A property owner has been granted permission to build a publicly accessible library in the Lake District by making extensions and alterations to the historic Powder Magazine, linked to Coniston Coppermines Scheduled Monument.
image: Tompage02 – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7361434
… Historic England had no objections to the proposal…
The Westmoreland Gazette writes:
Philip Johnston has been given the green light to make extensions and alterations to the historic Powder Magazine, a residential property used in conjunction with the management of Coniston Coppermines Scheduled Monument.
It is also used in the management of the nearby holiday accommodation, part of the Coppermines Lakes Cottages, that Mr Johnston owns.
The planning statement says: “The relationship between the application site and the Ancient Monument is a key factor in the need for the development that is now proposed…
“A key element of the proposals is the creation of an archive library, which will be used to hold the vast amount of historic information the applicant holds in relation to the Coniston Coppermines.
“It is the intention that this information will be made available to the public by appointment….”
Natural England and Historic England had no objections to the proposal, and Coniston Parish Council discussed the issue, but…”The merits, or otherwise of the plan were debated and were so evenly balanced that the Parish Council was unable to come to a single view…”
