Windermere Gateway is a series of projects, involving landowners, businesses, stakeholders and developers, all working together to secure a vibrant future. It is a long term vision that will unlock opportunities for a mix of new homes, jobs, sustainable transport connections and a real sense of arrival for residents and visitors alike. Proposals will be progressive, yet sensitive to its world class landscape and natural beauty. It is an ambitious and considered plan for a prosperous future.
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Windermere Gateway is a key strategic development site for Cumbria, supporting long-term regional growth by enhancing connectivity, providing sustainable homes and improving infrastructure in the heart of the Lake District.
There continues to be significant behind-the-scenes work to progress with securing funding and unlocking delivery across the complex programme, which seeks to create a transformational gateway into Windermere.
Development work is ongoing to ensure that future housing on the site - particularly affordable homes - will be viable and aligned to local need.
Recognising Windermere Station's pivotal role, we are also progressing with the development of early concepts ensure that proposals for the Transport Interchange are able to reflect the ambition to enhance the arrival experience and support both local and visitor movements.
Early proposals to improve the existing Lakes Line through delivery of a dynamic passing loop, are being integrated into the Windermere Gateway programme. Incorporating the Lakes Line proposals, which will allow for an increase in passengers and better integration with the West Coast Main Line, seeks to strengthen the case for transformational change in and around Windermere Station.
Whilst currently at outline business case stage, the Lakes Line offers the opportunity to view the rail and station improvements as a holistic ambition, thereby providing greater opportunities for funding and future investment.
At the November 2024 Development Control Committee, the highways and access planning application submitted by Urban Splash was approved with conditions.
The plans pave the way for highways improvements including the creation of a new pedestrian route, enhanced cycle connections, and enhancements to the A591 and Thwaites Lane, with the works to now be taken forward by Westmorland and Furness Council, once funding is in place.
Click here to go to the planning application and committee report.
Following a period of public consultation and engagement, the Windermere Gateway Transport Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was adopted on 15 December 2021.
The primary purpose of the SPD is to ensure a strategic and co-ordinated approach to transport, travel and movement infrastructure provision within the Windermere Gateway area that facilitates the delivery of the enhancement of Windermere Station and its role as a sustainable transport interchange and the development of Orrest Head Farm as a mixed use site for housing, employment and tourism.
Orrest Head Farm was partially allocated for mixed-use in 2013. The site was identified from a public ‘call for sites’, subject to multiple rounds of assessment and public consultation, cumulating in an examination of the entire Allocations of Land Plan by a Planning Inspector.
The strategic site was then allocated as a larger site (9.05ha) in the Local Plan (2021), under Policy 14, for a mixed-use development comprising of around 150 dwellings, 1200sqm of employment floorspace and 3,800sqm of tourism floorspace. The detail of how the Orrest Head Farm allocation will be delivered will be determined through future pre-application and planning application stages.
Supporting information can be found using the following links:
Windermere Gateway Transport Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (pdf)
In the sections below, you can see a bit more about each project and what we've done so far. It's still early days, so we are not quite there yet, but work continues behind the scenes to develop proposals, ensure collaboration with partners and stakeholders, as well as continuing to seek funding opportunities.
In bringing forward much-needed homes for Windermere, it's important that necessary infrastructure improvements are first made in order to facilitate any future development.
This would be the first stage to unlocking land at Orrest Head Farm – allocated for housing and employment – which remains subject to planning approval.
Funding to support the delivery of the highways works is being sought through Homes England's Brownfield Infrastructure and Land fund.
Plans, which were approved in November 2024, pave the way for highways improvements including the creation of a new pedestrian route, enhanced cycle connections, and upgrades to the A591 and Thwaites Lane.
Click here to go to the planning application and committee report.
Funding to support the delivery of the enabling highways works is currently being sought through Homes England's Brownfield Infrastructure and Land fund. Homes England's primary role is to support the building of new homes, therefore the criteria for this funding is that the infrastructure is directly linked to unlocking the housing delivery.
In 2019, Urban Splash were appointed by landowner, National Trust, as developer partner to take forward the shared vision for housing and employment on the allocated land at Orrest Head Farm.
Ambitious proposals, which are subject to a future planning application, seek to deliver in the region of 200-250 new, high quality and sustainable homes for Windermere.
In line with policy, all homes will be secured for permanent occupancy, supporting the delivery of new local homes for local people. i.e. not second homes or holiday lets. Urban Splash will be working with a registered provider to bring forward affordable homes on the site.
Ahead of any planning application being submitted, there will be further design development, pre-application discussions and public engagement organised by the developer to ensure that the community are consulted in the process. Once the dates of any future public consultation are known, these will be shared with the community.
Click here to find more information on Urban Splash's webpage.
Outline planning application anticipated 2025
As part of the Windermere Gateway, the National Trust plan to move from its current Grasmere office to a new, purpose-built office at the Orrest Head Farm site. This new office seeks to create a sustainable working space that is fit for the future and meets the changing needs of the charity’s staff and partners.
The opportunity for a new office will provide a central point for National Trust staff to deliver their work, creating collaborative working space next to transport links for sustainable travel and supporting accessible working for their teams
Ahead of any planning application being submitted, there will be further design development, pre-application discussions and public engagement organised by the developer to ensure that the community are consulted in the process. Once the dates of any future public consultation are known, these will be shared with the community.
The existing listed farmhouse and listed stone-barn are currently being assessed for repair. The purpose will be reviewed as part of the plans alongside the new-build office for Trust staff.
Click here to find more information on National Trust's webpage.
Outline planning application anticipated 2025
Improvements to the existing railway station at Windermere will create an enhanced sense of arrival and better facilities for rail and bus passengers to the town, offering visitors a greater, world-class welcome to the Lake District.
Aspirations for Windermere’s new transport interchange seek to create a hub of activity for a range of passengers in addition to significant upgrades to the immediate area through forecourt enhancements, public realm interventions and improved wayfinding.
Ambitions to create a new transport interchange at the station are central to achieving the vision for the Windermere Gateway.
In 2023, an early feasibility study assessed the existing station and car park area and, through stakeholder engagement workshops, looked at existing opportunities, constraints before exploring potential solutions ranging from low to high level of intervention.
Recognising the Station's pivotal role, the team are seeking further funding opportunities to progress with the next stages of the study, which will allow proposals to move into specific designs that we can see public feedback on before developing further.
Network Rail continue to be partners involved in the project Vision Group, and have reviewed the initial ideas.
Incorporating the Lakes Line proposals into the Windermere Gateway seeks to strengthen the case for transformational change in and around Windermere station. Whilst currently at outline business case stage, the Lakes Line offers the opportunity to view the rail and station improvements as a holistic ambition, thereby providing greater opportunities for funding and future investment.
Click here to find more information on Westmorland and Furness Council's webpage.
To be determined
The programme is lead by a partnership including Westmorland and Furness Council, Lake District National Park Authority and National Trust, working in collaboration with developer partner Urban Splash. Windermere Gateway regularly engages with key stakeholders through the ‘Vision Group’, which provides the opportunity to share progress, offer feedback and ensure alignment with the vision.
Will this development lead to further development into other field areas?
The development is specific to the Windermere Gateway area and land allocation CSE01M (CSE01M - Land at Orrest Head Farm, Windermere : Lake District National Park). Neighbouring fields are not identified as allocated land in the local plan.
How will the homes be prevented from becoming holiday lets or second homes?
Our planning policies require that all homes be permanently occupied through occupancy planning conditions. In the event that there is found to be a breach of these conditions, the planning enforcement team will take action, and this could lead to prosecution.
What is the local need for homes in the Lake District National Park?
The Local Plan indicates a level of identified need of 1,200 new permanent homes between 2020-2035 to meet local community need. We are working closely with Westmorland and Furness council on the collective ambition to bring forward these homes for the community. Supporting evidence can be found within the Council’s Strategic Housing Needs Assessment (SHENA) and Strategic House Market Area Assessment (SHMAA).
How many houses will be affordable?
The developer is working on a scheme for the site, but a planning application has not yet been submitted for the housing. In line with policy, all homes will be secured for permanent occupancy, supporting the delivery of new local homes for local people. i.e. not second homes or holiday lets).
What happened to the tourism element of the site allocation?
The developer is working on a scheme for the site, but a planning application has not yet been submitted.
What is the employment space going to be?
The National Trust will move from its current Grasmere office to a new, purpose-built office at the Orrest Head farm site. This new office (which will be subject to a future planning application) will create a sustainable working space that is fit for the future and meets the changing needs of the charity’s staff and partners.
Click here to find more information on National Trust's webpage.
Will there be an increase in traffic resulting from the development, and will there be sufficient parking provision within the site?
A transport assessment has been submitted as part of Urban Splash's planning application for Highways proposals. Details of the application can be found on our website just search using the planning application reference 7/2024/5265 using the following link: Planning application search tool : Lake District National Park
The highways proposals are subject to planning approval and are to be determined at a future Development Control Committee.
What has happened to the roundabouts originally put forward?
When the Windermere Gateway Transport Infrastructure SPD was adopted in 2021, solutions were explored by Cumbria County Council and their design consultant to address the existing highways and traffic challenges within the area. High level concept options, including roundabouts, were put forward but remained subject to further review.
Further engineering and safety assessments determined that these options were not deliverable or feasible due to insufficient area within the highways, in addition to challenging gradients which would be unsuitable for a range of different vehicles using it.
Solutions at the top of high street and onward pedestrian/cycle connections through Windermere remain a priority of the programme and will be explored as part of future studies.
Click here to find more information on Westmorland and Furness Council's webpage.
Will there be more consultation events?
Yes. The proposals for housing are at an early stage and are subject to further design development. There will be opportunities for the public to engage with the plans for the housing at a future consultation date.
What happens if someone breaches a local occupancy clause?
Occupying a property in breach of a local occupancy clause is unlawful. If a condition is breached the Authority can served an enforcement notice or breach of condition notice. Failure to comply with those notices is a criminal offence and risks prosecution, and unlimited fine upon indictment. Breaches of planning obligations (i.e. Section 106s) are enforced by injunction, with potential for damages to be owed. Failure to comply with an injunction risks imprisonment.
Does the Authority take enforcement action when there is a breach of condition?
The Authority is one of the most active for enforcement action – ranking 23 of 328 local planning authorities in England for the number of enforcement notices served. In the last five years, we served 17 enforcement notices/breach of condition notices/ planning contravention notices in relation to breaches of occupancy condition (out of 186 notices in total). Those notices secured compliance and prosecution has not been required in those cases.
