The zip-wire is planned for Honister Crag, left. Photo: Alan Faulkner CC-BY-ND-2.0
A conservation charity has condemned the latest proposal to build a tourist zip-wire down the side of a Lake District fell.
Honister Slate Mine has submitted scaled-down plans for the aerial slide, reducing its length and altering its start point on Honister Crags.
Its original proposal was turned down by Lake District national park planners more than a year ago, after the company had withdrawn an earlier plan.
But the Friends of the Lake District say the new plans are still inappropriate for the location, on the side of Fleetwith Pike.
The proposals are due to be considered on 7 January, and the charity is urging the public to make its views known.
The Friends said: “The new application is for a slightly shorter zip-wire, 1,035m instead of 1,200m and starts a little further down the fell at Honister Crags.
“The new application also no longer has a large fan to brake participants’ fall at the end. Instead, there will now be a landing point mid-way down the fellside.
“The applicant is also applying for temporary permission to allow for a ‘visitor perception assessment study’.”
Jack Ellerby, Friends of the Lake District’s policy officer added: “A recreational development of this scale and nature has never before been allowed upon a remote fell location like this.
“The Friends only object to planning applications when significant harm would result from developments, and they would create an unacceptable precedent.
“We think this application for a zip-wire at Honister conflicts with the national park’s planning policies to protect the spectacular landscape and promote sustainable tourism.
“The changes to the new application are not sufficiently different for us to allow it to go past without comment.
“One important difference is the new mid-way landing area introduces more man-made development onto the open fellside. What other developments will be allowed if this goes through?
“While Friends of the Lake District support the need to strengthen the local economy with the right sort of development in the right location, we do not feel that this zip-wire at Honister is right for the Lake District.
“Since the beginning of the national park, development on the fells has, rightly, been restricted to protect their outstanding beauty and sensitive environment. The right to enjoy unspoilt ‘freedom of the fells’ is vital to Cumbria and the Lake District’s tourism industry and, therefore, we think this application is wrong in this location and should be refused.”
The Friends said the Lake District National Park Authority’s planning committee will take into account public views.
The committee is due to hear the application, which can be viewed online, at its 7 January meeting.
Mike Thompson
22 November 2012If people want cheap disney thrills, then that is where they should go, not the English lakes.
I want and require peace and quiet and unspoilt distant views when I am in the Lakes and not heaps of ironwork blootint the landscape.
Bry Watson
22 November 2012Mike Thompson makes a very valid point, That most people coming to the
Lakes expect. Peace quiet and tranquility, it would be very unlake district for the Ldnpa to allow such a monstrosity to blight the surrounding landscape
Tim Connor
24 November 2012I think this article, and the comments, are rather one sided.
There has been 'heaps of ironwork' visible at Honister, for hundreds of years. It is certainly not 'unspoilt'.
I don't think that many of the people objecting so strongly actually understand the proposal, or the Honister area. Its visual and environmental impact would be minimal.
It will provide local employment and also attract a higher portion of younger people to the LDNP. In the long-term this is essential.
When the previous planning application was submitted the comitee recieved 476 letters of support and an 11,500-name petition in favour, and 255 letters against. Interesting statistics.
David Jackson
24 November 2012Nobody stops vehicles going over Honister, its amazing how often they can be heard from where the zip would be. The "Friends of the Lakes" need to understand that to have the area as the Adventure Capital there has to be more to do than walk, climb and paddle, to me adventure capital suggests adrenaline, this is one way to get it. As Tim says the hill is already covered in Iron works what difference is a few bits of wire and a landing area going to make? Some people come to the Lakes for peace and quiet as Bry has said but others come for the activities we can offer,. you have to cater for both audiences, there is still plenty of space to get the piece and quiet with a couple of activities on the side of 1 out of the many hills we have
C.J.Eatough
16 December 2012Quarrying is a legitimate activity subject to planning. In an ideal world it would be desirable if the operators tidied up as they went on, my first visit to Honister must have been 56/7 years ago, lot's of debris then, nothing changes. Now more clutter with the zip wire application. Reminds me of the Planatarium proposal in the 7o's, just another Gimmic. Still, continuing to call it a National Park where the N.P.O. seems to want to promote the area for recreation, if I heard him correctly on TV, recreation will prevail. Long overdue.Change the title of the area to Lake District National Heritage Area, that would reflect all aspects of
the Lake District rather than park. Perhaps then future generations might respect the area for what it really is.
ANDY.T
10 January 2013I do wonder at the mindset of several of the people who posted here. Honister is still a mine.. the TV program showed the flawed and often idiotic objections to the proposals, the flower expert actually licked on of the flowers she said had been growing on the slope where the Via ferata was since the ice age not understanding that the whole area was mined less than 100 years previously. The Zip wire proposal was rejected more from pressure of NIBYs than anything else. The same location had a cable car type overhead ore bucket system carrying rock down from near the peak.. a string of buckets..probably powered by steam engines..I wonder if an application to restore this as a museum one of a kind attraction would be allowed. Many National Parks now have steam trains running through them.. cant get much more instrusive than a steam train can you? First built to carry ore from mines and now adapted with passenger carridges rather than frieght wagons.. Why is this acceptable yet a relativly quiet and unobtrusive zip wire not? A bunch of high viz clad walkers wearing out paths and causing helicopters to carry in repair materials is more intrusive. Honister is a mine after all.. The whole of the NP is man managed to prevent it returning to a "natural" state.. The rejection of the proposals is dissapointing especially when the main reason is because well educated selfish walkers want it all for themselfes.. Logically I suspect more people visit the zip wire and probably already visit the existing mine attraction than those who walk the hills in sight of the proposed site anyway!
I Lyall
28 May 2015The type of venture been proposed seems to exactly what the area needs to progress & promote not just the Lake District but the love of the outdoors to some people who normally woudnt visit the area.
Isn't that more sustainable than the fossilisation mentality of those who consider their guardianship of the Lake district with the zealous ferver of the Opus Dei! They truly believe the zip wire is a satanic device that tempts people to sin in such a holy place.
NIMBYS indeed!
Share & preserve the beauty & serenity by all means but allow a touch of life back into Honister!
Its easy for people to complain, the emotional outrage almost compels us to do it! But how about those who accept or support the idea who don't feel as much inclined to write in support?
Im sure the walkers could enjoy the walk without fixating on the zip wire which won't be in use at certain times of the day.
The Lake district is a big area with plenty of natural beauty but the Honiston slate mine is only in one spot.
I applaud Sir Chris Bonnington in his resignation from the Friends of the Lakes.