STOP the Whinlatter gondola
News
News
Pre Submission Local Plan April 8.2019
We’re pleased that the LDNPA have now removed any reference to ‘Gondola’ from within the document and have made some other significant amendments, most notably the requirement for there to be a Master Plan of proposed developments at Whinlatter (rather than ad hoc individual proposals) and for this process to have included significant community involvement.
This is the latest, and final, version of the Lake District Local Plan, published on Monday April 8.2019. Is is open for public consultation only until Monday June 3.2019.
However, the LDNPA have so far resisted our calls for them to withdraw from the Whinlatter development project and have declined to insert a clause in the Plan to require existing transport infrastructure to be favoured in any future development.
Despite thousands of objections from concerned residents and visitors, we remain unconvinced that the LDNPA have turned their back on the Gondola idea.
NoGo Gondola will be making a formal submission but we encourage everyone to take a few moments to make their own contribution. All comments received before the June 3rd deadline will be forwarded with the final Plan and sent to the Government’s appointed Inspector, who will review them and hold a special hearing / discussion later in the year.
National Park Authority Committee March 20.2019
Jon Derry, Chairman of NoGo Gondola, delivered a statement
to the Authority Committee, highlighting our continuing issues with the revised draft local plan. The chair's reply
acknowledged this statement and restated the National Park's position.
We will study the Pre-submission Local Plan carefully when it’s published on April 8th to ensure any other relevant details are picked up.
Although disappointed the NPA are currently resisting our calls for them to withdraw from the Whinlatter Development Company we are satisfied they are fully aware of our concerns, given Mr Leafe’s previous comments in support of a gondola. We will continue to press for their withdrawal and for a more substantive debate on funding for improved public transport infrastructure.
The Pre-submission Local Plan will be published on April 8 after which a consultation period opens until the end of May 2019.
March 2019 Specific reference to a gondola cable car scheme for Lake District removed
The BBC reports the Lake District National Park has dropped controversial references to using a cable car system, called gondolas, to carry people to the Whinlatter forest near Keswick, from its draft new planning guidelines for the next 15 years.
read the BBC story and in the News and Star
Gondola Scheme Dropped? Our view.....
We need to point out that unfortunately it’s not quite that simple. The LDNPA have removed specific reference to a Gondola from their revised draft of the Local Plan, and whilst this is good news there is nothing preventing a developer submitting a planning application that may still include a Gondola. It does mean however, that alternative forms of transport would also have to be considered - a Gondola would not be the only or preferred option.
The revised draft includes other positive points:
- Removal of the principle of ‘Showcase Areas’
- States that “Development must not have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents and users due to visual intrusion, overlooking, overshadowing, overbearing effect, noise, light pollution or other adverse impacts”
- Introduces the concept of “Infrastructure and developer contributions”
However, this revised draft raises many different questions and certain statements need clarification.
We are currently studying all available documents and will be questioning senior members of the LDNPA at a private meeting scheduled for Wednesday 6th March, after which we will decide on our next steps.
February 2019 - NoGo Gondola Community Meeting
The
constitution for NoGo Gondola was approved unanimously by over 50 local residents attending the meeting
Appointed officers: Chairman Jon Derry, Secretary Lyn Teall, Treasurer Colin Grant
Committee members: Mike Cave, Keith Teall, Kim Purvis
Jon presented actions for NoGo Gondola up to March 20, when LDNPA meets to approve the Revised Draft, and beyond:
- Send letters to all LDNPA members by March 11 and/or March 20
- Mike Cave to present our case to the Strategy and Vision Committee on March 11
- Mass protest when LDNPA members meet to approve the Revised Draft on March 20Sign up to join the mass protest at LDNPA on March 20
- Launch a national petition of ‘no confidence in the leadership of the national park’, working with other like-minded organisations in the Lake District
- Giant photo opportunity to demonstrate the scale of the development of a gondola base station and attract local and national media attention
February 2019 - World Heritage Watch in Paris
World Heritage Watch (WHW) promotes the preservation of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
At the latest WHW meeting in Paris on February 4.2019 a combined report was presented on behalf of NoGo Gondola, Save The Lake District (4x4 activity at Tilberthwaite) and Zip-Off (Honister zip wire).
The World Heritage Committee was requested to ensure that the Lake District National Park Authority protects the Lake District's Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) after which a Resolution on The English Lake district was passed.
January 2019 - NoGo Gondola Community Meeting
Attended by over 140 people, speakers Steve Ratcliffe, Director of Sustainable Transport for the LDNPA, and Jon Derry, on behalf of NoGo Gondola, presented their perspectives on the controversial proposal to establish a gondola-style cable car ride from Thornthwaite to the Whinlatter Forest Visitor Centre.
A packed hall heard Steve Ratcliffe, Director of Sustainable Transport for the LDNPA, summarise his thinking behind not only the gondola-park-and-ride-from-Keswick scheme, but of other considerations in the Local Plan Review. The audience, mainly from Braithwaite and Thornthwaite, as well as Keswick, Embleton, Portinscale and other outlying villages, reflected the great concern there is among long-time residents of the National Park about the Authority’s development plans.
Mr. Ratcliffe emphasised that proposing the gondola ride was intended to relieve traffic congestion through 'The Narrows' in Braithwaite, as well as contributing to the overall 'visitor experience'.
Jon Derry, resident of Thornthwaite and member of the NoGoGondola Group, reflected the view of the majority of the audience: that the scheme was unacceptable, contrary to the ethos behind the foundation of our National Parks, damaging to the environment and would do nothing to solve the traffic problem in Braithwaite. He warned of the dangers of this 'visitor experience', primarily intended to attract coach parties of overseas tourists to enjoy a whistle-stop ride on the gondola as part of a tour through the country.
The updated Draft Local Plan is to be published by LDNPA in early March, when it will become clear if the Gondola scheme remains in the LDNPA's plans.
December 2018 - newsletter
Get up to speed with the group's activity. Download your newsletter. In this newsletter:
- Meeting with landowner and Forestry Commission
- Joint paper submitted to World Heritage Watch by NoGo Gondola and campaigners against the Honister Zip Wire and 4x4 activity in the Green Lanes of Little Langdale
October 2018 - local residents raise their concerns with MP
May 2018 - LDNPA publishes draft Local Plan
The first draft LDNPA Local Plan
published in May 2018 consisting of 31 policies and supporting documents.
The misleadingly-named North DA Excluded Sites
paper referred to building a gondola ride from Thornthwaite to the Whinlatter visitor centre as part of a significant commercial expansion in Whinlatter page 106 Site reference: 195 - Whinlatter Base Station. Proposals for development within Whinlatter is also set out on page 96, Site reference: 174 - Whinlatter Skyline and on page 98, Site reference: 198 - Whinlatter Forest. Some 4800 consultation responses were received by LDNPA.
