King Charles writes back to Roanhead lodge protest group over proposal

The letter from the correspondence secretary to Kelly Holland, the founder of the Save Roanhead Campaign, states the King is ‘deeply committed’ to protecting the natural world.

This comes as Developers ILM Group have lodged new plans with Westmorland and Furness Council for the Roanhead Lodge Resort which, they said, could bring £10 million in additional visitor spending annually to Cumbria.

The new scaled-back proposals will include the installation of 233 lodges, nearly half the previously proposed 450 lodges for the site, which the developers said would ‘significantly’ reduce the number of visitors to the site and potential associated impacts on the natural environment.

The letter from the correspondence secretary says: “The King has asked me to thank you for your letter and to say that His Majesty has taken careful note of the ‘Save Roanhead’ campaign.

Save Roanhead Campaign member and founder Kelly Holland said she had ‘renewed enthusiasm’ thanks to the letter from King Charles.

Ms Holland said: “The Save Roanhead campaign far exceeded my original hopes. This illustrates how many people feel the same way about saving Roanhead from the catastrophic effects that mass tourism will cause in this delicate area. On our Facebook page I will shortly publish our latest letter of support from Buckingham Palace.

“We will continue to fight to save Roanhead from any development that will adversely affect this delicate area and now have renewed enthusiasm from the fight thanks to our letter of encouragement from HRH King Charles.”

In the new plans ‘buffer zones’ between the resort and designated nature sites have been expanded. Greater protection has also been afforded to the nearby ancient woodland and the construction access to the site has been moved away from this area, said ILM.

In response to concerns raised about potential disturbance to wildlife, dogs will no longer be allowed at the resort.

The revised proposals (Image: Newsquest)

Andrew Coutts, CEO of ILM Group, said: “We recognise the strength of feeling relating to our previous proposals and have listened intently to feedback, evolving our approach to provide a new masterplan for Roanhead Lodge Resort that is much more balanced and sensitive to the surrounding environment.”

Developers said the resort would create 209 jobs during construction as well as an additional 184 permanent jobs during operation with 164 of these expected on-site at Roanhead Resort. Apprenticeship opportunities would also be offered via a new training academy on the site.

Mr Coutts added: “The proposals continue to represent a major opportunity to stimulate the visitor economy locally, create hundreds of jobs, and provide high-quality amenities, which will support the Furness area’s transformation into a thriving place to live, work and visit.

“Dedicated visitor accommodation, with the appropriate infrastructure, facilities, and professional management in place to support it, has an important role to play in this journey, ensuring that economic growth is realised sustainably and that there is a positive impact on the wider community.”

The proposed lodges will be made of sustainable materials with green roof technology and will incorporate low carbon measures, such as high levels of insulation and low carbon heating systems.

The developer has also been working with a natterjack toad specialist to consider the population of this species in and around nearby Sandscale Haws. This includes introducing specially designed natterjack toad habitat creation and contributions to off-site habitat creation and management, as well as additional measures to minimise potential harm from the road network.

Jo Lappin, CEO at Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The Cumbria LEP fully supports the development of tourist facilities across Cumbria, so that visitors have the opportunity to experience the exceptional offer available across the whole of the county.

“The Roanhead Lodge resort will provide an excellent base for visitors to discover and explore the Furness Peninsula and its natural, industrial and cultural offer.

“It is really encouraging to see that the Resort developers have listened and responded to feedback from residents and stakeholders and taken this into account in developing their further plans for the site.”