£1.8m plans for Penrith rescue base submitted to council

Proposals have been submitted for a site in Eden Business Park, to house a new building for both the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team (PMRT) and the Cumbria Ore and Mines Rescue Unit (COMRU). 

The new base will create a bespoke training, storage and garage facility, providing a hub for both teams’ volunteers in northeastern Cumbria, and across the wider county.

The planning submission will also trigger a major fundraising drive to secure the funds the project requires.

It has been put forward by 2030 Architects Ltd on behalf of the two teams. 

The Penrith Mountain Rescue Team has been seeking a new operational base to share with COMRU, having outgrown its current base on Tynefield Drive.

Currently, the main base meeting room also serves a drying room after Penrith MRT's volunteers have been out on a search or rescue (Image: Supplied)

Two years ago, the team purchased the plot of land off Cowper Road, on Eden Business Park.

Working with Rod Hughes from 2030 Architects Ltd, a design for the new shared base has been developed around the operational requirements of the two teams.

This includes vehicle and equipment storage, training space, an energy-efficient drying room, and meeting rooms.

This design, along with car parking space and landscaping, has now been submitted to Westmorland & Furness Council as a planning application, which the team hopes to see approved in early 2025.

COMRU, which operates county-wide, currently does not have an operating base, storing equipment and vehicles at members’ houses, outbuildings, and premises.

The project will provide two garage bays to protect the team’s two Unimog vehicles from the weather and secure the team’s operations in years to come.

 The new base is expected to cover an area of 3,800 sq metres and will include 32 car parking spaces along with six spaces for cycles and motorbikes.

Penrith team Leader, Peter King, said: “This long awaited milestone marks the beginning of a concerted campaign to raise the necessary construction funds.

"The team, a registered charity entirely run by volunteers, depends on donations and fundraising for income and, together with our COMRU colleagues, must raise all of the required funds for the new base by their own efforts.

"The team would like to thank the community and partner organisations for all the support received over many years, which enabled us to purchase the land and now enables us to be optimistic about replacing our current, outgrown base.”

Chris Jones, COMRU’s team leader, said: “This is a very exciting time for COMRU to have the prospect of a centralised location from which to train and operate.

"We recently hosted the national cave rescue conference up at Nenthead mines near Alston and we frequently train in this part of Cumbria.

"Our Unimog vehicles will already be familiar to supporters in Penrith as in the past we’ve displayed them at GoOutdoors and raised awareness of COMRU and its specialised role.”

Covering the largest geographic area of any of the Lake District mountain rescue teams, PMRT operates across 2,500 square km.

The two teams welcome approaches from any individuals, businesses, or organisations interested in partnering over the construction of the new base, donating funds, or supporting in kind in any way.

The planning application – 2024/2057/FPA – can be viewed in detail on Westmorland & Furness' planning portal.

You can donate to Penrith MRT by visiting www.penrithmrt.org.uk/donate