‘CUMBRIA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS’

Floods Minister and local MP Rory Stewart has officially re-opened the A591, the major Lake District route that has been closed since Storm Desmond devastated the road in December 2015.

Over £250 million has now been provided to areas to make sure communities can get back on their feet and to help the North recover from flooding caused by the December storms – covering promotion of the area as a tourist destination, support for businesses and families, and flood repairs.

Rory said: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to open this road on behalf of the government. We took over this project – unusually – because of the extreme flood damage. The work to open the A591 early shows how we are standing firmly behind communities hit by December’s flooding with investment in infrastructure, new flood defences and promoting the region across the world. I am delighted Highways England has managed to do this at such high quality in very difficult circumstances.”

“The work continues in Cumbria with a £10 million flood defence repair programme underway and up to £68 million investment to better protect more than 3,500 homes across the county over the next five years along with a £1 million advertising campaign to promote the North as a holiday destination. We are very much showing the country, and the world, that Cumbria and the Lake District are back open for business.”