KEEP PENRITH SPECIAL – REJECT THE PENRITH MASTERPLAN
Why this is important:
Penrith and the Eden Valley is special. We know that. It’s a great place to live.
Eden District has the lowest population density of any district in England. Let’s keep it that way.
Doubling the population of Penrith will change it for ever. We don’t want to double the population resulting in:
- More congestion (particularly in the north down to Fairhill and east into Kemplay)
- More great pressure on your local NHS.
- More pressure on the best schools.
- Major roads on every side of Penrith
- The Beacon scarred with major roads and development.
The Beacon is special it shouldn’t be built on.
- We reject the idea of a new Garden Town/Village 2.5 miles from Penrith
We need more affordable housing for locals but we don’t need 5,560 houses to do that.
- Your own local developments elsewhere in Eden will be rejected as the Council will say this ‘meets the need’.
The plan never explains where any new jobs will come from.
It’s a daft place to build a huge new settlement. It’s on really high ground. The signs on roads leading there already say ‘Winter conditions can be hazardous’. There are far better sites in the area for smaller developments in the many local communities.
All the roads down from the Beacon into Penrith will be far steeper than is ever recommended for roads leading to such a development. The access be dangerous and add to congestion to Kemplay roundabout, FairHill, Kemplay and the whole northern part of Penrith.
The Masterplan makes clear that the idea of a Northern Relief Road isn’t dead. This would scar the Eden Valley for ever. It would also put a 6 lane road within 1/3 mile of these new houses.
As most traffic will have to exit from this development at J41 of the M6 we doubt much trade will actually come to Penrith’s shops, people will go to Carlisle instead.
The people of Eden and Penrith deserve better; we want a proper grounded, practical and sensible plan to make Penrith a better place to live, work, shop and visit and we want to get everyone to contribute their thoughts in building that plan. A plan for the many not just the few in a true and democratic process and not behind closed doors.