A Lake District inn has lodged plans to build a two-storey staff accommodation block in a bid to keep and attract employees.
Lake District Inns Ltd has asked the Lake District National Park Authority for permission to create an accommodation block for staff at the Travellers Rest Inn in Grasmere.
It employs 10 full-time staff and three to five part-time workers.
The company said: “The business, because of the inability to attract and retain staff, is not operating at pre-Brexit and Covid-19 pandemic levels.
“This is a situation compounded by the cost and lack of availability of housing that is pricing people out of the market.
“This is in a general business environment where there is a recognised shortfall in workers within the hospitality/tourism sectors.
“As a result, current staff are having to work long hours and agency staff employed to try to make up any shortfall. This situation is not operationally and economically sustainable.”
The accommodation block would consist of seven single occupancy units, each with an en suite and a kitchenette.
It would be built in the northern end of the existing car park at the Travellers Rest Inn.
If it gets the go-ahead, it means that a nearby bungalow, Ghylburn, could be occupied by a dedicated management couple to run the inn and would lead to the employment of four extra members of staff.
The plans said: “It has, thus, become fundamental that the provision of subsidised accommodation to a high standard, is made as part of a package not only to attract and retain staff but also to appeal to the calibre of staff that are needed to properly serve the business and, in the process, enhance the overall guest experience in terms of the quality of the food and service provided.”
The planning application is under consideration by the authority.
