A VICTORY for people power was being celebrated by residents who mounted a major campaign to prevent industrial development on a green belt area of land on the edge of Kendal.

Faced with a 2,634 name petition objecting to 1.5 hectares of land parallel to Natland Road being earmarked by South Lakeland District Council as an employment site in the Local Plan, members of the planning and transportation committee bowed to public pressure.

Despite the severe shortage of industrial land in the town, councillors felt that the views of so many people could not be ignored and it was decided to remove the site from the Local Plan and protect the land from the threat of future development by designating it as County Landscape.

Prior to making their decision, councillors listened to impassioned pleas from residents who claimed the land was regularly used by walkers, runners and fishermen enjoying the natural beauty of the countryside.

K Shoes has had planning permission to extend its industrial premises onto the site since 1984 but that lapsed last year.

Richard Greenwood, SLDC's head of economy and development, said there were a number of companies in and around Kendal seeking space to expand and the land at Natland Road had good access to the A591.

It was also seen as being "a sustainable option" because it could be arrived at by walking or public transport.

He warned that if employment sites in Kendal were not identified in the Local Plan 2006 then some of the companies choosing to expand were likely to invest elsewhere and there would be a loss of jobs locally.

Coun Barclay Stainton said he was worried that if the Natland Road site was removed from the Local Plan it would again fuel calls to use land off junction 36 of the M6 to solve the problems of recent job losses and lack of industrial land in Kendal.

Members of the planning and transportation committee rejected any major development on that site in September last year.

Coun Malcolm Alston said the views of the local people should not be ignored and the Natland Road site preserved for when the canal was re-opened as far as Kendal.

It is envisaged that a marina would be built in the area.

"We know that the canal is coming.

It's not if, it's when," he said.

"It will bring jobs with it and the quality of those jobs will be as good as if it was an industrial site."