A BUSINESSMAN is now taking legal advice after an appeal over the decision to refuse his plan to create a car park was rejected.

Phil Johnston lodged the appeal at the end of 2021 after the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) refused his plan to turn agricultural land in Coniston into a seasonal car park.

The application from Phil Johnston would have seen Lands Field in Yewdale Road, which has been used as a temporary car park, undergo a change-of-use to a 250-space seasonal car parking facility to be used between March 1 and November 5 of each year.

The car park would have operated for an initial period of 1.5 years.

In its notice of refusal LDNPA said the use of the land as a car park ‘erodes the more open character of the area’ and that ‘the public benefits of the proposals do not outweigh the identified harm’.

The plans have split opinion among residents since they were submitted in August 2021 and saw objections from Friends of the Lake District as well as Coniston Parish Council.

Following the appeal, the LDNPA said in a statement: "The proposals would bring about a harmful change to the settlement character and wider landscape both in terms of visual impact and activity at the site. This impact would vary in its magnitude depending on where it is experienced from but the change to the character of the settlement and landscape would be most evident close to the site on Yewdale Road, Coniston Coppermine’s Road and from open access land at Mouldry Bank.

"The proposals would cause harm to view into and out of Coniston which are important to the character and appearance of the settlement and its setting in the landscape."

Mr Johnston explained that the money this car park generates goes towards maintaining historic buildings in the area as well as his ongoing project to plant 4000 trees - 1000 of which have already been planted.

The appeal statement said: "The works that have been undertaken do not compromise this character of the valley. Due to the distance from the lake, the intervening-built form, and topography, the appeal site does not play a role in the character of Coniston Water.

"There are views of the high fells from Yewdale Road, but the works that have been undertaken do not impact on these views."