A SCALED-down proposal for a development of 24 residential units at the Windermere Marina Village in Bowness has been approved by Lake District planners after an earlier, larger scheme was rejected.

The national park authority's development control committee had previously refused permission for a development of 27 units, both because of scale and "industrial-looking" design, which members said would be out of character with, and harm, the national park.

The scheme was then amended, with one building being lowered by one floor, with reduced glazing, and the other two buildings were scaled down. The design was also altered so that the buildings looked more traditional and conventional.

Chief planning officer David Buylla said that, compared with the "modern and radical" design of the earlier proposal, the amended one had "more of a domestic appearance".

He said that, seen from the ferry road, the development would "look more conventional" and, although the roofscape was still "quite unique", people would only get a glimpse of it from the road. Otherwise, it would only be seen from the marina itself, where there was already a wide variety of building types.

"It's certainly different, but not unacceptable in this location," he said. "It doesn't look out of place in the marina."

Windermere Town Council had expressed concern about parking and sewerage, but Mr Buylla said that, although it was being built on an existing parking area, parking would be provided elsewhere, and the sewerage arrangements were considered to be adequate.

National park authority chairman Michael Bentley congratulated the committee on rejecting the previous proposal on design grounds. "This shows what good design can do," he said. "This is immeasurably better."