Brockhole Consultation Exercise
2 March 2011
FEEDBACK
A. Adventure: Watersports, Treetop Woodland Adventure, Adventure Playground
Watersports
Lakes Leisure began by introducing themselves. They have leisure centres in Ulverston and Kendal as well as a watersports centre based at Millerground, Windermere. They are run by the board of trustees of South Lakeland Leisure, a not for profit charitable trust.
On Windermere they offer dinghy sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, open canoeing, orienteering, raft building, group activities, walking, climbing and ghyll scrambling.
Lake Leisure started operating from Brockhole at Easter 2010, offering tuition and hire of sit on top kayaks and dinghies for novice to experienced sailors, for simple, accessible fun for all the family.
In 2011 they are offering in addition windsurfing, open canoeing and raft building. Longer term they want a purpose built watersports facility on Windermere.
Feedback came under the following 3 main headings:
1. Current activity
Q. How do we stop people going into neighbours’ gardens?
A. Lakes Leisure monitors those hiring their craft and all are advised of where they can go. We may need to look at how we work with others on the Lake to assist with visitors landing on neighbouring property.
Q. What is the impact on the hydrosere (the hydrosere is the lakeshore)?
A. The hydrosere at this location is already heavily utilised and as such has little remaining vegetation. We need to ensure that no further erosion or degrading of the hydrosere takes place at this point and we look at ways of enhancing areas of the lakeshore outside the main activity zones
Q. Can you explain the safety precautions you put in place?
A. The numbers of people in the water at any one time is dictated by the ability and age of the individuals and governed by safe working practices. As the watersports operation grows the level of safety needs will be reviewed. Safety is currently under review for the start of the season as Windermere Lake Cruises will be using the existing jetty until the new jetty is completed in July 2011. From July onwards the passenger boats will use the new jetty leaving the existing jetty for the novice watersports operation.
Q. There is a fragile balance between education and beauty
A. It is important we offer a range of educational opportunities. There are not many places on Winderemere where a novice can learn and develop skills in canoeing and sailing. To develop Brockhole as a National Watersports Centre will provide top class facilities and opportunities for learning within the spectacular landscape.
Q. How widely known are the watersports at Brockhole?
A. The watersports operation started 2 days after successfully being awarded the tender. It was a slow start in 2010 but joint marketing led to the sessions being fully booked by the start of the summer holidays. This season is going well, particularly so in the school holidays.
2. New Watersports Facilities
Q. What size of building would be required for the watersports centre?
A. The building would be of modest size incorporating only changing facilities, toilets, a small coaching room with refreshment facilities a drying area and storage.
It was suggested that we also include a sitting out/comfortable viewing area for parents and younger siblings.
It would need to be a timber building closer to the shore than at Millerground and we would need to get planning consent.
Q. Is Brockhole the right site for a watersports centre as it is very restricted on space?
A. Brockhole is a perfect site in many ways. It has access to the water, a jetty already built and space for a building. However, we were asked to consider Windermere as a whole. There was concern that we were trying to do too much on the 30 acre site and that it would be to have a purpose built facility elsewhere and a small centre at Brockhole.
Q. Could there be a swimming pool at Brockhole rather than at Troutbeck?
A. All options are still open. Troutbeck approached us 4 years ago when we were in the early stages of consultation. We will listen to proposals, but in this time of reducing budgets, Brockhole has to be financially self-supporting and to do this we have to take a commercial approach with some areas of the business.
Q. Would it be possible to go open water swimming in the lake (good for the Lakes School).
A.We have researched this a little. For us to formally promote swimming creates a grey area in terms of the support we would need to provide and who is responsible.
3. Benefits
Q. What are the benefits of watersports at Brockhole?
· Visitors return to Millerground or other places around the lake to learn to sail. Watersports provide health and exercise benefits.
· It is aimed at 7+ years old
· Provides competition with other operators on the lake.
· There is a wide selection of activities for all ages. The variety of offer is a good selling point.
· Brockhole staff have tried out activities and know what they are all about so can better inform visitors about the water sports on offer.
Q. Where do you go following the taster session?
A. You can go to Millerground and learn to sail there.
B. Treetop Woodland Adventure
1. The Course itself
Q. Is it one course?
A. It can be one course but in this case there are a number of smaller courses being proposed.
Q Are there any limitations to the numbers?
The course can only take a finite number of people at any one time and it will be used more heavily in the tourism season than out. Approximately 400 people a day can use the course.
Q. I understood the course was going into Birkett Wood
A. We did originally plan for some of the course to be in Birkett Wood, but this area was found to be too sensitive so we have chosen the car park area which is much better suited for it particularly from a commercial point of view.
Q. What is the market the High Ropes Course is aiming at
A.The High Ropes Course is aimed at adults and children, with the prices starting from £7.50. It will be divided into long and short courses operated from the car park toilet block which will be redeveloped for this use. It will mainly operate from 9 a.m to 6 p.m. Children from 7+ can be left on their own as long as parents are on site. – meant to be a family activity!
2. Benefits of the high ropes course
· It is a rainy day activity
· Education and interpretation will be integrated into the design. The elements will be named after something locally and events could include bat walks in the trees.
· The Brockhole course will be a taster aimed at making people want to try other activities in other places around the Lake District.
· Out of school holidays and peak times the course will be available to school groups and educational visits.
3. Impact on environment
Q. Will there be any impact on the environment?
A. The zip wires will end in the meadow that is designated as a County Wildlife Site. There will be some impact but following discussions with English Heritage and Cumbria Wildlife Trust this will be minimised.
A bat survey will be undertaken as part of the design process to identify any impact the development may have on bats
Q. Will there be an aesthetic impact?
A. The course has been designed to avoid the main vistas.
Q. How will people travel to get here?
A. Information on alternative means of transport to Brockhole will be available. However, it is envisaged that most will still travel by car but with very little impact on the road network.
Q. Will the High Ropes Course clash with the new centre?
A. It is envisaged that High Ropes Course will interact with the new centre at the edge of the car park and be part of events on the meadow.
C. Adventure Playground
Feedback on the Playground was as follows:
About the current playground you said:
· It’s a special place and should be kept the same
· The space within the playground could be better utilised
· The present location is good
· It is limited to a primary school age group
· Keep the ship
· The current paths are not well signed
About the new playground you said:
· The tranquillity of the grounds will be diminished by play trails
· Different ages need to be in the same area
· Parental supervision is harder with a trail
· The playground should be natural to fit with the “ethos” of Brockhole
· Wood rather than plastic and steel/Natural materials
· Replicate climbing/natural cliff faces
· There should be a mix for young and old in the same area
· Use it at night – a night version
· Better picnic facilities as parents are not spending money
· More playgrounds spread throughout the Lake District, not just at Brockhole.
· Designed to suit a variety of ages
· Within each age group it has to be challenging
· Incorporate den building
· Linked to craft activities, such as willow weaving
· Mini bike trail/scooters
· Bike routes with a range of different lengths.
· One playground for all ages
· Tyre swing
· Pram route from playground to cafe
D. Buildings the future: New Building and use of the White House
1. New Building
Feedback on the issue of a new building can be grouped as follows:
Location
· The top of the hill is the wrong place. A new centre needs to near the car park, along the “desire line” between the car park and the adventure playground and the Lake
· Access and mobility issues need addressing, as the white house is difficult to access from the main car park.
· Is Brockhole the right location for a new Lake District Visitor Centre?
· Having a visitor centre in the white house is not the best use of the White House building
· Business Economics – fill the white house with franchises and other opportunities.
· Have LDNPA measured the effectiveness of Brockhole’s signposting function for the rest of the Lakes?
· Marketing needs to be better
Content inside new Build
You said the new building should include the following:
· Soft play and active zones
· More interpretation and events
· Use new build as an access to experts
· Activity based and as an outdoor education centre
· Things for the 10-15 year age range
· Social purpose – 4D cinema, inside climbing wall
· Troutbeck Swimming Pool
· A wedding venue
· New building is likely to be inward focussed.
· Its use needs to be compatible with National Park objectives
· Wet weather indoor driver – niche market - perhaps garden interpretation or social or cultural activity?
· Indoor adventure, climbing walls or a 4D cinema or multiplex.
· Host evening events
· Crafts
· Educational programme should be retained
· Watersports centre
· New swimming pool site – local/community and financially sustainable.
· Building needs to be fit for purpose – not the white house
· It must have a wet weather attraction
· For young people
· Innovative uses
· Weekend study events
· Office Use – perhaps for LDNPA?
· Think about adding on a visitor tax?
· Climbing wall
· For the ski audience
· There was a general agreement for a new building from the blue group
Impact of New Building (3 for a new build, 1 against)
· Think about impact on wildlife site and avoid or mitigate this impact
· Doubt was expressed about providing a new building to replace the existing one
2. White House
Feedback on the subject of what to do with the White House at Brockhole revolved around a number of options that the LDNPA had considered:
· Hotel
· Conference Centre
· Offices
· Restaurant – cookery school
· Art gallery/Museum
· Accommodation – study centre/hostel
· Sell with restrictions on use/Don’t sell
Participants raised these issues:
· Currently Brockhole provides good quality access to the lake.
· Is there a need for hostel type accommodation?
· Would the building be rentable?
· Low Wood are setting up a conference centre – it would be difficult to challenge this market
· How would it operate for a not for profit organisation?
· Lots of people can benefit from it
· Community use – promoting cycling, watersports, climbing, walking etc.
· Cycle hire and use
· It should be a commercial model and must be cost neutral in the round.
· Residential courses – educational/arts/horticulture.
· Museum or art gallery would need to be commercially viable.
The Red group were 2 undecided about reusing the white house for anything other than its current use, 2 were for re-using it, 1 thought it should become a conference or restaurant whilst 1 person thought it should be left in its current form but improved.
E. Visitor Centre and Landscape - Plans for the current Visitor Centre, paths and gardens
Feedback in this session came under 3 main headings:
1. Future opportunities in the house and grounds
These consisted of ideas around:
· Weddings and social events
· Evening events – charge/parties etc
· Decent coffee franchise
· Business lunches (arrival and departure by boat)
· Café al fresco and more eating opportunities on site
· Gift shop with a variety of items at affordable prices
· Promote the area as one of the tourist stops around Windermere.
· Better commercial use of the croquet lawn
· Target events/activities at local people, particularly families
· More events, educational and recreational classes
· Build on good reputation of café by stocking more locally produced items
· Use Made in Cumbria producers