POPULAR fishing lakes in the Ribble Valley which claim to stock Lancashire’s largest carp could be set to be transformed into a leisure park.

Applicant Lodge Inns is seeking permission to convert Pendle View Fisheries in Barrow and to construct 40 lodges and cabins with a 100-place car park.

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The site has been on the market for just under £800,000 since June last year and currently features three lakes, a house, two holiday lets, a cage, workshop and hatchery.

Under the proposal, which has been submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council, a storage building would be converted into a holiday cottage and the manager's house would be transformed into a restaurant and pub.

Originally a fish farm, the fishery side of the business has been expanding since 2001 and angling currently takes place in the three lakes with the ‘Specimen Lake’ covering 8.3 acres.

The lake has a maximum depth of 13ft and holds the largest carp in Lancashire, currently a 47lb common carp.

‘Coarse Lake’ covers 1.25 acres and has 32 evenly-spaced and well-constructed pegs.

The lakes also holds the most carp stocks in the 15lb, 20lb and 30lb weight range, with pike reaching 25lbs, and other varieties include perch, roach, bream, chub and eels.

A spokesman for Janet Dixon Town Planners on behalf of the applicant, in a letter to the council, said: "The application site comprises an already-established recreational leisure facility and visitor attraction, occupying a sustainable and easily-accessible location.

"There is an acknowledged need for new tourist facilities and particularly high-quality self-catering holiday accommodation to boost visitor numbers ad meet demand in the Ribble Valley.

"The development will deliver a range of important economic benefits and it has been designed to be wholly appropriate and sympathetic to its location in the open countryside close to Pendle Hill and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

"It is demonstrated that there are no technical or environmental constraints to development in terms of design, scale, appearance, landscape, visual amenity, biodiversity, access, transport and infrastructure."

Derek Harwood, a member of the Ribchester Anglers, said: "If the application was to be approved it would not be a huge loss to fishing in the Ribble Valley.

"There are other places that are far better and people tend to go where it is best.

"It clearly has not been used very much recently and if it was to be changed into a leisure park fishing in the area would not suffer."

The council is expected to make a final decision on the application in the coming months.