Trade 'non-existent' after landslip road closure

Jay Kemsley, from Patterdale Hotel, said visitors were unable to get to the village

Businesses say a road being closed because of a landslip has caused trade to become almost "non-existent".

Motorists in Cumbria have been diverted on a lengthy route via the A6 after a section of the A592, which connects Patterdale with the South Lakes, was closed at Kirkstone Pass last week following heavy rain.

Jay Kemsley, who works at the Patterdale Hotel, said trade was "pretty much non-existent" as no-one could come into the area.

Westmorland and Furness Council said assessments were continuing to determine how long the closure would last, but that it was likely to be "months rather than weeks".

Mr Kemsley told BBC Radio Cumbria: "On a busy day we do [serve] about 80 to 90 but lately it's just the residents because no one can come into the village or the valley."

Andrew Laverick, who owns the Catstycam Outdoor Shop in Glenridding, said businesses in the Ullswater Valley depended on passing trade.

Laverick, who is also a member of Patterdale Parish Council, said: "When they can't get into the village or there's uncertainty as to whether they're going to get into the village or not, they'll make other plans and go elsewhere."

The landslip on the A592 in Cumbria followed recent heavy rain in the county

The Liberal Democrat-led Westmorland and Furness Council said the closure was "absolutely necessary" and that the safety of road users was its "main priority".

"This has been a significant landslip that has undermined the road with a lot of material washed down the steep hillside," the council said.

"This is a difficult, restricted site and the technical assessments and surveys are continuing."