Protecting Roanhead

Roanhead under threat

When plans for a holiday resort at Roanhead Farm, nestled between Barrow and Askam-in-Furness, first surfaced, the reaction from local residents, and environmental and conservation organisations, was swift and passionate. The prospect of thousands of visitors descending onto the tranquil beaches – home to rare habitats and the endangered natterjack toad – galvanised a coalition determined to defend this unique corner of the Furness peninsula.

Friends of the Lake District joined forces with the National Trust, Woodland Trust, RSPB, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, and Cumbria GeoConservation. Together, we issued a joint statement outlining our objections, emphasising the proximity of the proposed development to internationally protected sites: the Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve, the Duddon Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest, Duddon Estuary Ramsar Site, Morecambe Bay Special Area of Conservation, and the Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary Special Protection Area.

A group of protestors on a beach . They have written Save Roanhead on the sand.

Empowering local opposition

The campaign against the development quickly became a grassroots movement. Local residents formed the Save Roanhead group, rallying communities from Askam & Ireleth, Dalton, and Barrow. We joined forces with the group to ‘Make a Stand on the Sand’ on 11 July 2023, a powerful demonstration of opposition that drew widespread media attention. TV, radio, and newspapers covered the story, amplifying the voices of those determined to protect Roanhead’s wild beauty.

As part of our work to help save Ronahead, we helped empower the local community. As Claire Gould from Save Roanhead recalls, “I’d not heard of Friends of the Lake District before. Lorayne Wall [then Friends of the Lake District’s planning officer] explained how Friends sometimes fought planning applications, not just in the Lake District but around Cumbria. That felt really important. There was a sense that the development was a done deal, and that local people didn’t have a voice in it. But the knowledge that we had a chance, with our small but growing group, and that people could have a voice and make a difference, gave us the confidence to keep going.”

Protestors celebrate with a banner that says Save Roanhead

Roanhead saved

The decisive moment arrived on 24 November 2025, when the Westmorland & Furness Council Strategic Planning Committee met at Kendal Town Hall. The committee agreed with their planning officer’s recommendation and rejected the application for the development. The news was met with delight by the campaigners who had gathered at the town hall.

Claire from Save Roanhead, who spoke at the planning committee hearing, expressed profound relief: “Not only would the proposed development have had a terrible impact on important wildlife habitats in this area, but also an impact on local people like me who currently enjoy the tranquillity and remoteness at Roanhead. I know there are thousands of people who will be overjoyed at this news. We’ve saved something really special.”

Lorayne Wall summed up the collective achievement: “We welcome the news that these proposals have been refused. Friends of the Lake District stood firm alongside the many local residents and environmental organisations that objected to plans for this resort. We shared their deep concerns about the many impacts this proposal would have had. As well as causing harm to internationally important sites of biodiversity, a development of the type and scale proposed would have significantly compromised the local landscape and people’s enjoyment of it.”

The story of saving Roanhead is a testament to the power of collaboration. The refusal of the holiday resort is more than a planning decision – it’s a victory for nature, for local people, and for the principle that, together, we can make a difference.

Saving Roanhead video

Friends of the Lake District’s head of planning and policy talks to local resident Claire about the battle to save this precious coastline. They discuss how the community came together to form Save Roanhead and what they learnt from taking on the developers.