PLANS for an elite orienteering base amid open countryside are poised for rejection by Lake District planners, reports Rachel Kitchen.

The British Orienteering Federation hopes to lease a field barn north of Collin Pit Farm, Oxen Park, near Ulverston, and make it a training centre of excellence for orienteers.

Having produced one world champion in 1999, the federation is keen to win more titles, explained director of coaching Derek Allison in a letter to go before planners.

Writing to planning consultant Brian Barden, he says "world-leading" Scandinavian countries had clubhouses based in the forest from which the elite trained, but England had no such base.

He said the Lake District had "the most abundant selection of high-quality orienteering terrain in England", and local clubs had spent a lot of money ensuring that many of the areas were mapped to international standard.

"Within 20 miles of Oxen Park, there are numerous areas of the quality required for international competition training," wrote Mr Allison.

"In that way, Oxen Park is unique in England as being the centre of elite orienteering maps and terrain."

In a letter, planning consultant Mr Barden said he believed the character and appearance of the area would be "little changed" by the proposal.

He said the barn was owned by the Hool family, who farmed at Collin Pit Farm, and intended to lease the barn and be closely involved in the project.

He emphasised the scheme would be "an innovative source of farm diversification" for the family, and stressed the danger of trying to judge "a unique proposal against policies designed to address other things".

However, Lake District National Park Authority planning officers are recommending that the plans be refused by the development control committee at a meeting on Monday.

In their report, officers said that the undoubted benefits to British orienteering would not justify a development that would be "incongruous and damaging to the beautiful and peaceful qualities of the area".

They concluded the plan would go against several policies, and would be "out of place" in the isolated location.

Nobody was available for comment when The Westmorland Gazette attempted to contact the British Orienteering Federation's registered office in Derbyshire.

January 3, 2003 11:30