UKH

Thirlmere West Side road - assume still closed with big fence preventing access?

Yep, you can drive as far as the Armboth car park from the north, but then the barrier is still in place across the road. I think it is still the same as far as Dob Gill from the south. 

Thanks Rob 

Why is it closed, Rob?

https://one.network/?tmi=GB22906407

Not sure how United Utilities have got away with it but it's been closed to traffic since Storm Arwen. I think safety was the original reason, but now it seems that they are harvesting trees well away from the road or footpath, without worrying about traffic on the road. There was a period when pedestrians and cyclists could use the road, I think it was approved as getting past the barrier was easy, but for a number of months that hasn't been allowed and additional fences have been put across the road. According to a friend 😊, getting round them with a bike was a bit of a challenge, as was getting past the trees that had been felled across the road. That was about six months ago. 

Does the land slip postdate 2021? You could get in from the Dunmail / South side at least as far as the boulders. 

I think concern is unsafe trees (after storm Arwen Nov 2021? ) rather than land slip. Last summer it was possible (but not permissable?) to get to the boulders by parking at Dob Gill and bypassing the fence across the road, by using the permissive path. Given the water level at the moment it looks like it will be a few months before the boulders appear 

Not necessarily to you...

The amount of "trees down" damage caused by storm Arwen was truly phenomenal, difficult to appreciate unless you've tried to pass through an affected area.

From what I saw in the forest on the west side of Windermere (which is presumably similar in much of the forested areas of the lakes), it's never single trees down, more like a whole area where someone's played dominoes. Really tricky to get through, especially since you can't tell how far the fallen tangle that you're trying to climb through goes on for. Must be a complete bitch to clear up.

Having said that, it does appear that reinstating access to the public down the west side of Thirlmere is rather low in UUs priorities.

No argument with that

That's one thing that's puzzled me. At some point last summer I cycled along the road (I think it was allowed at the time) on my road bike, going round the "gates" without needing to dismount. 

There are areas like that but they didn't seem to affect the road. I was surprised when I tried to cycle along the road again in November. By this time in addition to the gates 8' fence had been erected. Some people who had evaded the fences said there were now several large trees that had been felled and left across the road. I appreciate they will have been deemed dangerous, but that is now the case for 20% of roadside Ash trees in Cumbria, can't see anyone getting away with closing even a minor road for more than a few days never mind years to sort this out. 

Again, I can appreciate this is probably considerably more difficult than harvesting a healthy forest, but given the access tracks they have built to access these areas I'm not sure why the road has to remain closed. 

I think the initial request was for the closure to last 12 months, I thought that was taking the p*ss a bit. 

I wasn't implying (unless inadvertently) that the damage was directly affecting the road, just that all the damage will take years to totally sort out.

I suspect they just want the freedom to mess with the necessary felling and transport of felled trees without having to worry about ensuring the road is kept safe throughout that time.

But you're right, it does seem a bit taking the p*ss.

I found this FOI request while searching. Theres a PDF showing photos of serious damage and a timeline

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/u7003_thirlmere_road_closure_pro

It is yes, the K2B last week had to use their alternative route once again to avoid it.

Another update on this.

The road is still closed.

I witnessed a scary scene of two very old aged pensioner hikers bypassing the fence via the wall with its very large drop and barbed wire. They did say it still looked 'a bomb site.

Those with lightweight bikes are chucking their bikes over the fence. More than once as the fellow cyclist I spoke too, was shocked to find it still closed.

Unlike the pensioners, I was in the fortunate position of being able to turn back.The fence strategy is certainly the main danger, it increasing risk in a major way.

I read somewhere that United Utilities is attempting to pass the responsibility for clearance onto the council so do not expect any resolution soon.