Kendal Vision Progress Update – July 2022

The Kendal Vision was published in March 2020, just before all our lives were disrupted by the pandemic.  Behind the scenes, Kendal Futures, working with its partners, has been progressing the aims of the Vision and South Lakeland District Council’s Town Centre Strategy.

A public progress update event was held in Kendal Town Hall on 8th July 2022.   The exhibition boards and summary newsletter are available to view below.

The update included news about:

  • In 2021, SLDC approved £285,294 of core support over the next three years to Kendal Futures Community Interest Company (CIC) to deliver activities identified in the Kendal Vision and Kendal Town Centre Strategy, including the appointment of a Vision Manager and associated action group work.
  • The formation of the Kendal Town Team – made up of South Lakeland District Council, Kendal Futures, Kendal Town Council and Cumbria County Council – to jointly drive projects on.
  • Approval of the Stramongate public realm improvement scheme for the upper section of Stramongate where it meets Blackhall Road – informed by the Vision and setting the scene for high-quality materials to be used in future schemes – as well as developing priority projects from the Vision to catalyse positive future change in the town.
  • Working together, the Town Team and others, including Kendal College, have developed priority projects in a bid for investment from round two of the government’s Levelling Up Fund. The Levelling Up Fund priority projects are:

 

Project A – Town Centre Regeneration

  • New education accommodation at the Westmorland Shopping Centre, creating a third campus for Kendal College;
  • Regeneration of the historic Market Hall;
  • Regeneration of the Market Place;

 

Project B – Riverside Corridor

  • Enhancement of the riverside active travel route from Abbot Hall, along Waterside and linking to the town centre up Kent Street.

 

The day also included an update from Kendal Vision manager Nick Taylor on progress and project ideas from Kendal Futures’ Action Groups and how people can get involved.   More information about the Action Groups can be found here.

The boards can be scrolled!

Read the exhibition summary newsletter

We produced a newsletter describing the progress since the Vision was published in March 2020, and summarising the content displayed on the exhibition boards at the event on 8th July.

Share your views

Tell us your views about the projects we’ve shared or the Vision more generally.

You can download the questionnaire, complete and return it by email to paula@kendalfutures.co.uk