Views sought on lakeside villas protection plan

The LDNPA said the Windermere Villas are part of one of the most distinctive cultural landscape in the Lakes

A national park authority wants people to share their views on plans to create a new conservation area next to England's largest lake.

A consultation has launched into plans to give special status to the Windermere Villas - an area on the eastern shore of the Lake District's Windermere.

The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA), which is behind the proposal, said the Victorian villas, boat houses, gardens and parks built by industrialists represented "one of the Lake District's most distinctive cultural landscapes".

Views can be submitted to the authority until 26 October.

"The Windermere Villas are more than just fine houses – they are part of the cultural fabric that helped shape how the Lake District is seen and valued today," Rose Lord, built environment adviser at the LDNPA, said.

She said wealthy 19th Century industrialists were inspired by early conservation efforts from the 1700s to build "grand estates" designed to "complement the landscape's natural beauty".

Ms Lord added: "These shaped perceptions of the Lake District, including poets like Wordsworth and artists, and are ultimately recognised as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site."

Many of the villas are open to the public, with some operating as hotels.

The LDNPA said conservation status would "help manage change in this sensitive area", protecting its "unique character" in future planning decisions.