PLANS are afoot to convert a former water treatment plant on the shores of Windermere into a holiday letting complex.

The proposal, submitted to the Lake District National Park Planning Authority, relates to Pearsall House, at Far Sawrey on the west shore of the lake, and includes the conversion of the building into 14 accommodation units, with an outdoor swimming pool, a new two-jetty marina, and a 'boathouse-style' bungalow.

The applicant, Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Holdings Ltd, states in their application that existing utilities, such as sewage, and access, would be adequate to serve the proposed new use, and that it would be 'very reliant on the ferry service being operational', to be accessed from the more developed east shore.

The proposal has already attracted several objections, including from the Environment Agency, due to an inadequate Flood Risk Assessment report, and for a lack of information on foul drainage, environmental permit, and biodiversity net gain.

The Environment Agency stated that its objections would remain until all of these issues are addressed.

Ten official objections have also been lodged by locals (at the time of writing), and west shore resident Nick Blake summarised the nature of the concerns:

"Windermere and the west shore are a centrepiece of the UNESCO Lake District World Heritage Site and ecologically important. 

"This extreme change of use into Holiday Lets and a large Marina contravenes many National Park planning policies and is not a sustainable development.

"Local infrastructure such as waste water and sewage are not mains services in this locality and heavy extra demand could cause sewage overflow into the Lake, with serious environmental consequences. 

"This will be amplified by inevitable fuel/oil leaks and waste water discharge of so many marina boats, bad news for swimmers and lake users.

"Heavy traffic for the Car Ferry in summer months particularly will get far worse. 

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"Combined with inadequate parking in the proposal (22 spaces), this guarantees traffic misery and road safety issues for locals and visitors alike.

"Pearsall House was always an office building, sustaining employment over many years and benefitting the local community.

"Reasonable development for continued commercial use and job creation or residential/local housing needs are welcome, but not this proposal."