Flood-hit A591: Closure 'to cost Lake District £1m a day'

A stretch of the A591 between Keswick and Grasmere crumbled away during December's storms

The Lake District economy will lose up to £1m a day if a road closed by flood damage is not repaired quickly, the Liberal Democrat party leader has said.

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, has called for extra staff to speed up repairs to the A591.

Part of the road between Dunmail Raise, north of Grasmere, and Thirlmere, was damaged in Storm Desmond in December.

Highways England said it was doing "everything" it could to reopen the road as soon as possible.

A spokesman said: "The main construction work is now well under way and we are on track for the road to reopen by the end of May."

Mr Farron asked the government to ensure Highways England and the Lake District National Park business taskforce worked together and urged it to consider "alternative temporary solutions" if the A591 could not be repaired in time for Easter, a busy time for visitors.

The road is the only major route through the central Lake District.

Mr Farron told the Commons the South Lakes economy would lose about £100m if the road remained closed until the end of May, with £60m of this lost in April and May.

The A591 is considered vital for tourism in the area

The government also confirmed it would apply for European Union money to help.

Communities Minister James Wharton said the government was going to apply for emergency grants from the European Solidarity Fund (EUSF).

Labour welcomed the decision, saying it was long overdue.

Mr Wharton said the EUSF was not a "rapid response instrument" and its financial aid could take "several months" to access.

The UK had only ever applied to the fund once since it was set up in 2002 and that was following flooding in 2007, Mr Wharton said.

The EUSF reimburses members states between 2.5% and 6% of the costs of responding to "major natural disasters", depending on the scale of the damage.