Natural England, Cumbria County team up for Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre
Plans have been submitted for the community hub and educational facility, which is part of the £25m #BrilliantBarrow Town Deal award.
The Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre would sit on more than eight acres of grassland and scrub on Walney Island. The site is owned by Cumbria County Council and is bounded by West Shore to the west and Cows Tarn Lane to the south.
Under designs by Kendal-based Collingridge and Smith Architects, the 15,600 sq ft facility would be in two parts.
One half would be used by Cumbria County Council as community centre with a café, village hall, and classrooms.
The other half would be delivered by Natural England and would have workshops, classrooms, and offices. This section would be a volunteer and operational hub for the Natural England team based at North Walney National Natural Reserve.
Westwood Landscape has designed an urban park for the site as well.
Site layout for the Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre. Credit: via Cumbria County Council
There are 37 parking spaces included in the plans, submitted by lead consultant Align Property Partners. These include 10 spaces at the front of the building and then 27 at the West Shore Car Park that is opposite the site. There would also be six spaces for cycles and two for motorcycles.
Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for economic development and property, Cllr David Southward, described the Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre as “a very exciting project for the area”.
“The outdoor activity centre and the educational facility will be an asset to the area and will be advantageous for the local community, being a real hub to get together and connect with neighbours and other residents,” Southward said.
Of the £25m Town Deal award, £3.1m is designated for the Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre. Natural England has said it will also fund the project should the scheme secure planning permission. A decision on the application from Barrow in Furness Council is expected by the end of February 2023.
Rigby Jerram is the ecology consultant for the project. WSP is the transport and noise expert.
The application’s reference number with Barrow in Furness Council is B12/2022/0815.
Another view of the outside of the Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre. Credit: via Cumbria County Council
I bet Natural England wouldn`t allow this sort of development in Hoylake, where at present they are playing a significant role in ruining Hoylake Beach, which over the last few years is turning into a grassy bog and deterring birds from feeding on what used to be a lovely sandy expanse.
By Anonymous
Previous comment re Hoylake beach is based on false info. The beach is rising in height due to large amounts of sand being deposited. this has in effect raised parts of the beach above high water and therefore vegetation is taking hold. It’s not a grassy bog, and it’s good for other birds. The waders wouldn’t have fed in the highest parts as their food lives under the sand where the sea covers it. The vegetated strip is at most 100m wide.. the tide is mostly a kilometre out due to the height of the sand. There is a huge expanse of sand….
By Mike