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We have renewed our call to South Lakeland District Council to reject the planning application from Kendal Golf Club for a covered driving-range on Kendal’s extensive village green in Cumbria.
The green is on the side of Kendal Fell, which lies above the town to the north-west. For more than two centuries the land has been enjoyed by the public for informal recreation.
Last year the golf club submitted an application for the driving range to which the society, Friends of the Lake District and others objected. Now the golf club has resubmitted the application, with some small amendments.
This application is essentially the same as before, but without the floodlighting. However, we are dismayed that the planning application is still to be sited on a registered village green. The applicant has, this time, conceded that the works cannot go ahead on the green unless suitable replacement land is provided and the Secretary of State for Environment approves the exchange. But we all know that there is no suitable exchange land.
The proposed building will conflict with the public’s use and enjoyment of this magnificent open space on the edge of the Lake District National Park. It is out of keeping in these surroundings and will suburbanise this rural area.
The golf club uses the outstanding location in its marketing. Its website states: ‘From its elevated position, overlooking the historic old market town of Kendal, the panoramic views that unfurl as one plays the course are quite breathtaking.’ Of course people using the land for informal recreation are also entitled to enjoy these breathtaking, panoramic views, and their lawful use of this land must not be impaired by development.