THERE have been renewed calls for a review of a ‘problem’ road junction in Kendal with residents fearing it is only ‘a matter of time’ before someone is seriously hurt.

Concerns were voiced about the crossroads between Greenside, Bankfield Road and High Tenterfell following a road traffic collision there that saw an ambulance called on Monday.

But Jon Wilkinson, who lives by the junction, says residents’ group the Fellside Forum has been expressing misgivings about the spot for a number of years.

“You see so many near misses,” he said. “Not ones that would be reported.

“People having to run across the road because visibility is so poor.

“Minor bumps in cars that probably weren’t reported to police.”

Mr Wilkinson said one of the problems was cars on Greenside travelling at high speeds because ‘it is a relatively wide main road into town’.

He said cars tended to try and avoid stopping when exiting Bankfield Road because it was on a hill.

Susan Heyes, chair of the Fellside Forum, who also lives close to the junction, said: “There hasn’t been a really serious accident, but I think it would only be a matter of time, especially if there’s increases in traffic.”

Indeed, both Mr Wilkinson and Mrs Heyes fear the problems will only get worse if plans for 19 new homes south of Underbarrow Road are approved and traffic increases.

They are calling for a review of the junction by the council and for action ultimately to be taken to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Peter Thornton, county councillor for the Kendal Strickland and Fell division, said: “We are aware that there is more development planned in the whole area, which might end up with a greater frequency of traffic and, bearing that in mind, I have asked our officers if they will do a feasibility study into the possibility of a small roundabout in that area.

“The Covid situation has thrown a big spanner in everything but I would have thought we could have got some sort of response [from Highways] by the end of this calendar year.”

Cllr Thornton said he had allocated some of his locality budget to putting a speed indicator sign in further up Greenside, which would be similar to the one currently on Windermere Road. He said this was ‘definitely’ going to be installed.