COLTON parish council has objected to a hotel planning application, due to their concern over road access during the work.

The Swan Hotel at Newby Bridge is seeking planning consent for a new wing to house a swimming pool, spa and 26 hotel rooms. The plans for the three-storey extension have been lodged with the Lake District National Park Authority. They also include car parking and landscaping.

The council has said it is not opposed to the actual expansion of the hotel, but believes the plan does not acknowledge the traffic and parking issues during construction.

Matt Brereton, councillor for High Furness, who attended the meeting, said: “The parish council is not in opposition to the plan, but they are concerned about the planning and parking issues.

"The hotel needed to acknowledge these issues, but they didn’t.

“On that road, all it takes is for a few cars to be parked in the wrong place to cause an issue. It would be nicer of them to engage with the community on this.”

The site is situated in a location that benefits from good access to the local and strategic highway network via the A590.

The planning application reads: “There is a regular bus service accessible from bus stops within approximately 100-150 metres walking distance from the hotel and therefore this is a viable method of sustainable travel to and from the site for staff and visitors.

“The review of road safety shows that there are no accident blackspots on the local highway network, neither is there a trend of causation factors that can be attributed to the layout of the local highway network.”

There is currently a consultation period in place for members of the public to raise their concerns, which ends on Thursday, January 30.