Plans for six glamping pods in the Lake District have been given the go-ahead.
The University of Birmingham applied for permission for the self-contained pods at the The Raymond Priestley Centre, Hoathwaite, Torver, near the Coniston Water shoreline.
An existing yurt will also be retained at the centre.
A report to the Lake District National Park Authority, which approved the plans, said: “The University of Birmingham have been visiting The Raymond Priestly Centre since 1947.
“Max Hadders, who lectured at the university on the physical education course in the 1940s, suggested the site when the PE department considered making outdoor activities part of the recreation scheme for their first-year students.”
According to the report the centre provided a quality learning resource which supported undergraduate and postgraduate learning.
It added: “PhD research projects have collected data from groups using the centre have been important in the world of outdoor education to validate the role outdoor learning has in student learning.
“Throughout the centre’s 70 years of work with students the surrounding natural environment has been a significant factor in making a visit to the centre a special experience.
“To this end investment in facilities that are considerate of the location are imperative.”
The report said the the addition of the pods would also work to further enhance the Lake District’s “long tradition of tourism and outdoor activities, which are recognised as special qualities of the national park”.
It added it would build on the existing contributions of The Raymond Priestley Centre to the national park.
