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There are a number of disturbing questions about the Thirlmere West Road Closure, here are a few to ponder on :
1. Why have the Public never been given any evidence that the Crag above the Road presents a danger to Road users ?
2. Why have United Utilities, as land owners, been allowed to get away with doing nothing to fix the problem they claim exists on their land that causes the Public Highway to be closed ?
3. Why are Cumberland Council now pushing through a Permanent Closure to All Traffic (Walkers, Cyclists, Horse Riders & Motorists) when they claim that work is still ongoing to assess whether the road is dangerous at all ?
4. Why are the LDNPA washing their hands of this closure given that it affects walkers and cyclists ?
5. Why has the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) that brings about the Permanent Closure been “buried” in a raft of other TRO’s and only advertised in the Keswick Reminder, when a closure of this nature in a National Park affects people well beyond the local Parish ?
6. Why did Cumberland Council invite comments on the proposed Thirlmere West Road Closure during a Consultation exercise that they started in July, without explaining that any comments received during that Consultation would be ignored in the final TRO decision making process ?
7. Why did the Secretary of State for Transport not grant a further 18 month extension to the Temporary Traffic Regulation Order in June 2023, instead only giving a 6 month extension, requiring Cumberland to seek a permanent closure order ?
8. Why are the legal requirements to maintain public access to the roads around Thirlmere being flouted ?
9. Why was the Road across Thirlmere Dam permanently closed to Motor Vehicles in July 2022 after having been closed on a “temporary” basis for over 6 years ?
10. Why were Public Objections to the Thirlmere Dam Road closure suppressed and then ignored ?
11. Why is “Public Safety” being used as justification for this closure, when as a result Cyclists are being forced to use the treacherous A591, which is far more dangerous than the closed road could ever possibly be imagined to be.
12. Why close off a vital diversion around the dangerous, accident prone, flood prone A591 to the east of Thirlmere ? Yesterday’s road traffic accident and subsequent prolonged closure of the A591 amply demonstrates how dangerous it is and how disruptive it is when closed.
13. Why can members of the public no longer be allowed to make their own assessment of risk in choosing which Public Right of Way to use ?
14. Why are Cumberland Council acting so apparently irrationally in arguing that the Thirlmere West Road is too dangerous to be used, yet keeping open so many other roads that have demonstrably greater risks of danger to road users ?
15. Why have no Specialists in assessing and protecting roads in Mountainous Areas been commissioned to assess Rough Crag and design mitigation measures if required ?
16. Why has no application been sent to Natural England asking for permission to carry out any work on Rough Crag in the Thirlmere Woods SSSI ?
17. Why are United Utilities proposing to construct a detour for Walkers and Mountain Bikers (not Road Cyclists) that would be more dangerous than the existing road, less accessible than the existing road and yet still cutting through the SSSI and still running beneath Rough Crag ?
18. Why are all the Road Closure signs, barriers and gates blocking the road erected by United Utilities, when this is a Public Highway which is the responsibility of Cumberland Highways ?
19. Why are the tall, unstable conifer trees belonging to United Utilities along the whole length of this Thirlmere West Road allowed to continue to threaten the safety of Road Users when these unsuitable trees could be replaced by far more stable and environmentally sensitive native deciduous trees ?
20. Why when there isn't a single voice in favour of the Permanent Closure of this Road to All Users is the Road going to be closed on a Permanent basis in the very near future ?