Significant pieces of land have been acquired by Kendal Town Council.
The strategically located open spaces will, the council hopes, play a significant role in enhancing the local environment and the well-being of the community.
The first piece of land, off Vicarage Drive, has been earmarked for footpath improvements and an educational biodiversity project.
Councillor Eamonn Hennessy, chair of the town council’s environment committee, said: “We first looked into the ownership of this land as part of our ongoing project to improve the state of our town’s footpaths.
“It took a while to establish who actually owned it, but we were delighted to find that the owners, a property development company, were willing to gift this to us at no cost.
“The town council is committed to creating a space that not only preserves and enhances the natural habitat, but may also serve as an educational resource for local schools. We are working with the local conservation group Natural Kendal, with input from the local community, to develop a long-term sustainable plan for the area.
“We are also working with Westmorland and Furness Council to improve the footpaths in the area, as part of our ambition to make it easier, safer and more inviting for children to walk to school and we’re hopeful this work will be completed in the near future.”
A second piece of land, at Mintsfeet, by the River Kent, will be instrumental in advancing the completion of a footpath and cycleway network associated with the Environment Agency’s flood defence work.
Describing it as potentially transformative, the vice chair of the council’s environment committee, Councillor Giles Archibald said: “It was apparent that in order to maximise the connectivity potential of the Environment Agency’s scheme of footpaths and cycleways in the Mintsfeet area we would need to address a gap in the network which was due to this piece of land being in private ownership.
“We negotiated a fair market price with the owner and we’re thrilled at the prospect of developing this land, linking up with the Environment Agency’s completed paths and ensuring that residents and visitors can take full advantage of the enhancements in the area.”
Site surveys are now being carried out at both locations.
At the Vicarage Drive site, some ash dieback has been identified, which may require work to ensure the continued safety of the public.
Working with South Cumbria Rivers Trust, the town council has identified some invasive species around Mintsfeet, which will require specialist treatment over the next couple of years.
Cllr Hennessy assured a meeting of the town council’s management committee that surveys had shown that neither site had any major barriers to their effective restoration as valued parts of the green links connecting the town.
