The Lake District National Park Authority is offering seven of its properties for sale by formal tender, including iconic beauty spot Stickle Tarn. We asked Martin Curry, the NPA’s property services manager, what the sell-off could mean for walkers.

Fancy owning one of the Lake District’s most photographed landscapes? With Stickle Tarn set to be offered for sale at a guide price of £20,000-£30,000, an iconic slice of Lakeland could soon be in private hands - but what will that mean for the rest of us? We caught up with NPA property services manager Martin Curry to find out. 

It isn’t just Stickle Tarn that’s up for sale…

No, we’re selling off seven properties. They include river frontage at Portinscale and Keswick; Blue Hill and Red Bank Wood at Ambleside; Blea Brows on the banks of Coniston Water at Torver; Baneriggs Wood between Grasmere and Rydal Water; Lady Wood, White Moss in Grasmere; and Yewbarrow in Longsleddale.

Why has the NPA decided to dispose of these assets?

The NPA’s property portfolio amounts to 168 properties, built up over time. We keep the portfolio under ongoing review, and occasionally it’s appropriate for us to release properties back into the wider environment. Sometimes we’ve done the work necessary to improve them, sometimes the reason for acquisition isn’t as strong as it was, and sometimes the properties no longer fulfill a business need.

And in the case of these particular properties?

There are a number of different reasons behind the sales. In some cases we have undertaken work that has improved the properties. There is a principle that where we’ve acquired property in the past to do work on, we may sell it again.

Why has Stickle Tarn been included in the properties up for auction?

Stickle Tarn was bought by the NPA in the early 1960s, when provisions for public access and environmental protection weren’t as strong as they are today. The site is now protected in terms of its environmental properties because it’s an SSSI. Public access to Stickle Tarn is also protected and from that perspective there is no need for the park’s ownership to continue. It is also a very isolated piece of property, sitting in the middle of land owned by others. Less than 4% of land in the national park is actually owned by the NPA, so land doesn’t have to be owned by us in order to be protected.

How will you make sure that Stickle Tarn and the other properties up for sale go to the right owner?

We’re selling by formal tender - a protective measure in itself. We will evaluate prospective owners through a questionnaire in the tender pack, which asks them to lay out their rationale for purchase. We are not bound to accept the highest offer, or indeed, any offer at all. 

What appeal do you think Stickle Tarn might have for prospective owners?

It may be that there are people who would like to feel that they own a piece of the Lake District. A property of this size with a relatively small guide price is potentially an easy way of acquiring a piece of land in a fantastic landscape that they can call their own - though of course it will always be available for public access and enjoyment. Others might want to acquire it to continue to give the site the sort of ownership protection they feel is appropriate. And of course, there could also be activity potential.

For shooting and the like?

Absolutely not - the site isn’t big enough for a start, but also any activity would have to be appropriate to its environmental designation. There could be potential from the point of view of fishing, but that’s really about it.    

Could any of the sales affect access to the properties?

Any properties we sell will either be sold with their existing public access or strengthened public access. In many cases we will make permissive paths into formal rights of way. And all the property that is CRoW access land will obviously continue to be open for access.

How will the funds from the sell-off be used?

In reality, income from property will usually be reinvested in property management. We will be looking at improving the management of high status properties and also investing in sustainable technologies - so generally speaking, a recycling of the funds into property. 

What would you say to people who worry that the quality of the properties might be diminished?

The properties we’ve chosen have got solid protections in place, whether those are environmental designations or provisions for public access. People might be concerned that we’re selling off public assets, but as I’ve explained the return from that is recycled into the public estate. What we’re trying to do is to improve overall management of the public estate.

What do you think?

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