A group calling it’s self The Penrith Futures Partnership that has the Penrith Town councillor and Penrith Deputy Mayor Councillor Knaggs as one of the groups leaders has published a document proposing the pedestrianisation of Penriths town centre.
Reigniting fears among locals and businesses of a repeat of the disastrous attempts by Cumbria County council to close the streets and create a pedestrianised town centre using Covid-19 safety as the grounds for the closures in 2020 that created widespread opposition from residents and local businesses forcing the county council to reopen the streets of Penrith two weeks later and abandon its plans for a pedestrian only town centre.
Many at the time feared it was not finished business and would again be back on the agenda for some councillors in the town.
The announcement of the Penrith Futures Partnership with its cohort of councillors and others has seen concerns from local businesses organisations and traders in the town already today along with residents concerns over the reigniting of the plans.
The announcement by the group comes after an international reporter write a damming article on Penrith billing the town as “worse than war torn Ukraine” with boarded up shops and a traders giving up.
One local shop owner in Penrith has today said we only need to look at how a Pedestrian only shopping area does not work for Penrith by looking at how disastrous New Squares is. That will be all of Penrith if the close the streets again”
A local resident has said “just were do they expect all the traffic to go. Through our residential streets again just so a few councillors and there friends can sit and have a coffee in the middle of the road”
The group is working with the support of a local publication to push its plans on pedestrianisation of Penrith back onto the agenda.
Some of those involved in opposing the closure of Penrith in 2020 included Penrith Town councillor Jonathan Davies who has said today on the subject “we always knew this would rear its head again as some have an agenda to close the town down for good.
They will be back wanting to put a lid over the town again next an idea one if this so called group has pushed in the past as an idea.
It’s as if they want to make Penrith into a clone of one of the other places they keep quoting Keswick, Kendal or Preston. Well I have news for the Penrith futures clique. Penrith is Penrith with it unique charms and Character and is build along the A6 through the middle of the Town. If you crave the other towns with its pedestrian areas my suggestion to the Penrith Futures gang is get on your bike and move there.”
In 2020 the closure by Cumbria County Council saw a 3800 signature petition apposing the Pedestrianisation of Penrith and a Protest in Penrith Town centre against it.
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