Article: published on 5 April 2024

Plans for a car and coach park to cope with visitors coming to see the returned Bluebird have been unveiled.

Phil Johnston has lodged a planning application with the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNP) for the creation of new facilities including a bus stop and toilets on Lands Field off Yewdale Road in Coniston.

Proposals include the creation of 70 car parking spaces with five accessible spaces, six coach parking spaces and six bays for electric vehicle charging.

Previous planning applications for car parks on the site, including in 2017, have been refused over objections to their impact on the landscape and sustainable transport concerns.

Donald Campbell had been trying to push his water-speed record past 300mph (480km/h) when Bluebird somersaulted in January 1967 on Coniston Water. The hydroplane's wreckage was recovered in 2001.

The Bluebird craft was returned to the Ruskin Museum earlier this month after a legal battle.

A design and access statement for the new facilities said the need for additional coach and car parking in Coniston was "long established" and recognised by the LDNP and the parish council.

“The return of Bluebird is expected to lead to a significant increase in visitors to the Ruskin Museum, which currently does not have any dedicated parking, therefore the need for further public parking is even more acute," the report added.

E-bike hire facilities and information about walking routes are also proposed in the new plans to facilitate "sustainable transport".

The plans also stipulate that there will be a single tariff for parking all day at the site in a bid to encourage long stays and encourage visitors to use the site as a base for walking or for getting public transport to travel further afield.

The applicant is also proposing to plant 130 trees on the site and an apple orchard to deliver a "biodiversity net gain of 46%."

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