COMMUNITY leaders have welcomed plans for a new roundabout layout in Bowness.

Cumbria County Council are reconstructing the layout at Crag Brow which they hope will improve pedestrian safety at the junction of the A5074 and A592.

The work began on Monday.

The roundabout has been a cause for concern by some residents due to heavy traffic and the felling of a tree that was deemed a potential risk to road users.

David Richardson, who lives beside where the roundabout is, said: “They have begun the work now and I hope it will do some good.

“It would have been better if they left the tree up. It was about three years ago they took it away.

“Cars got faster coming down here so we hope a new layout will help.

“The only thing I don’t agree with about it is there are only two islands to cross, instead of three."

Another said: “They took the tree down in the road about three years ago and since then people noticed a lot more speeding in the area.

“There’s a lot of horn beeping and it is nice to know this will slow traffic down.

“Hopefully it’ll make it safer for people.”

Mayor Adrian Legge said: "The roundabout at the foot of Crag Brow has been in an unsatisfactory state for several years, from both aesthetic and practical points of view, so the town council welcomes the start on its reconstruction.

"Cumbria County Council has considered a variety of solutions and the new design has been through a lengthy consultation process.

"Inevitably, preferences differ on the detail but we believe that the finished project will be a very considerable improvement, making the roundabout much easier for vehicles to negotiate and safer for pedestrians to cross.

"A great deal of thought has been given to every aspect of the design, even commissioning railings which will complement the attractive Victorian buildings surrounding this busy junction.

"Though some disruption is inevitable, this quieter time of year is the best time to undertake these works.

"By Easter, we believe that both local people and our visitors will be able to appreciate the improvements."

Councillor Ben Berry, who was involved in the development of the scheme, described how the project would improve safety while also being in-keeping with the area.

He said: "It was myself and Jim Bland who were involved in the design and development of the scheme and it's exciting to see it come through.

"The area has been somewhat neglected since the tree was felled. It was a shame to see if but it kept falling on people and cars.

"It's taken time to come up with the scheme but we're happy with what's been put forward.

"Specifically, it's the crossing points that people have been asking for, for several years. It's surprisingly hard to cross without them.

"The other thing is around the finishing of the wall and on which type of stone should be used. We want to make sure it is in keeping with the world class destination, being Bowness.

"There will only be two islands to cross on but even with that people will have a safe way across.

"We also want to enhance people's parking experience. It's a big improvement to the public area.

"We are keeping on with the street car parking, as Jim and I made sure that was kept."