Plans to demolish a Lake District cottage and replace it with a four-bedroom home have been revealed.
The Bradys want to knock down the 19th century Bryers Cottage and other buildings on the 1.95 acre site, on the western shore of Windermere near Far Sawrey, and build a larger property in their place.
The new property would be a self-build project and they have applied to the Lake District National Park for permission.
The application said the site includes the two-storey two-bedroom cottage, a dilapidated single storey outbuilding and the remnants of a two-storey former annexe. The new property’s footprint would be around 20% larger in total.
The new two-storey home would feature four en suite bedrooms with dressing areas, study, office, utility room and library, plus an open plan kitchen, living and dining room.
The new home would feature air source heat pumps and solar panels and it will use existing materials from the demolished cottage as part of the new-build.
The plans said Storm Arwen in 2021 resulted in significant damage and a wooden garage, wood store and shed had to be removed.
The application added: “The storm also significantly damaged trees within the surrounding domestic garden areas which slope down to the water’s edge of Windermere.
“Following clearance of the damaged garden areas, the curtilage of the site has generally been left in a very poor visual state.”
The Forestry Commission issued a restocking notice in April after a large number of trees were cut down by the edge of Windermere on the site in 2023.
The application said: “Storm Arwen caused extensive damage to trees within the woodland areas next to the application site to the west, as well as trees and buildings within the garden areas of the application site.
“The area was subsequently cleared of storm damaged trees and large boulders and rubble etc which were located within the woodland area.
“The applicants have agreed with the requirements of the restocking notice from the Forestry Commission.”
Failure to comply with a restocking notice can lead to enforcement action.
The cottage has been in the Bradys’ family for around 40 years and was sold to them in 2023 by their aunt. They want to relocate permanently to the new self-build house from their current Lake District home, where they have lived for 35 years.
The application said the existing cottage has low historical value, medium aesthetic value, and low communal value. It added: “The property is dated and requires significant upgrade and maintenance.
“The property is also small and not suitable for modern family living. The property is also thermally inefficient. Work to the cottage, other than general repair and maintenance, have not been carried out for many years.
“The cottage has issues with water ingress, lack of insulation, substandard electrical, heating and plumbing installations. The fabric of the building itself, roof coverings, wall finishes, doors and windows are all in need of repair and attention.
“Overall the size of the property is far too small for the applicant and their family. The site is large and because space has been gained following demolition of the ancillary building and outbuilding there is space available for expansion without impacting the lakeside setting.”
The plans have attracted two letters of objection. Objectors have branded it a ‘McMansion’ and said: ” The proposed new building is overbearing, and entirely out of keeping with the natural, largely wooded landscape of the western shore in this part of the lake.
“There is no comparable large modern house in this area. The house itself has no architectural distinction, but is best described as a McMansion, out of scale with its surroundings, positioned so as to maximise its prominence, with very large windows facing the lake.
“It will fundamentally damage views from the lake, and from the eastern shore.”
