Thirlmere: 'strong sense of tranquillity'. Photo: Colin Barnes
Lake District bosses have revealed the national park’s planning officer had recommended rejection of the plans for zipwires across Thirlmere.
Treetop Trek, the company behind the proposals, announced on Tuesday it had withdrawn its application, citing the fact that the Ministry of Defence had expressed concerns on its low-flying training in the area.
The Friends of the Lake District submitted a freedom of information request to the Lake District National Park Authority, leading to the release of the officer’s draft report on the Thirlmere Activity Hub application.
The report would have been placed before the authority’s planning committee if Treetop Trek had not shelved its plans.
The document reveals planners received 164 submissions in support of the proposals, with 3,676 objecting. In addition, 14,177 people signed a petition against the plans.
Among organisations opposing plans were: Friends of the Lake District; Campaign for National Parks; National Trust; Campaign for the Protection of Rural England; Open Spaces Society; Federation of Cumbria Commoners; British Mountaineering Council; Wainwright Society; Ramblers Lake District Area; Achille Ratti Climbing Club; Fylde Mountaineering Club; WalkLakes; Fell and Rock Climbing Club; John Muir Trust; Woodland Trust; Sustainable Keswick; Grasmere Village Society; Dartmoor Preservation Society; North Yorkshire Moors Association and the Wordsworth Trust.
Some did not object to the upgrading of the cycle paths and car parks.
St John’s, Castlerigg and Wythburn and Mungrisdale parish councils and Keswick town council all objected; Lakes and Buttermere parish councils strongly objected. Wythburn and Thirlmere Heritage Group strongly objected as did Elterwater Independent Hostel.
Natural England objected along with the Ministry of Defence.
The local highway authority recommended refusal.
Support for Treetop Trek’s plans came from Cumbria Chamber of Commerce; Lake District Estates, Mountain Training Trust and Plas y Brenin National Mountain Sports Centre and Newlands Activity Centre.
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership gave the proposals its strong support as did Lake District Hoteliers, while Cumbria Tourism said the proposal should be given serious consideration.
The planning officer, in recommending refusal of the application, said the adverse landscape effects of the zipwire would be substantial to severe on the western side of the reservoir. The planning officer said the area is defined by a strong sense of tranquillity, remoteness and lack of development.
The zipwires and associated structures would also harm the special qualities that enabled the Lake District to gain world heritage site status in 2017.
The Friends of the Lake District said: “The Lake District national park planning team has heeded us, and everyone else who objected, and importantly has recognised the significance of our national parks and the planning process in place that protects these special and valuable landscapes.
“Their response to this application is not only a victory for Thirlmere, but for the Lake District national park and all our national parks.”
The draft report can be viewed on the Lake District authority’s website.
