New Lake District attraction will see 20,000 more visitors (From The Westmorland Gazette)

New Lake District attraction will see 20,000 more visitors

5:40pm Tuesday 10th February 2009 in News By Rachel Ryan

VISITORS to the area could increase by 20,000 after a new attraction was given the thumbs up.

Lake District National Park planners have approved a visitor attraction at Elterwater slate quarry, which will include underground tours.

The quarry, situated in an elevated position above the village of Elterwater, is an active quarry with workshops and office, which has extensive views of the surrounding fells.

Burlington Slate company’s blueprint for the visitor attraction includes upgrading the existing buildings, improving car parking. improving access to quarry viewpoints and to run tours to existing underground caverns.

Mairi Lock, Planning Officer for LDNPA, said The visitor atttraction would be “an ancillary element” of the quarry operation and said that the underground mine tours would not affect the current quarry operation.

The company’s plans could attract 40,000 new visitors to the site, which include the estimated 20,000 already using the bridleway through the site.