Controversial plans for a Lake District heritage tourism attraction are set to be given the go-ahead.
Members of the Lake District National Park Authority development control committee are recommended to approve revised proposals from applicant Burlington Slate Ltd and its preferred operator Zip World for the Elterwater Quarry Experience.
The site is currently a working quarry operated by Burlington Stone and it is located south-west of the village of Elterwater.
The project aims to allow visitors to explore parts of the cavern that had been previously inaccessible for a heritage-based adventure experience.
Plans include installing platforms in the caves at points of interest. Visitors will travel from one platform to another via zipline.
A report prepared for the development control committee states: “The proposed development would further the promotion of opportunities for understanding and enjoyment of special qualities of the national park and the Outstanding Universal Value of the English Lake District World Heritage Site.”
The plans were previously rejected by the development control committee in September 2023 after members went against planning officers’ recommendations to approve it due to concerns over traffic.
The amended plans include a travel plan which encourages people to walk, cycle and use public transport to reach the site.
Proposals include providing an improved number 516 bus service or operating a private Zip World shuttle bus from Brockhole.
Zip World would also financially reward customers that have used non-car travel to make all or part of their journey to the experience through ticket pricing.
The report added: “It has been demonstrated that the site can accommodate visitors to it and that measures proposed to promote and increase travel to the site using more sustainable modes of transport are sufficiently robust and achievable.
“The development would not result in harm as a result in increase in activity as a result of travel.”
More than 200 objections have been lodged against the proposals including one from landscape charity Friends of the Lake District.
The charity said the proposed development was not appropriate for the location.
The charity said: “Even if the travel plan was realistic and successful, the proposals would, at best, cause slightly less additional harm than they would otherwise.
“It will not avoid additional harm and will still result in a negative position in terms of traffic, vehicle movements and parking compared to the current baseline.”
“Proposals must be seen in the bigger picture. If they can’t, won’t or don’t contribute to resolving the major, growing and recognised problem of traffic in the Lake District and/or will make it worse, then they should not go ahead.”
Friends of the Lake District held a protest last month against the revised proposals in which the group said around 100 people gathered to express their opposition to the scheme.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), an advisory body to UNESCO, requested the application be halted and that further tourism proposals are suspended altogether until an interpretation strategy for the entire world heritage site is prepared.
However, in the report prepared for the committee the LDNPA state: “Such a moratorium is inconsistent with the legal framework of the planning system and is outside the scope of this application.”
ICOMOS, in response to the previous plans, voiced concern the proposals would turn the quarry into a theme park.
Seven letters of support were also received including a representation from Cumbria Amenity Trust Mining History Society who said the proposals were ‘likely to preserve’ the historical perspective of the slate quarrying industry.
The LDNPA is requesting conditions for the approval of the application such as the submission of a heritage and educational interpretation strategy.
Among other conditions include limiting the number of people using the cavern explorer route to 294 per day.
Members of the development control committee for the LDNPA are recommended to approve the application with conditions when they meet on May 1 at Murley Moss in Kendal.
