Improving road safety in Burton in Lonsdale

• Community Fund Award – £2,000
• District – Craven

When residents in Burton in Lonsdale wanted to get to their village recreation ground, they had to put themselves at risk by walking along Bentham Moor Road around a blind bend. Many motorists travelled quickly on the route and there were real concerns for the safety of adults and children.

The Parish Council decided to address this important issue and came up with the plan of building a footpath alongside the carriageway providing a route for people to walk or cycle to the recreation ground in safety.

To support the project, they applied for funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund and were awarded a £2,000 grant.

This allowed them to build the footpath, which is to be lined by a community orchard, and use other funds to enhance the facilities available so it was both safer to get to the recreation ground and more attractive once there.

Cllr Ian Thompson, from Burton in Lonsdale Parish Council, said: 

“As a result of the footpath being available we see more residents using the recreation ground and especially more children walking there with their parents. This will have a long-term benefit to their health because of the opportunity for outdoor play.

“On behalf of all the residents of Burton in Lonsdale we would like to thank the Police and Crime Commissioner for helping us to make our village safer.”

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, added:

“The new footpath to Burton in Lonsdale’s recreation ground is a great example of the impact the Community Fund can have. On its own, the building of a new footpath may not be seen as a priority but the road safety improvement it has brought means more people are able to walk or cycle to the recreation ground, more children and adults can exercise, and more families can use the facilities.

“I am pleased it has made a real difference and was delighted to be able to support the community’s efforts.”