Legal bid to overturn zip wire plan fails

Friends of the Lake District said it is considering appealing the judicial review for the zip wire attraction at Elterwarer

Permission for a zip wire to be built in the Lake District has been upheld, following a judicial review.

Charity Friends of the Lake District (FotLD) attempted to get the decision to allow the proposed tourist attraction at Elterwater Quarry quashed over claims planners misunderstood their responsibilities.

But a judgment published by the High Court ruled "no errors" were made by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) when making the decision.

Friends of the Lake District said it was disappointed with the outcome and was considering the implications of the judgement and whether to appeal.

The Elterwater Quarry Experience, to be operated by Zip World, would allow visitors to explore a cavern using zip wires and viewing platforms, planning papers showed.

The project was approved by the LDNPA in May 2024.

Friends of the Lake District previously said its main concern was that it would bring too much traffic to the "tranquil" area.

'Vision for tourism'

The charity claimed planners wrongly applied the Sandford Principle - a planning rule which ensures greater weight is attached to "conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage" of national parks.

Justice Mould ruled the principle was correctly stated in the report prepared ahead of the decision by the LDNPA's planning committee.

"The record shows [the committee] had a clear and correct understanding of what the principle required of them in determining the planning application," the judge said in his written conclusion.

Steve Ratcliffe, director of sustainable development at the LDNPA, said the authority was pleased with the outcome and respected anyone's right to challenge decisions.

However, he criticised Friends of the Lake District for failing to notify the LDNPA it intended to take legal action, which the authority said would have allowed them to "consider alternative courses for resolution".

"We are disappointed that the application came before the High Court without any engagement with pre-action protocols or notification, resulting in significant costs for both the authority and Friends of the Lake District," Mr Ratcliffe said.

The charity's CEO Michael Hill said the decision had not been taken lightly and was prompted by the desire "to draw a line in the sand" against forms of tourism that "devalue the special qualities" of the Lake District.

He added: "We are now even more determined to bring about an alternative vision for tourism in the Lake District – one where visitors both benefit from and give back to the landscape so that what is special about it remains so."