I was extremely disappointed today at the decision of the planning committee at the Lake District National Park to reject the proposal by Honister Slate Mine to install a modern "Zip Wire" close to the position of the the one built in the 1920s for carrying slate. This one would have carried people, that is those people who had previously climbed up the Via Ferrata, and who now would glide back down on the wire.
This would have been an excellent addition to the existing visitor facilities and was expected to appeal to, and increase the numbers of Cumbria's younger visitors. The decision today was extremely shortsighted. I have dealt with the general principles as I see them in a long Opinion Piece "To Protect? Or To Preserve?" on my Around-England blog. I also commented on the Guardian North of England blog.
Lake District needs to be protected, and especially from those who want to hold back sensible tourism development. If it stays the same, without innovation, the economy of the county will slowly die. I know there are some who believe that they're fighting for the public interest versus economic growth. The fact is, however, that economic growth and the public interest of the people of Cumbria are on the same side. The development had the support of the County Council and the Tourist Board among many others. I have to ask which "public" is going to benefit from this backward-looking decision. A sad day!
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