Plans for a new £1.8 million base for a Lake District mountain rescue team have been changed, it has been revealed.
In November 2024, Penrith Mountain Rescue Team and Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit lodged a planning application for a new shared HQ on the town’s Eden Business Park on the Gilwilly Industrial Estate.
The plans were approved in March last year, but this week, the organisations have released a statement to say that the projects will be split.
The statement said: “Following a detailed review of the operational needs of both teams, along with input from the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association, we have taken the decision to split the teams’ builds into two separate projects.
“This has the advantage for Penrith Mountain Rescue Team that the building can be significantly smaller, not having to accommodate so many or such large vehicles.
“The smaller building will be cheaper and should be able to be delivered significantly quicker.
“Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit’s requirements from a base are simpler than those of Penrith Mountain Rescue Team: essentially a large garage and a dedicated building should be able to meet these needs more effectively.
“It is possible that such a building could be accommodated on the Penrith Team’s Gilwilly site.”
Penrith Mountain Rescue Team said it was now reviewing design implications and the potential impact of this decision on its current planning approval.
Penrith Mountain Rescue Team chair John Carlin said “This has been a difficult decision but we believe we now have a plan that will be quicker and more effective to execute for both teams.
“The big fund-raising effort really starts now so that we can continue to provide an effective rescue service for the local community and visitors to the area.”
Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit chair Paul Witheridge said “One of the strengths of volunteer rescue teams is their ability to recognise difficulty in a changing landscape and rapidly and effectively adapt plans to overcome that difficulty.
“Our plans to work alongside Penrith Mountain Rescue Team to gain base facilities for Cumbria Ore Mines Rescue Unit have regrettably been forced to change.
“Increasing costs and an extending timescale required a revision of the project; and it was agreed by both teams that for either organisation to move forward positively it would be best to treat each teams needs separately.
“We continue to work alongside Penrith Mountain Rescue Team to maximise any future opportunities that could be of mutual benefit.”’
