refused the request saying that the proposed hotel with restaurant and bar would cause an increase in traffic and pedestrian movements. It said a puffin crossing was necessary for safety, particularly of vulnerable users.
At the time Keswick Town Council suggested that the money be used for better car park signage in the town.
