Town councillors are undimmed by the reluctance of the Lake District National Park Authority to light up a dark stretch of the Keswick to Threlkeld trail.
In June, the Reminder reported that female school pupils in Keswick were demanding action to improve an unlit section of the popular footpath. They warned that it had become a no-go area for women walking at night.
The 350-metre section of the trail, between the swimming pool and the Penrith Road branch of Spar, is frequently used as a shortcut for both pupils and residents who live south of the River Greta.
But the national park has shown an unwillingness to install lighting along this short part of the trail and have given a number of reasons, including the need to avoid wildlife disturbance, the desire to avoid urbanisation and the benefits of dark skies.
According to Cllr David Burn, the LDNPA has also said it wants to avoid setting a precedent and that students could use alternative footpaths and highways which are lit and that there have been no reports to suggest that the trail is an issue for people’s safety and security. It also says that it cannot justify the costs of installing lighting or the recurring maintenance costs.
In a notice of motion that was due to be presented to last night’s rearranged meeting of Keswick Town Council, Cllr Burn said that he and the mayor, Cllr Steve Harwood, had taken advice and had been told that it was perfectly possible to install lighting on this section of the trail, causing only minimal disturbance to wildlife and without compromising all the benefits of dark skies.
In a report that was to be considered by councillors, Cllr Burn said: “It is questionable anyway whether there are dark skies on this stretch of the trail as there are houses nearby (Calvert Way, Brundholme Gardens and Keswick Bridge timeshare) and it crosses Penrith Road.”
He added: “The LDNPA’s concern that installing lighting could set a precedent is, in my view, completely without foundation as no other part of the trail is close to any habitation. It is true that students living at this end of the town could use alternative ways home in the darker months but these routes would involve walking alongside and crossing busy roads which become more dangerous as the evenings become darker.’’
Cllr Burn said the AA has said in the past that 5,000 children under the age of 16 die or are seriously injured on Britain’s roads each year. “And while it may also be true that the LDNPA have not received any reports to suggest that the trail is an issue for people’s safety and security, this is hardly surprising given that students and probably others do not use the trail after daylight hours in the darker months because of the lack of lighting.”
Cllr Burn said the town council is regularly on record for saying it cares deeply about the youth in the town and this was an example of youngsters approaching it directly and asking for help. At the re-arranged meeting on September 29, Cllr Burn will ask councillors to support the pupils’ request to light up this short section of the trail and agree that the clerk write to the chief executive of the LDNPA with the council’s views.
“If, as I suspect, the lack of a budget lies at the heart of their lack of willingness to take this forward, Cllr Harwood and I will explore alternative sources of funding,’’ said Cllr Burn.
