Campaigns
Since its formation, the Society has sought to contribute to a number of public debates concerning proposals for, what the Society has judged to be, inappropriate developments in the Lake District, in particular. These have included proposals for wind and solar farms, zip wire attractions, the sell-off of publicly-owned forests and the cutback of Countryside Access Services in Cumbria.
The Society has also given support to the proposed extension of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks to bring added protection to the Whinfell ridge and Borrowdale valley, the northern Howgills and the Westmorland plateau through which the Coast to Coast route passes.
A Campaigns Policy has been developed, which gives guidance as to whether the Society should comment on any particular proposal. The principles involved are the Objects of the Society as stated in the Constitution and particularly the Object ‘To contribute to public debate on issues affecting landscape quality, and quality of life, in upland areas of Britain and particularly the Lake District’
Members can access the policy document in the Members Area of the website.
It had long been our ambition to secure National Trail status for AW’s Coast-to-Coast Walk from St. Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay. We were delighted, therefore, when the Government announced, on 12th August, 2022 that AW’s route had been awarded National Trail status in the Walk’s 50th anniversary year. Natural England has committed to spend £5.6m on improvements to the route and says that enhancements will be undertaken over three years, with the upgraded path expected to open in 2025. The new National Trail is expected to follow AW’s existing route closely and will be recorded on Ordnance Survey maps in its entirety for the first time. Further information and updates can be found here
Little Langdale, Slaters Bridge. A Lakeland Sketchbook 77
Ennerdale Water, from High Stile. A Second Lakeland Sketchbook 141
Thirlmere from Fisher Crag. A Third Lakeland Sketchbook 189
Society Statements concerning past campaigns can be read below:
2024
Elterwater Quarry
We necessarily have to be quite selective, for reasons of time, resource and planning expertise, in raising objections to planning applications within the Lake District National Park. But the Society supported representations made by the Friends of the Lake District in relation to proposals to build an adventure attraction in the former Elterwater quarry.
The National Park Authority turned down the applicant’s first planning application on the grounds of traffic impacts. The developer submitted a new application to the National Park to re-purpose Elterwater Quarry for heritage tourism and associated uses. The new application included some measures to seek to mitigate traffic impacts but the Society did not consider these were sufficient to address more fundamental concerns about the appropriateness of such a development in the National Park and a World Heritage Site. We therefore restated our objections.
Alfred Wainwright, writing In the Valleys of Lakeland in 1991, said in his Great Langdale chapter, “… the mighty leviathans on wheels that choke the narrow roads are unwelcome and should be exiled. Langdale … is becoming a free for all.” If the traffic was bad in AW’s day it is far, far worse today.
2024
Proposed Development at Roanhead
This proposal concerned the siting of some 230 holiday lodges on land at Roanhead.
While not within the Lake District National Park, Alfred Wainwright recognised the beauty and solitude of Roanhead in his Furness sketchbooks:
“The sand dunes of Roanhead are a secret joy of Dalton people and given little publicity outside the district. Here, with a lovely view across the Duddon estuary to Black Combe, are sandy beaches glistening with delicate shells and a profusion of wild flowers forming great mats of colour, many species being generally rare but here prolific. Daltonians do well to keep Roanhead to themselves. Crowds would spoil it.”
The proposal for a very large scale holiday resort in a rural area of open countryside, on a stretch of undeveloped coast, would in the Society’s view have clear conflicts with local plan policies and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Society therefore submitted an objection to the proposed development.
2018
Off-roading by recreational vehicles in Little Langdale ⇒
Society response to the proposed zip wire at Honister Slate Mine ⇒
2017
Society response to the proposed zip wire attraction at Thirlmere ⇒
Society response to the proposed time extension for Kirby Moor Wind Farm ⇒
Society response to the National Grid Final Consultation ⇒
2013
Society response to proposed Nuclear Waste Repository (Ennerdale) ⇒
2012
Society response to extending the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks ⇒
2011
Countryside Access Funding proposed cuts ⇒
Society response to Government plans to sell off parts of the Forestry Commission’s Estate ⇒
