Lake District barn approved for soft furnishings workshop

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 06:57 · Archive

The Lake District National Park Authority approved a soft furnishings workshop in a historic Staveley barn after finding minimal countryside impact.

The Lake District National Park Authority approved plans on 5 October for a soft furnishings workshop to operate in the upper floor mezzanine of a barn at Staveley Park Farm, north of Staveley. The application was submitted by Lisa Elleray and came with conditions attached.

The workshop will produce curtains, blinds, loose covers and upholstery through hand production methods. The business employs two people and uses small electric sewing machines. It will operate between 9am and 5pm on weekdays, with an estimated two to three customer visits per week and supplier deliveries twice weekly. No alterations are proposed to the exterior or interior of the building, which is a curtilage-listed barn associated with the Grade II-listed 17th-century Staveley Park Farmhouse.

The approval comes six years after an alternative proposal to convert the same barn into a wedding and events venue was refused by the national park authority. That scheme was rejected in 2020 due to concerns over increased traffic along narrow rural roads, inadequate parking provision, noise, and the impact on the area's tranquillity and historic character.

In contrast, planning officers found the latest proposal would result in only a modest increase in vehicle movements and would have 'significantly lesser impacts' than the previously refused scheme. The much lower anticipated footfall and activity levels associated with a small workshop operation made it compatible with the national park's planning objectives where a wedding venue with many guests had not been.

How it is being reported

• 6 years after wedding venue refusal, Staveley barn wins approval for soft furnishingsA soft furnishings company has been given permission to set up a workshop inside a historic Lake District barn after planners concluded it would have little impact on the surrounding countryside.Cumberland News · 13 Oct, 06:00
• 6 years after wedding venue refusal, Staveley barn wins approval for soft furnishingsA soft furnishings company has been given permission to set up a workshop inside a historic Lake District barn after planners concluded it would have little impact on the surrounding countryside.Westmorland Gazette · 13 Oct, 06:00
• 6 years after wedding venue refusal, Staveley barn wins approval for soft furnishingsA soft furnishings company has been given permission to set up a workshop inside a historic Lake District barn after planners concluded it would have little impact on the surrounding countryside.NW Evening Mail · 13 Oct, 06:00
• 6 years after wedding venue refusal, Staveley barn wins approval for soft furnishingsA soft furnishings company has been given permission to set up a workshop inside a historic Lake District barn after planners concluded it would have little impact on the surrounding countryside.Whitehaven News · 13 Oct, 06:00

In this story: Lake District National Park Authority · Staveley Park Farm · Lisa Elleray · Staveley

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