Lake District mile-long zip wire plans rejected Published duration 7 September 2011

image caption The proposed zip wire would have spanned the length of Fleetwith Pike

Plans to build a mile-long zip wire in the Lake District have been rejected by park authorities.

The proposed attraction would have run from a cliff face below the summit of Fleetwith Pike to Honister slate mine.

If agreed, it would have been the longest zip wire in the Northern Hemisphere, allowing 57 visitors a day to reach speeds of up to 60mph on it.

However, it was turned down by the Lake District National Park Authority's development control committee.

Nine members of the 14-strong committee voted against it.

The controversial scheme, which was originally put forward in 2010, attracted 476 letters of support, an 11,500 strong petition in favour, and 255 letters of opposition.

If given the go-ahead it would have been a few hundred yards shorter than the longest in the world, at Sun City in South Africa.

The debate centred on the balance between the need for economic development and the importance of preserving tranquillity.

Opponents, including Friends of the Lake District, said it would harm local wildlife, damage the landscape and spoil the general character of the area.

The company behind it, Honister Slate Mine, claimed the zip wire would encourage tourists to spend more time in the area and lead to the creation of further jobs.