Kirkland Enhancement Scheme

The finishing touches have been made to the Kirkland Enhancement Scheme. This enhancement project is to make the area more pedestrian friendly and encourage much needed footfall between the new £100m K-Village development and the main town centre shopping area. This project will also link to the new information boards and maps, which encourage visitors to explore Kendal.

As a southern entrance to Kendal, Kirkland is often dominated by traffic and this project helped deliver recommendations from the Kirkland Pedestrian Audit to make the area safer for pedestrians and encourage more browsers and buyers. By improving the ‘streetscape’ through widening pavements, new surfacing, improving lighting and introducing new seating areas the scheme will encourage visitors and residents to “discover rather than bypass” Kirkland.

The Kirkland Enhancement works have formed part of the Kendal Futures led Kendal - Gateway to the Lakes Public Realm Project. The local regeneration partnership tasked with delivering the Kendal Economic Regeneration Action Plan has divided the Project into two elements, 1) the Public Realm Design Framework and 2) the public realm improvement at Kirkland, Kendal. This second element has now been successfully delivered by Cumbria Highways on behalf of the funding partners, North West Development Agency, South Lakeland District Council, Cumbria County Council and Kendal Riverside Ltd.

Cumbrian firm Thomas Armstrong was awarded the contract to deliver the improvement scheme that lasted 12 weeks. Local traders have been very pleased with the results and were very supportive of the works despite at times having trading disrupted and the one-lane operation.

“With the new K Village due to be completed this summer the creation of a high quality pedestrian link through Kirkland to the town centre is very important. A distinctive town centre supported by attractive pedestrian routes from K-Village through into Kirkland and Highgate will encourage visitors to explore the town on foot and enjoy the many shops and popular key attractions along the route such as Abbot Hall Art Gallery and the Brewery Arts Centre” said Joanne Golton, Kendal Regeneration Manager.

Kirkland Footway Improvement Plan (PDF, 1.2 Mb)

Kirkland Pedestrian Survey (PDF, 7.5 Mb)