A LAKES MP and the leader of the county council have criticised the Prime Minister who has today set aside millions of pounds to repair flood-damaged roads and infrastructure in Cumbria.


David Cameron speaks to members of the Lake District National Park Partnership Business Task Force at Allan Bank House in Grasmere. Photo credit: Mark Runnacles/PA Wire David Cameron's announcement came ahead of a visit to Cumbria and Lancashire today.

The new package will include £2 million which will be used to fix bridges, rebuild walls and restore footpaths across the Lake District National Park. And as part of this, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have identified 180 local apprentices who will be mobilised to help with the park’s repair effort.

It will also feature £1 million in new funding to launch a marketing campaign, co-ordinated by VisitEngland, encouraging British families to spend their Easter break in the North of England.

Mr Cameron said: “From York Minster to Honister Mine, Carlisle Castle to the Leeds Armories, the North has some of the most iconic tourist attractions the UK has to offer. So it is absolutely right that we do everything we can to make sure these businesses feel supported and ready to receive visitors.

“The measures we've announced today are an important step, showcasing the best the region’s tourist industry has to offer while helping one of its key attractions in the Lake District National Park get back on its feet.”

However, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has criticised the move as being “woefully inadequate” to deal with the scale of the county’s problems.

He highlighted the absence of any commitment to reopen the A591 before the end of May and also pointed out that when the Dawlish railway line in the South-West flooded in 2014, a 300-strong Network Rail team rebuilt the track at a cost of £35m in just over 50 days.


Tim Farron Mr Farron, leader of the Lib Dems, said: “When I heard that the Prime Minister was coming, I was genuinely hopeful that this would bring good news for the area. However, instead of bringing his cheque book, he seems only to have remembered his small change. 

“Of course the extra funding for infrastructure and tourism promotion is welcome. But it is woefully inadequate given the scale of the problems we are facing. There is a £460million shortfall in the funding required to repair flood-damaged roads and bridges across Cumbria. Cameron’s £2m is nothing but a token gesture, which will leave local residents, businesses and councils to pick up the lion’s share of the bill. 

“If Cameron really wanted to help promote tourism in the area then he would have committed proper amounts of funding to help get the A591 reopened before Easter. Instead, he wants to chase cheap headlines by giving token sums of money. 

“Cameron has been to Grasmere and has seen the crippling impact of the A591 closure on local businesses; it is incredibly disappointing that he has not decided to provide the funds needed to get the road reopened. Various ministers and now even the Prime Minister have visited the A591, but very little real help has been delivered – local people feel very let down. 

“The government’s quick reaction to the flood damage on the Dawlish railway line a few years ago shows that when it wants to, it can get things done. But it appears that Cumbria is simply not a priority for the government.”


Stewart Young Cumbria County Council leader Stewart Young, a Labour councillor, said: “This money is nowhere enough to get Cumbria back on its feet following the floods. With an estimated £500m of damage to our infrastructure, including £20m in the Lake District National Park alone, today’s funding announcement is totally inadequate.

“The government describes Cumbria and the Lake District National Park as a jewel in the crown of the British countryside, and it is. That is why we are urgently seeking a face to face meeting with Ministers to secure the amount of money that we need to fund Cumbria’s full recovery. It is now 8 weeks since the floods hit Cumbria and this has to be, and should be government’s, top priority.”