posted 7pm, Tuesday 17 December
Kirkby Lonsdale Community Recovery Partnership is working hard to be able to offer immediate financial support to people who lived and worked in the area affected by the fire. For example, if you have been unable to return home because of the cordon or if your workplace has been affected and you have lost income. In order to receive this support, it is essential that anybody affected has made themselves known to the partnership. If anybody is affected and has not registered with the partnership, please make yourself known by calling 015242 36404 or calling into the community support centre in St Mary’s Church. If you know of anybody affected who has not been in touch, please encourage them to do so.
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We are endeavouring to get this financial support to those who need it before before Christmas Day. If you require this support before Christmas Day and have not been contacted directly by Westmorland and Furness Council about this, it is important to make contact, even if you have registered already, by 4pm tomorrow (Wednesday 18 December). Please do this by calling 015242 36404. If there is no answer, please leave a clear message with your name and contact details and somebody will call you back.
The community support centre remains in St Mary’s Church this week. This is being manned by local volunteers from 9am to 5pm daily with support from Westmorland and Furness Council officers. Please feel free to call in for help and advice. The centre is welcoming of people of all faiths and people with no faith. Anyone unable to visit in person can call 015242 36404.
The next drop-in public meeting will take place tomorrow (Wednesday) in the Lunesdale Hall from 5pm. All welcome to hear updates and ask questions.
South Lakes Citizens Advice will be running an advice session in the community support hub on Wednesday between 10am and 1pm. Anybody is welcome to drop in at any time if they have an issue they think South Lakes CA could help with. www.southlakescab.org.uk
Mitchelgate is open – but only open ONE WAY – so please drive with care and follow the diversions and signs.
Hophouse Lane will be closed tonight from 8pm to 4am for safety reasons for work to repair of scoured verges and carriageway edge erosion, with the possibility of further work on Wednesday night and Thursday night. With Mitchelgate one-way while the cordon is in place in Market Street/Main Street, there will be a diversion up to and along the C5081. Traffic control teams will be deployed at either end of Hophouse Lane to advise.
The Community Recovery Partnership is encouraging people to support the businesses that are open in the town, and issuing a reminder about the many beautiful walks and open spaces in the area.
Events by Shop Small is showcasing 35 Kirkby Lonsdale businesses impacted by the fire and Christmas Market stall holders affected by the cancellation of the event an opportunity to trade at a Late Night Shop Small event at Junction 36 Auction Mart at Crooklands tomorrow night (Wednesday 18 December) from 6pm to 8pm. The affected businesses can attend free of charge. Entry is also free for anyone wanting to go along and it would be wonderful if people could support these local businesses at this most difficult time.
Businesses in Kirkby Lonsdale are holding late-night opening events until 7pm on Friday 20 December and Monday December 23.
Parking in Westmorland and Furness Council-run car parks – New Road 1, New Road 2 and Market Square – will be free to use until the end of December. Parking off Wellington Court, adjacent to the A65 and before the Lunesdale Surgery (with the exception of the specified staff parking bays) if offered throughout December as temporary unrestricted parking with immediate effect. The Booths main store car park remains one hour free with an option to purchase a second hour as normal. Please note that the Lunesdale Surgery parking is for patients of the doctor’s surgery only. Our thanks go to Booths for their ongoing support to the community and the economic recovery of the town.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up by Lunesdale Hall (Institute) charitable trust working with Kirkby Lonsdale Community Recovery Partnership and Cumbria Community Foundation. Anyone wishing to donate can do so at: Fundraiser by Nicola Brown: Kirkby Lonsdale Fire Disaster Impact Support Fund
Plans to distribute the funds raised to those in need are being formulated and will be shared as soon as they are finalised.
The cordon currently starts at The Sun Inn, going round to Spar. Hopefully the cordon will be able to be reduced to give access to Spar soon. For your own safety no members of the public can go beyond the cordon area, there are a number of structurally unsafe buildings and heavy machinery operating in the area.
While the cordon is in place, temporary loading bays have been created in Market Square to support businesses in Main Street and Market Street whose loading arrangements have been disrupted.
Bus services are running as normal.