Day camp facility at Ymca Lakeside - South Camp, Lakeside, Ulverston
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Lake District Development Control Committee on 4 Mar 2026.
What was proposed
The application sought a day camp building with indoor activity space, toilets, kitchen, storage, parking and landscaping.
“Application number: 7/2025/5181 Application type: Full Planning application Applicant: [the applicant]: YMCA Lakeside - South Camp, Lakeside, Ulverston, LA12 8BD Grid reference: 337439, 489353 Proposal: Erection of day camp facility together with associated car parking and landscaping Report prepared by: Kelsey Blain, Planner Report agreed by: Kevin Richards, Planning Manager Recommendation: REFUSE”
“This application now seeks planning permission for the erection of a day camp facility together with associated parking and landscaping on the western edge of the site. Bridleway 511096, which carries the West Windermere Way sits immediately adjacent to the application site, running along its western edge. The building would provide an indoor activity area, along with additional toilets, kitchen and storage for the activity centre.”
Officer report
The site and its setting
The proposal was on the western edge of an outdoor activity centre, beside the West Windermere Way and near ancient woodland.
“This is an application at YMCA Lakeside, a well-established outdoor activity centre located on the western shore of Windermere. A large proportion of the site is designated as Ancient Semi Natural Woodland (ASNW). Historically the site compromised of two camps, the north and south camp and activities operated throughout the surrounding woodland, along the lakeshore and within the lake.”
Officer report
What officers recommended
Officers recommended refusal because the proposal would be an incongruous, prominent development that harmed the tranquil open character and right-of-way views.
“The proposed development, by reason of its siting and scale would appear as an incongruous and particularly prominent form of development that fails to conserve the tranquil, open character of the site and detracts from the visual amenity of users of the West Windermere Way.”
“The proposed development, by reason of its siting and scale would appear as an incongruous and particularly prominent form of development that fails to conserve the tranquil, open character of the site and detracts from the visual amenity of users of the West Windermere Way.”
Officer report
The committee vote
A motion to refuse was proposed and seconded, and members unanimously supported it.
“Motion to refuse the application Proposed by [name withheld] by [name withheld] were unanimously in favour of the motion…”
Minutes
Sources
- Lake District Development Control Committee minutes, 4 March 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Lake District's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
Committee decisions and nationwide planning applications, in one API
The Plota API returns planning applications from every council we cover, each with its decision, whether a committee or officers decided it, and the committee date. Build it into your own tools.
See the API →At the meeting
- Council
- Lake District
- Date
- Wednesday 4 March 2026
- Recommendation
- Officers recommended refusal
- Committee decided
- Refused
- Vote
- Unanimous
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
- The application (council website)
- All decisions
- Lake District committee decisions →
This committee's year
42 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting, 2 against officer advice.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.