AROUND 100 jobs are set to be created in Windermere after national park planners gave their backing to redevelopment plans from Lakeland Limited.

At a meeting on Monday, members of the Lake District National Park Authority development control committee approved an ambitious bid from the kitchenware retailer to transform its site next door to Windermere's train station.

The authority's planning officers will now deal with highway issues which have yet to be settled with Cumbria County Council.

Once the details are finalised, Lakeland can forge ahead with its plans to demolish its existing warehouse and despatch buildings to make way for a new flagship store complete with a caf and the refurbishment of the existing shop/caf to form offices.

Lakeland's managing director Sam Rayner said the redevelopment would gradually generate around 100 jobs over a three to five year period in its extended mail order call centre and in its offices.

"We are a growing business fortunately," said Mr Reyner. "This application was to ensure we were able to maintain our progress here in the Lake District.

"We are delighted the committee has in effect said there isn't an issue as far as they are concerned."

Windermere organisations had embraced the plans which will see Lakeland's warehouse replaced with a modern building national park planners believed would improve the appearance of the site.

The Windermere and Bowness Civic Society felt Lakeland had made every effort to provide jobs and fit the building sympathetically into the landscape. Meanwhile, the town's chamber of trade praised the building's "impressive frontage" and believed the relocation of the firm's despatch operation to its Kendal office would reduce the number of lorries clogging-up the A591 junction with Windermere's High Street.

If agreement on highways arrangements is reached promptly, Lakeland expect to start building work in March to be completed by the end of the year.

January 10, 2003 10:00