BARROW could see a number of pop up cycleways on its roads as part of a multi-million pound government funding scheme.

Barrow and the South Lakes have been put forward by Cumbria County Council to the Department for Transport (DfT) for consideration for funding as part of their £225m Emergency Active Travel Fund.

Cumbria is in the running to receive a government fund of £1,167,000, dependent on a convincing case being made to the DfT.

The county council received confirmation last week that £233,000 has been allocated as part of the first tranche.

Pop up cycleways and pedestrian priority are the schemes proposed for a number of roads in Barrow including: Abbey Road, Cornwallis Street, Bridge Road and Michaelson Road.

According to a Cumbria County Council spokesman, pop up cycleways is a barrier system to introduce a temporary designated cycle lane within existing road lanes.

For the South Lakeland region, a one-way system through Grasmere to create space for a widened pedestrian areas has been proposed for the village.

Brian Boyd, president of the Rotary Club’s Tour de Furness, has welcomed the proposal of cycle lanes within the town.

He said: “The current cycle lanes in the town are not being maintained so this has to be a good idea.

“A lot of detail would need to be worked out and perhaps a survey whether people would actually use the cycle lanes instead of the road.

“In principal it’s a good idea, however, a more targeted approach is needed to work out what cyclists want and where in the town.”

Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Keith Little said: “The main purpose of the first tranche of funding is to promote cycling and walking as a replacement for journeys previously made by public transport.

“We have worked with representatives in each of our six districts to prioritise the schemes which will achieve the greatest impact at this current time.”