Barrow & Furness Liberal Democrats oppose Roanhead lodge plan

Barrow & Furness Liberal Democrats have written a letter to Westmorland and Furness Council objecting to revised plans for the proposed Roanhead Lodge Resort.

Adrian Waite, chair of Westmorland, Furness & Eden Liberal Democrats and prospective parliamentary candidate for Barrow & Furness, said: “Roanhead and the adjacent Sandscale Haws nature reserve are an outstanding dune habitat supporting a wealth of wildlife and with magnificent views across the Duddon Estuary onto the Lakeland Fells.

“It is an environment that is valued, not only by people in Barrow and Furness, but by people who care about the environment right across the northwest of England and further afield. It is scandalous that anyone should contemplate turning Roanhead into a site for holiday lodges that would threaten this precious environment.”

Roanhead land use comparison credit: ILM Group

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.

Developers say research undertaken by independent consultants Hatch as part of the planning resubmission demonstrates the ‘significant economic boost’ that the resort could deliver for the Furness area, with an anticipated annual increase in visitor spend totalling £10.8m, with over 80% of that spend expected in Barrow.

Andrew Coutts, CEO of ILM Group, previously 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.

Artist\'s impression of a proposed lodge at the resort credit: ILM Group

“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.”