Lake District greenlights Urban Splash roadworks

Enhancing the connection between the Windermere rail station and Orrest Head Farm will help enable the delivery of up to 250 homes and 8,100 sq ft of non-residential space.

The improvements to the A591 and Thwaites Lane are part of the Windermere Gateway project, a scheme that seeks to build a mixed-use neighbourhood in the Lake District.

Urban Splash is the housing development partner for the project and is working alongside a series of local businesses and authorities – including the National Trust, Westmorland and Furness Council, and Network Rail – to deliver the scheme at the 22-acre Orrest Head Farm.

The roadwork was approved at the development control committee for Lake District National Park Authority – another partner on the project – on Wednesday.

Drawn up by Civic Engineers, the work includes creating new junctions, reducing the width of the A591, and adding a shared cycleway and footpath. There would also be rain gardens to act as SUDs.

“We are delighted to have secured planning permission for this first phase of works – a phase that will not only bring highways improvements and cycle connections to the local area but will also enable us to move forward with proposals for the housing phases – something we’re currently working on plans for,” said Joe Woolley, development manager at Urban Splash.

“Our thanks to all of the local people who engaged with us during the consultation and planning process, giving valuable feedback to help shape our vision, as well as our partners and the council with whom we will work as they take this phase forward.”

The planning consultant for the road improvements was Made it Together, with the project team also including Tyler Grange.

You can learn more about the application by searching reference number 7/2024/5265 on the Lake District National Park’s planning portal.