Council fears holiday resort could set 'precedent'

An artist's impression of a proposed lodge at the holiday park, near Askam

Plans for a controversial holiday park in Cumbria could set a “precedent” for other developers, according to a parish council.

Developers scaled back plans for a 450-lodge resort at Roanhead Farm, near Askam, to 233 lodges after facing opposition.

The new plans have faced objections from groups such as Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Friends of the Lake District for environmental reasons.

Now a parish council has also lodged its opposition, saying that while they are not opposed to local regeneration, the resort would set a “precedent for other developers who own the surrounding land”.

In its report opposing the plans by developers ILM Group, Askam and Ireleth Parish Council said that "the scale, type and location" of the development was "not acceptable in principle”.

The council also voiced concerns that the resort would increase pressure on the "fragile ecosystem" of the flora in the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

An ILM spokesperson said that the resort would create 184 new jobs, with 121 roles expected to go to "workers from the immediate locality".

They also said that the resort would lead to an annual increase in visitor spend of £10.8m, with more than 80% of that spend expected in Barrow in Furness.