17-05-2025
Pods at centre near Lake District's Coniston Water approved
PLANS for six self-contained glamping pods in the Lake District have been approved by the national park authority.
The full planning application was for a site at The Raymond Priestley Centre, Hoathwaite, Torver, which is near the Coniston Water shoreline.
It was approved with conditions on Thursday (May 8) and, as well as the pods, an existing yurt would be retained at the centre.
According to a planning statement the applicant was the University of Birmingham and the site is set far back from the main road link to Coniston and Torver.
The report states: 'The University of Birmingham have been visiting The Raymond Priestly Centre since 1947.
'Max Hadders, who lectured at the university on the physical education course in the 1940s, suggested the site when the PE department considered making outdoor activities part of the recreation scheme for their first-year students.'
According to the report the centre continues to provide a 'quality learning resource' which supports undergraduate and postgraduate learning.
It adds: 'PhD research projects have collected data from groups using the centre have been important in the world of outdoor education to validate the role outdoor learning has in student learning.
'Throughout the centre's 70 years of work with students the surrounding natural environment has been a significant factor in making a visit to the centre a special experience. To this end investment in facilities that are considerate of the location are imperative.'
According to the report the addition of the pods will also work to further enhance the Lake District's 'long tradition of tourism and outdoor activities, which are recognised as special qualities of the national park'. It adds: 'This builds on the existing contributions of The Raymond Priestley Centre to the national park.'
Relating to the installation of the pods it was proposed that, to minimise the environmental impact on the site, the preferred method would be to use ground screws.
The report adds: 'This would eliminate the need to pour large concrete rafts into the ground for each pod. This would cause the least amount of disruption to the existing ground as possible.'
