A RESIDENT who comes from a mining family said the proposed development at Elterwater Quarry will turn 'her heritage into a theme park'
Manda Dockray said she would 'like to comment from the point of view of someone local' in response to the proposed zipline adventure and heritage development at Elterwater Quarry.
The proposal has been recommended for approval with conditions by Lake District Park Authority planners.
Manda said: "My great grandad was killed in an explosion of the gunpowder works. My other great-grandad was employed as a foreman at Elterwater for over 50 years and my grandad and my dad both worked, and were injured, at the quarries.
"I went to school at Chapel Stile and I cannot afford to live there due to people from wealthier southern parts and now am witnessing my heritage turned into a theme park - I guess you can imagine how I feel about this."
Allen Gibb, the chief executive officer at Holker, which owns the quarry, said: "Our plans are for an educational heritage experience that promotes the mining legacy of the Lake District. Only these caverns can tell Elterwater Quarry's story and will allow us to create an experience that simply could not be delivered anywhere else.
"This development will tell the stories of families such as that of our quarry manager, Ian Kelly, a second-generation quarryman and one of six family members who currently work for Burlington Stone. Ian has followed in the footsteps of his father, now 84, who worked on-site when the caverns were still being quarried.
READ MORE: Elterwater Quarry recommended for approval to committee
"Visitors will be able to touch, see and feel the site’s rich history from a series of unique vantage points, including the working slate faces in the caverns, which will remain intact as an integral part of this experience."
Many other objections to the proposal called the site a 'theme park,' including the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
The council said the site threatened to trivialise the historic heritage of the Lake District.
A meeting will be held at national park HQ today (Wednesday) where a final decision will be made.
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