The Penrith business community took to the streets this weekend in protest over road closures put in place to encourage social distancing.

The changes, put in place on Saturday by Cumbria County Council, include the closure of the main road through the town centre to through traffic, and restricting access via Sandgate and Burrowgate.

The council says it has put the measures in place to ensure pedestrians have enough space to socially distance safely.

But many in Penrith's business community see the change as a serious threat to the viability of trade in the town centre, prompting upwards of 300 people, mostly business owners, to gather on Saturday in protest.

Dan Harding, a Penrith Business Improvement District director who also owns the Foundry 34 restaurant, bar and hotel, Angel Lane Chippy and the Sandgate Friery in Penrith, issued a stark warning.

"There's no hiding businesses in Penrith were struggling before Covid-19 came along," he said.

"Covid-19 has made things worse, but these road blocks could really push businesses over the edge."

Mr Harding stressed that businesses in the town were in favour of measures that encourage social distancing. But he described this measure as "too drastic.

"They've gone too far. There's a lot of other ideas they could have put in place.

"The easiest way to resolve the issue on these particular streets is a one way pedestrian route. There’s no need to close the road off."

Mr Harding added that Penrith's economy revolves around providing services to a large number of residents across the Eden Valley, and as such, easy access to town centre businesses was vital for the prosperity of Penrith.

"As part of Penrith being a service town, we need to allow for good access and good parking, and they've taken that away from us," he said.

He added that similar road closures put in place last year to carry out gas works placed a significant strain on town centre businesses.

"Most businesses were down in the region of 40 per cent, us included," Mr Harding said.

"People avoided coming to town because of the congestion."

Speaking on Wednesday, Cumbria County Councillor Keith Little, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “These temporary measures are important to maintain social distancing guidance and while they may cause some initial disruption as we all get used to the new restrictions, I’d ask for everyone’s cooperation and understanding as we adapt to new ways of living and working during this difficult time."