A MULTI-MILLION pound proposal to regenerate and replace Lakeside YMCA has been unanimously given the green light by the Lake District National Park Authority.

Since plans were announced back in November, the YMCA has worked to shape the application.

It was given the go-ahead by LDNPA’s development control committee on condition a traffic management plan is drawn up and traffic liaison group is formed.

The YMCA outdoor centre sits in 110 acres of woodland on the south-west shore of the lake and has been owned and operated by the YMCA for more than 50 years.

There are several elements to the new development, which will create 11 new full-time jobs:

* The redevelopment of the buildings at North Camp through renovation, demolition and construction

* The removal of the existing substandard lodges and replacing them with purpose-built family lodges

*The development at South Camp to provide purpose-built accommodation and facilities for school groups

There were a few contentious issues raised, including the effect on the landscape and particularly the issue of more vehicles on the A590.

Senior planner Ben Long said: “We recognise that the development is a significant one and will have a significant impact. But we consider the benefits do outweigh the impact.”

Colton Parish Council voiced its strong concerns about access and the increase in traffic that the new site will create.

Parish councillor Vanessa Champion said: “The A590 has various pinch points where larger vehicles cannot cross each other and can be dangerous. We are very concerned about the threat to pedestrians on the road.”

John Cronin, executive director of Lakeside YMCA, said: “We are still in consultation about the traffic issue and road safety is just as important to us as everyone else.”

Overall, the committee members welcomed the plans, which could also enhance the Go Lakes travel programme, which hopes to develop, as long as funding is secured, to develop a new cycle route on the western shore of Windermere.

A proposal to build a new water bus jetty has also been put forward by the YMCA which is still in the early stages of consultation.