A CONSULTANCY firm has acknowledged a holiday park that is proposed for the Furness area could have 'significant effects on the environment'.

Enzygo has stressed, however, that the development at Roanhead Farm, close to Askam, would be accompanied by a host of mitigation measures.

The extensive resort would feature around 450 lodges and could include a restaurant, gym, pool and children's petting farm. It would be built on around 550,000 sq metres of land.

The structure of an environmental statement (ES) that is to accompany a future formal planning application has now been agreed by Barrow Borough Council.

An ES is the report based on an environmental impact assessment. A report by Enzygo says the ES for the holiday park at Roanhead Farm will examine a number of different issues in turn in individual chapters. 

Among the issues identified are biodiversity, 'landscape and visual' and noise. 

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In a published response, a borough council spokesman says the proposed structure of the ES appears 'logical and appropriate'.

However, the spokesman suggests 'some enhanced and additional information' should be included in the ES. This includes a 'clear description of the envisaged programme of works' with 'specific reference being given to the nature, scale and timescales'.

"Mitigation measures proposed in the ES should be detailed within a schedule of environmental commitments, demonstrating how those suggested mitigations can be secured/delivered via the planning process, and in turn assist in the drafting of appropriate conditions and/or planning obligations," says the spokesman.

The plan for the holiday resort has met with some opposition, with Barrow resident Kelly Holland setting up a petition and suggesting the development would have 'devastating consequences' for wildlife. The document on change.org had, as of Friday afternoon, generated around 3,000 signatures.

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"I feel very strongly that we need to protect what we have got," said Mrs Holland last month.

However, Enzygo's report says 'opportunities for ecological enhancements' on top of mitigation and compensation measures would be identified and 'used to promote net gains in biodiversity across the development'.