PLANS for a £400,000 cycle route through Kendal could be dead in the water after councillors voted against a major part of the scheme to save 40 free parking spaces.

Members of Cumbria County Council's local committee for South Lakeland voted seven to four against the New Road phase of the Kendal Riverside Route (KRR), a designated path for pedestrians and cyclists designed to link Kirkland in the south of the town to Dockray Hall in the north.

Environmental and cycling campaigners have blasted the decision as a missed opportunity to tackle the problems of traffic congestion and say it demonstrates the lack of political will on the behalf of councillors to make a lasting difference to the town.

According to Cumbria Highway's area engineer Nick Raymond, the viability of the whole scheme was now in doubt, as the vast bulk of the money allocated for it, around £325,000, was earmarked for New Road.

"We will have to let the dust settle and review the situation but I don't believe it is appropriate to deliver any part of the scheme if it's not going to include New Road," said Mr Raymond.

At the meeting, councillors were asked to vote on whether to approve the scheme in its entirety. However, Coun Ted Walsh proposed an amendment excluding the New Road phase due to the loss of 40 free parking spaces on land which is designated as common land.

Speaking after the meeting, Coun Walsh said: "The free spaces are invaluable to the local economy. It is fine for people who live in Kendal to use their bikes to get around in the town but what about people who travel into the town from outside, why should they be forced to pay SLDC parking charges which is tantamount to a stealth tax?"

"I am happy about the rest of the scheme and believe it still stands up regardless of whether the New Road section goes ahead and I don't see that there is a significant safety hazard in biking through the car park during the day."

The scheme is part of the Kendal Transport Plan and has been on the table far almost ten years. Numerous public consultation sessions were held on the plans that were well attended.

Coun Dave Clarke, who voted in favour of the whole scheme, said it was a "huge disappointment".

"It is a real blow. New Road is a crucial part of the scheme and without it there is no link so it can't be a proper cycle route. It would have been a major step to making Kendal cycle and pedestrian friendly. "

Spokesman for Kendal and District Cycle Scene, and a major consultee on the project, Liz Ashburn, said the decision was a huge disappointment.

"The only way we can improve the overall traffic situation in Kendal is to get people out of their cars and onto bikes and to do this we need to provide a much safer environment for them to cycle in. At the moment, an inexperience cyclist facing Kendal's traffic would just give up.

"To allow the loss of car parking spaces to hold up a substantial improvement in cycling facilities is madness and short-sighted. We are back to square one. Kendal is lagging behind in terms of cycling provision."