Nature hub plans approved after changes made

Plans to build a nature hub near a beach have been approved.

Westmorland and Furness Council passed its own plans to build the Earnse Bay Outdoor Centre in Walney, Cumbria, after revisions were made to the project.

The facility, which includes a camping area, has been designed to allow people to experience the natural environment of Earnse Bay.

Council leader Jonathan Brook said it will create a base for "exploration of the wider Walney area and its unique natural environment".

The project is funded by £2.64m from the Brilliant Barrow Town Deal.

It will see existing scrub land and a redundant changing room building turned into a community cafe, with toilet facilities for the park.

There will also be a building designed to support the family camping area.

The plans have undergone a number of changes after receiving feedback from the local community.

Some West Shore residents raised concerns about noise from the proposed camping area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In response, it was moved further from the residential area and land between the two is to be turned into wildflower meadows.

An environmental education centre will also be built by Natural England at the site.

It will provide workshops, classrooms and meeting rooms while serving as an operational hub for the team at North Walney National Nature Reserve.

Hedgerows and mixed scrub and grasslands will be created to attract animals such as house sparrows and lizards.

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