PLANS for the expansion of a major holiday park near Cockermouth have moved a step closer after Cumberland Council planners said the environmental impact of the proposal 'to not considered likely to be significant'.

Hanley Parks Ltd submitted an application to the council in July to develop land adjacent to Simonscales Lane at its Violet Bank Holiday Park by siting an additional 54 static caravans.

On September 12, the council published its required screening opinion, to determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed to accompany the official planning application.

The scale of the proposal automatically triggers this requirement, being a 2.4 hectare development.

An EIA would be required if the Screening Opinion deemed the proposal to be a major development of 'more than local importance', for 'particularly environmentally sensitive or vulnerable locations', and for developments with 'unusually complex and potentially hazardous environmental effects'.

Describing the location and site characteristics, the statement says: "The land and surrounding area is elevated and falls away from the existing built development.

"The fields in the surrounding area are predominantly grassland, divided by hedges, with the main built development of Cockermouth being to the north and east of the proposed site."

The development would be separated from the nearby A66 to the south by a field.

The Opinion noted the proximity to the Lake District National Park being 700 metres.

Regarding this, the Screening Opinion states: "Although the development has potential to have some effects on the landscape character of the area, given the existing screening and built development adjacent to the National Park boundary, the development would not have a significant impact on the setting of the National Park World Heritage Site to warrant an EIA on this ground.

The conclusion indicated that certain conditions would have to be met for the application to be ultimately successful.

It said: "The environmental effects anticipated from the development are not considered likely to be significant subject to careful consideration of siting and design and standard controls for pollution prevention and protection of amenity.

"As such, it is the opinion of the Local Planning Authority that the proposed development does not constitute EIA development and an Environmental Statement is not required to be submitted with an application for planning permission."