A LAKE District business owner has said inflated house prices and rising numbers of second homes could 'ring the death knell' for many businesses in the national park.

Brendan Donnelly said there might come a point at which the cost of transport into the Lakes from outside would prove prohibitively expensive for lesser-paid jobs.

Mr Donnelly bought Coniston Stonecraft with wife Cherry in February 2020 but, even without the difficulties the pandemic has presented, he said he could not afford to live in Coniston.

He currently lives in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, and spends two days a week at his Lake District business, the workshops of which are on the slopes of the Old Man of Coniston.

"Prices in Cumbria have been rising astronomically," said Mr Donnelly, 60.

"I think it rings the death knell for businesses in the Lake District community.

"Keswick relies on Cockermouth for staff.

"Ullswater relies on Penrith.

"Windermere relies on Kendal.

"We rely on the Furness Peninsula.

"The business community complains about 'can't get labour'.

"It's not that they can't get labour, it's that the labour is in the wrong area."

Mr Donnelly said his staff all lived outside the Lake District.

He said his business had begun paying for the fuel of staff.

"We regard it as something that we need to do in order to keep our people from using all of their wages [on transport]," he said.

By way of example, he described one of Coniston Stonecraft's apprentices who lives at Askam being forced to spend 20 per cent of his wages on fuel prior to the business chipping in.

Mr Donnelly and his wife are looking at purchasing property in Kendal or Ulverston, although this could take some time.

When he is working at Coniston Stonecraft, Mr Donnelly stays in a caravan, but over the winter months stays in a bed-and-breakfast in Coniston.