PROPOSALS to expand one of the largest holiday centres in the Lake District have won the go ahead from national park planners.

The 700 square metres extension at White Cross Bay will house an indoor swimming pool and a revised layout for the existing restaurant, shops and bar.

Previous plans for a major redevelopment of the site were thrown out by planners, but a more modest expansion put forward by new owners South Lakeland Caravans Ltd found favour.

A report to the national park authority's development control committee said that while the extension was considerable, it must be acknowledged that the new facilities were "proportionate to the size of the site."

Planners have insisted that woodland management work is carried out to ensure the site is well screened from the main A591 road.

Maureen Colquhoun said screening was becoming an important issue and she urged members to visit the site before making a decision, but she was overruled by the committee.

The 65-acre White Cross Bay park was sold for £10 million a year ago to South Lakeland Caravans, which wants to upgrade and improve the existing facilities.

The firm's managing director, Milnthorpe businessman John Morphet, said last year that he planned to plough hundreds of thousands of pounds into the leisure complex.