PLANS for a sustainable world-class convention centre on the shore of Windermere have been announced by a family-run leisure company.

English Lakes are set to submit new designs to national park planners for an iconic facility at Low Wood Bay that will incorporate ‘green’ energy features and use locally sourced materials.

The company already has planning permission for a large convention centre at the site. However, directors believe the new cutting-edge designs will be much more attractive, more sensitive to the surroundings and will have a lower impact on the environment.

Five full-time and 30 part-time jobs would be created at the centre.

Tim Berry, director of English Lakes, said: “As things stand we have permission to build a large conference facility at Low Wood Bay.

“However, we feel there is an opportunity to build a much more attractive and interesting building that is more in keeping with the natural surroundings and with a number of fantastic green features.

“We hope this iconic building will become a wonderful asset to South Lakeland, creating jobs and attracting business leaders and organisations from all over the country.

“If we are going to entice these people to come up here then we really need to give them the wow factor so they spread the word that the Lake District is a great place to come and do business.”

The 600-people capacity convention centre, which would be the largest in the Lake District, would also be one of the first commercial buildings in the UK to use a ‘ground source heat pump’ that would make use of latent heat at the bottom of the lake.

Planning permission will also be sought for a hydro-electricity scheme on the Holbeck Ghyll stream. It is believed the hydro scheme, which would use technology supplied by Kendal’s Gilbert, Gilkes and Gordon, would meet the energy needs of the convention centre, with surplus electricity being sold back into the national grid.

Other ‘eco’ features include the use of Lakeland stone and a living ‘green wall’ – a wall of living plants that suck in CO2 from the atmosphere. This, along with a flat sedum roof and mature planting, will help shield the centre and allow it to blend more sympathetically with the surroundings.

The building would include a large conference/banqueting hall with a five-metre high ceiling for the launch of products such as boats. By maximising the use of glass the centre will have breathtaking views over the lake and the Langdale Pikes beyond.

Mr Berry said: “The previous design for a convention centre was rather dull.

"We believe these contemporary designs make the most of the stunning location.”

English Lakes will hold a public consultation at Low Wood Bay, on Tuesday and Wednesday, from 3pm to 7pm, where people will be able to view the plans in detail.