A STATELY home in Great Urswick could soon be transformed into an 80-bedroom hotel after a planning application was recommended for approval.

Earlier this year in June South Lakeland District Council received a proposal from a developer offering to give a new lease of life to Bankfield Hall, in Church Road.

If council planners give the go ahead the development would vastly enhance the facilities currently on offer. Included in the proposals are the construction of two detached annexes and 12 woodland lodges.

SLDC councillor for Low Furness and Urwick resident, James Airey, was supportive of any investment in the community.

He said: "At the end of the day Bankfield House has been run down for some time. While there are some concerns it's very similar to the past applications in terms of intensity. It's a jobs creator and it's bringing a redundant eyesore into good use.

"As long as the development is done reasonably sympathetically the residents will come to use the facilities. Quite frankly they need that bit of extra business support."

When the plans were first made public a large amount of criticism was directed at the developer. Concerns over the sheer scale of the expansion as well as fears over excessive congestion were raised.

To support the 80-bedroom site the developer, Catalyst Corporate Development, of Kingston-on-Thames, plan to build a 103-space car park.

An objection was made on these grounds by Joanne Hall, of Bank End Terrace. She said: "I am objecting to this plan due to the extra thoroughfare of traffic I believe it will bring to the village. The roads into the village are already inadequate and are regularly blocked due to large vehicles on the narrow lanes."

However, SLDC councillor for mid Furness, Andrew Butcher, believed the plan was a win win.

He said: "If they are going to put a hotel there it will have a knock-on effect in the area. I think it will be good for the village itself.

"It's been derelict for 15 or 16 years. It will only fall into a state of further disrepair.

Cllr Butcher added that the development would provide economic and employment opportunities for members of the community.

He said: "If you're employing people, they could be from the area - it's a win win situation."

The application has been recommended for approval and will go before the SLDC planning committee on Thursday September 28.

What is the history of Bankfield Hall?

The exact detail of when and how Bankfield Hall was constructed are not known. But, records show that by 1822 it was owned by Richard Smith, a partner in the nearby Ulverston Mining Company.

Mr Smith was married in Urswick in 1812 so it is safe to assume he had been living in the area for at least 10 years before taking up residence at the hall.

The Smith family resided in the hall until the early 1880s where records showed it passed to John Clegg, and then on to a Kirkby man R Tood-Newcombe in 1893.

Bankfield Hall was used by several families for the next 60 years until it was acquired by Vickers-Armstrong in the 1950s, to be used as a guest house.

Planning documents state the hall has been unoccupied for at least the past 15 years.

A mixed response from residents:

The community has been split by the plan to develop the hall.

Some are for the proposal encouraged that the scale of the development will mean jobs and money for the local economy.

However this has been tempered by locals opposed to the extra congestion caused by site traffic and the scale of development.

Writing to support the development Guy McCullough of The Paddocks, Ulverston, said: "This application would bring back into use Bankfield Hall, currently in a state of disrepair, offering much-needed wedding and function facility for the locality whilst also offering employment to the area."

Opposed, Juliet and Ian Flynn, of Cragg View House, said: "The village of Great Urswick is a quiet place. There are many small families and children living in the immediate vicinity of the development.

"Noise from traffic, guests, music and closing up are all a concern to us.

"Planning to double the population of Great Urswick is an issue. The scale of the development is completely our of sync with the scale of the village."