0:00:05 > 0:00:09The National Parks are Britain's most beautiful countryside.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15Rolling hills, wide lakes, panoramic views,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18they are places to relax and inspire you.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23The Lake District National Park wants to be
0:00:23 > 0:00:27the adventure capital of Britain, but is it right to turn
0:00:27 > 0:00:31a beautiful tranquil landscape into an adventure playground?
0:00:33 > 0:00:39This really will be very intrusive into this amazing place.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42This is a story about one of the most controversial developments
0:00:42 > 0:00:45ever in the Lake District.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49You've got to reflect long and hard on how it is we encourage
0:00:49 > 0:00:53the next generation to engage with these magnificent places.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59But this is also the story of one remarkable man.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Oh, Christ!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04You've never lived, have you?!
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Mark Weir had a unique vision for the Lakes.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Run, run, run...hey! And off you go.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16It'll be a fantastic thing for all people of all ages.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Character building, I think. Character building.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24But Mark would never see his vision become a reality
0:01:24 > 0:01:27because tragically, he died during the making of this documentary.
0:01:27 > 0:01:34He's lost his life and we have to take this legacy forward.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Let's make him proud.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52This is what "Adventure Capital" is all about.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Mountain biking at Whinlatter Forest estate.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58This is Richard Leafe.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02He's the Chief Executive of the Lake District National Park Authority.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Fabulous. I particularly liked the bump!
0:02:07 > 0:02:12He wants to turn the park into the home of exciting, adrenaline-fuelled activity
0:02:12 > 0:02:16like rock-climbing, canoeing, mountain biking,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19and he calls this idea "Adventure Capital".
0:02:19 > 0:02:22We've got to think about the economic well-being
0:02:22 > 0:02:26and the future of these wild places, and I think appealing
0:02:26 > 0:02:29to young people through adventure is a great way of getting people
0:02:29 > 0:02:32to discover what's fantastic about National Parks.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38It's not as easy as it looks, going up the slope like this!
0:02:41 > 0:02:45You do certainly set some challenges! Right, hang on.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53If Richard wants the Lakes to be recognised as the undisputed adventure capital of the UK,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56he believes he needs a high-octane attraction
0:02:56 > 0:03:01that none of the other 14 national parks have got.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- We're just going to lower you into position.- Good luck!
0:03:04 > 0:03:07This is the biggest zip wire ride in the world
0:03:07 > 0:03:09in Sun City in South Africa.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- ALL:- Five, four, three, two, one! Go!
0:03:12 > 0:03:16It's 2,000 metres long and it travels at over 70 mph.
0:03:19 > 0:03:25Imagine THAT plummeting down from the summit of one of the Lakes' highest mountains
0:03:25 > 0:03:29in the one of the parks most remote, wild landscapes.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32It's an idea that really appeals to Richard Leafe.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35If your aspiration is to be the adventure capital of the UK,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39you probably need something at the high end of the adrenalin factor
0:03:39 > 0:03:44to give it that stamp of... that seal of approval,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and I recognise that this zip wire may well do that for us
0:03:48 > 0:03:51but boy, is it ever in a challenging location!
0:03:51 > 0:03:54It's right in the open furls,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58much valued for its remoteness and its tranquillity.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06It's the summer of 2010, and I've come to this range
0:04:06 > 0:04:10of tranquil mountains in a remote part of the park.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13It's called the Honister Pass.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16It's home to the last remaining slate mine in England.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Life is so good. It's a beautiful day, it's not raining,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25it's excellent. Every day's a good day if you wake up.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27This is the mine owner, Mark Weir.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30He's the man who can help Richard Leafe
0:04:30 > 0:04:34realise his ambition of Adventure Capital.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38He's a self-made man and a self-confessed adrenaline junkie
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and the giant zip wire is his idea.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47- Are you nervous? - I'm likely to experience vertigo,
0:04:47 > 0:04:52- but I'll probably get used to it after a while.- It's bizarre.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Have you not had anybody in here before who's a little bit nervous?
0:04:57 > 0:05:01I have, yeah...
0:05:02 > 0:05:04..and the...
0:05:04 > 0:05:07MOTOR DROWNS OUT SPEECH
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Oh, God!
0:05:26 > 0:05:29He's been flying helicopters around the hills and lakes here,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32come rain or shine, for over 20 years.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40His mine is situated on Fleetwith Pike,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42one of the largest mountains in the park.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46The zip wire will take off from near the top of this mountain.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Now you're entering a different world.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50You're entering the world... in the air.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Look at that, Richard.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- Isn't that beautiful?- Yeah.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06After we land, Mark takes me over to the opposite side
0:06:06 > 0:06:10of the Pass for the best perspective on where the zip wire will run.
0:06:10 > 0:06:16Just on that point there, will be a stone pile with a wire attached,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20and that will come down the vertical face and follow
0:06:20 > 0:06:24the ground terrain all the way back
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and lock into this building here.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30It's 1,200 metres long and hopefully,
0:06:30 > 0:06:36the speeds that you'll get up to will be...50, 60mph.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41You're falling down the edge. You're coming down that vertical edge.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- So there's really a big drop beneath you?- Absolutely.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Yeah, I mean that's... maybe 1,500 feet.
0:06:48 > 0:06:55You'll have...certainly about 6-700 feet drop from the top.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59To get the zip wire, Mark needs to apply
0:06:59 > 0:07:04to the Lake District National Park Authority for planning permission.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06He will be given just three minutes to sell his idea
0:07:06 > 0:07:11to a Park Authority planning meeting in a few months time, in November.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Ellis Butcher is Mark's PR manager.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18The big day. I think you need to be fully prepared
0:07:18 > 0:07:22and I think it's too big an opportunity to miss
0:07:22 > 0:07:27for you to go in there and hopefully wing it.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- You fly from the seat of your pants in everything that you do.- Right.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36- When I think this one day is the day that Mark...- All right.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Hang on. ..that Mark does his homework...
0:07:38 > 0:07:41You've got to do your homework and you've got to make sure
0:07:41 > 0:07:44that the case that you make to them is absolutely watertight.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I totally agree with that.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50It's totally got to be focussed on the zip wire.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Do we get it, do we not get it? But it's just so frustrating, you know!
0:07:54 > 0:07:59'Mark thinks the planning process can be too slow and bureaucratic
0:07:59 > 0:08:02'and in the past he's had bad experiences with it.'
0:08:02 > 0:08:06This day...is going to be a very interesting day for me.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Days gone by in here, I've wrecked this office two or three times.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15I mean, flattened every table, every chair, destroyed them.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19That's how mad I've become over the system.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And it fills me up now, and if you...
0:08:22 > 0:08:26It's almost like a caged...
0:08:26 > 0:08:27- Fish?- ..tiger.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32It's August.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Mark Weir's planning application for a giant zip wire ride
0:08:35 > 0:08:39is being considered here at the Lake District National Park Authority in Kendal,
0:08:39 > 0:08:44where Richard Leafe oversees a staff of 200 people.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47The Authority was established to conserve the park's
0:08:47 > 0:08:52natural beauty and wildlife, but also promote businesses and tourism in the park.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56The zip wire proposal is open to public consultation
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and it's already proving one of the most controversial applications
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Richard and his team have dealt with.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06- At last count, we had over 400... - Wow!- ..letters of rejection, and that's from individuals.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Can you give me a feel for what they're saying in their response?
0:09:10 > 0:09:11Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14It's Dave McGowan's job as head of planning
0:09:14 > 0:09:16to compile the differing views.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20The concerns are as much about the physical impact...
0:09:20 > 0:09:24but they've got a feel about the...
0:09:24 > 0:09:28I suppose, introducing that new activity in the environment.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- How many supporters?- Not so many.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- How low?- Less than 30.- Crikey.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36400 objections to a planning application.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Is that standard or is that quite a contentious one?
0:09:38 > 0:09:42400 would be more than we'd get for your average porch extension!
0:09:42 > 0:09:46You'd have to be pretty unpopular!
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Richard likes the idea of the zip wire
0:09:49 > 0:09:51but he doesn't get to vote on it.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Instead, Richard and his planning team will advise
0:09:54 > 0:09:58the park authority board to either reject or approve the zip wire
0:09:58 > 0:10:00when it meets in three months time.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06The Lake District is one of the oldest national parks
0:10:06 > 0:10:08and has over 15 million visitors a year.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13Since its creation 60 years ago, people have come to walk
0:10:13 > 0:10:16and enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Many of the zip wire's 400 opponents are concerned
0:10:19 > 0:10:23this tranquillity will be ruined if the application gets approved.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26But around the workings of the slate mine,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30this site is anything but tranquil.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Mark Weir bought the Honister slate mine 13 years ago
0:10:36 > 0:10:38when it was a derelict site.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Now it's a thriving business, employing 30 people,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44and there is even a gift shop attached to the mine.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Mark grew up on a farm just four miles away from the slate mine,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53and his first job was as a gravedigger.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58But many generations of his family used to work here as miners.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03My uncle taught me how to make slates.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06He used to touch slates and caress it like a woman,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10and I, like you are now, thinking, "He must be mad",
0:11:10 > 0:11:14I actually looked back behind him and I thought, "He's crazy",
0:11:14 > 0:11:18touching a piece of stone with such affection.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20I do the same thing now myself
0:11:20 > 0:11:22because it's so hard worn underground,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and you go through so many emotions,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30through drilling it, blasting it and actually physically getting it out of the mine,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32that you become at one with it.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Is it a sensual thing?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37It's just that you've got the highest respect for the slate,
0:11:37 > 0:11:44and when you put your life on the line so many times on the ground,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46you become more at one with the slate.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Now we're going to see something
0:11:54 > 0:11:56that not a lot of people would like to do.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Mark is still very hands on in the mine, and while I'm with him,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06on this occasion, he's doing something called "sounding out".
0:12:13 > 0:12:17From where I'm standing, it seems a fairly precarious activity.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23At the top of the ladder,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27he removes the loose bits of slate after the rock has been blasted.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- OK?- OK.- Good.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Mark has brought an ancient business back to life.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49But he's also turning Honister into a bit of a tourist attraction.
0:12:49 > 0:12:56I'm going to go down there, and then I'll tell you how we mine here in Honister today. OK?
0:12:56 > 0:13:00His mother Celia gives mine tours to visitors
0:13:00 > 0:13:03and these have been proving hugely popular.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06When I first came to see Honister, I felt so sorry for him
0:13:06 > 0:13:09because he was struggling on his own
0:13:09 > 0:13:11with very little equipment,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and you know, he's gone on, and I do admire Mark for that.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16He has said if he knew what he was taking on,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20he wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole! He persevered and he went on.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Mark has made this remote mountain pass
0:13:25 > 0:13:27an unlikely tourism destination,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30but his plans to build on that with the giant zip wire
0:13:30 > 0:13:32are proving very controversial.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41It's September, two months before the decision on the zip wire.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47The park authority has received 400 objections to the application.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52One objector is a charity called The Friends Of The Lake District,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55which campaigns for the preservation of the landscape.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Richard Pearce and Judith Moore are preparing their case
0:13:59 > 0:14:01for the hearing in a few weeks' time.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05We haven't got anything that shows any of the impacts from
0:14:05 > 0:14:07this side of the valley, have we?
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Well, that's one of the things we could say, actually.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13You will then see the whole of the zip wire from beginning to end
0:14:13 > 0:14:16if you're walking on this side of the valley.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20It's difficult to get any sense of the scale of it from that drawing.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23- It is, isn't it?- Yeah. - What's that one?
0:14:23 > 0:14:27This one here is the upper support pillar.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32This, in itself, probably isn't going to be that objectionable.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34It's been designed to look like a cairn
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and the scale of it doesn't look too significant
0:14:37 > 0:14:40when you're looking at the people here.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44- But it's a knock-on effect on people using the footpath.- Yeah.
0:14:44 > 0:14:45Up towards Haystacks.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50And I guess, inevitability, there'll also be wear and tear
0:14:50 > 0:14:55on the summit, and erosion there... would be really serious.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00The Friends are also planning a large media campaign against the zip wire,
0:15:00 > 0:15:06and around this time, an article appears in a paper with quotes from Richard Pearce.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09The piece angers Mark because it says the zip wire
0:15:09 > 0:15:11will run from the summit of Fleetwith Pike,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15when, in fact, it will come from a lower point called Black Star,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18and Mark believes The Friends have got their facts wrong.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Does it matter then whether it says Fleetwith or...
0:15:21 > 0:15:26Fleetwith Pike IS the summit, and it's about 80 or 100 feet
0:15:26 > 0:15:29from the place I want to actually depart on the wire.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33The thing about it is, if you're making a statement
0:15:33 > 0:15:38that something's going to go off the summit of Fleetwith Pike,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42which is inaccurate, and all those millions of people up and down the country think,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46"Well, I don't want him to put a pole in on the summit of Fleetwith Pike
0:15:46 > 0:15:50"cos I've sat there with my children!"
0:15:50 > 0:15:53They get scared to think that that special place
0:15:53 > 0:15:57that they've been on... has been disturbed.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01I guarantee that they will not hear a zip wire
0:16:01 > 0:16:03or the rollers on the zip wire.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The loudest thing up there is the wind itself.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26As part of their campaign against the zip wire,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29the Friends of the Lake District has commissioned a study into
0:16:29 > 0:16:33the unique tranquillity of the area around Fleetwith Pike.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37At the start of October, a month before the hearing,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Richard and Judith want to show me
0:16:40 > 0:16:44how the zip wire will shatter that serene atmosphere.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46We'll be able to see it from here, will we?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48- We will.- How will it run?
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The route comes from just below the summit of Fleetwith,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56from Black Star up there, down, right into the car park
0:16:56 > 0:17:00and it will terminate around the mine buildings there.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04This is a very peaceful and tranquil location
0:17:04 > 0:17:11and this really will be very intrusive into this amazing place.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Mark could see we are filming them, and decides to take the opportunity
0:17:16 > 0:17:21to question Richard and Judith about their recent publicity campaign.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- I believe you're doing an interview on the zip wire?- We are.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- I'm Mark, obviously you know. - We haven't met, have we?
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- No, we haven't met.- I'm Richard from Friends Of The Lake District.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- Richard Pearce, planning officer. - Right, Richard.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Could I ask you a question?
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Why did you put out that we were putting the zip wire from the summit of Fleetwith
0:17:38 > 0:17:43- when it's Black Star? Completely different location. - A technicality, isn't it?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45We're talking about the impact on the tranquillity
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and the impact on people coming up this path.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50That won't make any difference to our argument.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- Not a technicality!- Unfortunately, it's not going to change.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57That upsets me - you're saying it's one location when it isn't!
0:17:57 > 0:18:02Fleetwith Pike is NOT Black Star. Two different locations!
0:18:02 > 0:18:04We may as well be on Mars and the Moon.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07They want to keep it to themselves and nobody else to share it.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11They're very selfish people and just let them go and trail the mountains.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14There's tonnes of them to go to. Don't just pick on Fleetwith.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17If you want tranquillity, go on the other 200 mountains!
0:18:17 > 0:18:20We're happy to be with you to discuss it...
0:18:20 > 0:18:21and you have never relented
0:18:21 > 0:18:26and told your members that it is NOT the summit of Fleetwith Pike!
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- It is NOT the summit of Fleetwith Pike.- As I said...
0:18:29 > 0:18:32It is not a technical issue. The location is totally wrong!
0:18:32 > 0:18:36- I'm not standing here to be shouted at.- No, well, fair enough!
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- You've put your point across. - I have put my point across!
0:18:38 > 0:18:41If you want to debate it, then that's fine.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46- Debate it! Fleetwith Pike, Black bloody Star!- Right.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Dear God.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56Technical issue?! You really want to connect with people!
0:18:58 > 0:19:00The Friends had got the information
0:19:00 > 0:19:03from Mark's own planning application form.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I check it later, and it did does say the zip wire
0:19:06 > 0:19:10would run from the summit of Fleetwith Pike,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13although, on the inside, it shows it starting from Black Star.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Just two miles from the site of Mark's proposed zip wire
0:19:28 > 0:19:31is Derwent Water in Keswick.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35It's one of the Lakes' most popular tourist destinations.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40- You two are married, I take it. - This is our golden wedding.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43- It's our wedding anniversary tomorrow.- Is it?
0:19:43 > 0:19:47We've been married 49 years tomorrow, 24th.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52We always come up to the Lake District for our wedding anniversary.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57- Do you do something romantic? - No, not really.- Not really.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01The other night the tops of the mountains were just peeking
0:20:01 > 0:20:03through the clouds.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07I took a photograph of it and I called it Island In The Sky.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- It's beautiful.- Island In The Sky? - Yes, because the mountain...
0:20:11 > 0:20:14the cloud was below the mountain.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19It just looked like an island so I called it Island in the Sky.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28'Even though there are many objectors to Mark's zip wire, he also has powerful allies.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31'Business leaders, who support the zip wire
0:20:31 > 0:20:34'and the idea of Adventure Capital.'
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Welcome to the Business Passports Group.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39The first thing is we're going to look at
0:20:39 > 0:20:41the Cumbria Adventure Capital.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45'Every four months, members of the tourist board get together with Dave McGowan
0:20:45 > 0:20:50'and his team at the Park Authority to help businesses in the area.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52'Everyone here thinks Adventure Capital
0:20:52 > 0:20:55'is critical to the Park's survival.'
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Unless we truly understand what will make a difference for business,
0:21:00 > 0:21:05there's no point in us spending lots of time in our offices in Kendal coming up with new procedures
0:21:05 > 0:21:10within the flexibility we've got. Actually, item four was very much about hearing what your views were
0:21:10 > 0:21:13about what would make the biggest difference.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15If we can do it, we will do it.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17These are issues to business.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20For a simple extension on a little commercial building,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24it takes eight weeks to get planning permission.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26It's just a bit too long for business to sustain
0:21:26 > 0:21:29because you've got to keep your people employed while you develop this.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31What we're missing here is
0:21:31 > 0:21:33quick decision-making,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and quick decision-making means the public sector
0:21:35 > 0:21:38have got to work together with the private sector.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41We're all behind Adventure Capital.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45That doesn't mean, though, that it will be 100% sailing,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47because it won't, unfortunately.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50But I know we're looking at the speed of applications,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52particularly with the businesses.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57We do want to be as flexible as we possibly can and be innovative.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01'I get the impression the Park Authority is keen to create a strong tourism economy
0:22:01 > 0:22:04'in the Lakes, but it's not easy
0:22:04 > 0:22:07'to balance that with protecting the beautiful landscape.'
0:22:09 > 0:22:11But how do you judge something's beauty?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Is the Honister Pass, where the zip wire would be,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18really a tranquil wilderness that needs to be preserved,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22or is it an industrial landscape shaped by centuries of mining?
0:22:24 > 0:22:28I've come to Craghouse Farm in Wasdale to meet the chairman
0:22:28 > 0:22:34of both Cumbria Tourism and also the Alfred Wainwright Society.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37That's my favourite Wainwright book - A Pennine Journey.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41'Eric Robson is a big supporter of the zip wire.'
0:22:41 > 0:22:44There's a bit of moral panic going on about the zip wire.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48You've got to remember it is replacing the Lancaster flight
0:22:48 > 0:22:51which was a rusting piece of scrap.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53That used to haul slate down -
0:22:53 > 0:22:59a big piece of industrial kit used to haul slate down off the mountain.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02'Eric visited the slate mine with Wainwright
0:23:02 > 0:23:05'when it was derelict in the '80s.'
0:23:05 > 0:23:06I went there with Wainwright.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11He was sad when he looked out over those workings at Hollister
0:23:11 > 0:23:15and they were completely still and completely quiet and no-one was working there.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Mark Weir has reopened them
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and brought life back to that valley head.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- Do you think he's a force for good? - I do.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28He comes there not simply to make money.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30He believes in that place
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and he believes in the communities that serve those quarries.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37He believes in providing jobs for communities
0:23:37 > 0:23:40that his family were associated with.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42I think that's all entirely laudable.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It's mid-October in the Lakes,
0:23:48 > 0:23:53just a few weeks before the Lake District Park Authority board
0:23:53 > 0:23:57is due to vote on Mark's zip wire, his application runs into problems.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02It's not anything to do with the zip wire.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04It's a bit too big, isn't it?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- You could do with it like that. - It works!
0:24:10 > 0:24:14The problem dates back three years to 2007,
0:24:14 > 0:24:18when Mark installed another activity for thrill-seekers
0:24:18 > 0:24:20on the side of his mountain.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25The idea was inspired by an old miners' pathway
0:24:25 > 0:24:27that traverses the sheer edge of Fleetwith Pike.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Mark created a deviation off this pathway.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38It's called a via ferrata, which means "iron road" in Latin.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Using steps and carabiners,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42people climb around the sheer rock face of Fleetwith Pike.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46It provides all the excitement of rock-climbing
0:24:46 > 0:24:47with none of the danger.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53It's been hugely popular and very profitable.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Well done, Ellen. Now you've got to step up, step up a bit more, Ellen.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Mark wants to use the via ferrata as the route for people to reach
0:25:06 > 0:25:08the zip wire take-off point.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13But Mark put the via ferrata in without getting planning permission,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18and in doing so he was breaching planning regulations.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Why was he so cavalier?
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Every time I've asked for planning permission,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27it's always been refused.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Ever since a young boy,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31we've had issues in the Lake District
0:25:31 > 0:25:34to do with the national park.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38It's always been they're on one side and the locals are on the other.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43A failure to seek planning permission is not Mark's only problem.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46His unauthorised via ferrata is routed through
0:25:46 > 0:25:50a highly protected site of Special Scientific Interest,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52or triple SI as it's known.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57And it's alleged that people using the via ferrata are damaging rare plants.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02This matter has come to the attention of Natural England.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07This organisation advises the government on how best
0:26:07 > 0:26:09to safeguard the natural environment
0:26:09 > 0:26:13and it prosecutes people who damage protected areas of land.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16This one is yellow mountain saxifrage,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20and it only occurs on particular rock types that are very rich in calcium.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24It's particularly associated with slate at Honister
0:26:24 > 0:26:25which is calcium rich.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29'Jean Johnstone has been investigating the via ferrata.'
0:26:29 > 0:26:31That's the via ferrata cable.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34It shows how the vegetation's getting trampled.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Putting in the via ferrata without consulting us
0:26:37 > 0:26:40is a breach of the legislation.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43We have to pursue that.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45He might be prosecuted?
0:26:45 > 0:26:48That decision hasn't yet been formally taken
0:26:48 > 0:26:50but that is a possibility.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55Back at the mine, I put Natural England's allegations to Mark.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01He believes the sheep are to blame
0:27:01 > 0:27:04because they eat the rare flowers near the via ferrata,
0:27:04 > 0:27:09and in his defence he has filmed the culprits from his helicopter.
0:27:09 > 0:27:10There you go.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Now, that's a ledge, and you can see the wires just here.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17We walk along here and the sheep are just there.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19English Nature reckons there's no sheep.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23You can see them sat nice and happily
0:27:23 > 0:27:25because they've just fed themselves,
0:27:25 > 0:27:29and a picture speaks a thousand words.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Regardless of Mark's sheep theory,
0:27:38 > 0:27:43the issues over the via ferrata have a knock-on effect for the zip wire.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46The problem is, Mark has decided to apply for
0:27:46 > 0:27:48retrospective planning permission for the via ferrata
0:27:48 > 0:27:53and it's being considered in the same application as the zip wire.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59This means that concerns over damage to a protected landscape
0:27:59 > 0:28:02have come to the attention
0:28:02 > 0:28:05of the Park Authority's Chief Executive, Richard Leafe.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Mark, bless him, does have a tendency to act first
0:28:10 > 0:28:15and seek permission later, and that's not a method of operating
0:28:15 > 0:28:18that I would advise anybody to follow.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It leads Mark into some difficult and tricky situations
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and makes life difficult for us,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28in trying to deal with the conflicting issues that throws up.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Richard has a vested interest in the zip wire
0:28:40 > 0:28:42because it fits into his vision
0:28:42 > 0:28:45of the Lakes being the adventure capital of Britain.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49So, on a rainy day in October,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52he gets all the interested parties together for a site visit
0:28:52 > 0:28:55up to the via ferrata.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58He wants to find a solution to the problems
0:28:58 > 0:29:02between Jean Johnstone and her Natural England colleagues
0:29:02 > 0:29:04and Mark Weir,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07so that the zip wire planning application can be kept on track.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12I'd like us to be in a mode where we think seriously about whether or not
0:29:12 > 0:29:16there are any options that would mitigate that
0:29:16 > 0:29:20by either moving the alignment of the via ferrata
0:29:20 > 0:29:24or introducing more equipment, more staples,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27to avoid harm to vegetation in some way.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31I'm interested in seeing if we can get our heads round
0:29:31 > 0:29:35understanding what might be in the art of the possible there.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Once on the mountain side,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Jean Johnstone shows Richard Leafe some of the damaged flowers.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02That's the Alpine Lady's Mantle, that one.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Alpine Lady's Mantle.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07It's got Yellow Mountain Saxifrage.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10A whole host of mosses, this site's really important for mosses.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18- The damage has been done here and you've lost the soil.- Indeed.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20You're not going to replace that soil
0:30:20 > 0:30:23because it's built up naturally since the last ice age.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27It can't be the last ice age because this here, these deposits -
0:30:27 > 0:30:30this is slate, and this is made from the men making.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33This actual incline here is only 200 and summat years old.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36That's typical, because you can see the rock face bare there.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43By the end of the route,
0:30:43 > 0:30:47the Natural England officers feel there is little room for agreement.
0:30:47 > 0:30:53The criteria for protection of that site are incredibly stringent.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56You can't approve anything
0:30:56 > 0:30:59that's going to have an adverse effect on that site.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02It's not within their power to do that.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05But of course that gets us nowhere.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08It still leaves us with no via ferrata
0:31:08 > 0:31:12and with a damaged section to the site, doesn't it?
0:31:12 > 0:31:14That's the way the Habitats Regulations,
0:31:14 > 0:31:16the Habitats Directive takes us.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25At the end, Natural England leave to consider
0:31:25 > 0:31:27whether to prosecute Mark Weir.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30But there's a more immediate impact -
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Richard Leafe's authority cannot approve the via ferrata
0:31:34 > 0:31:38or even the zip wire while there are concerns over the landscape.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42He advises Mark to withdraw the whole application.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51I am in a canoe on Ullswater
0:31:51 > 0:31:55with the Chief Executive of the Park Authority, Richard Leafe.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- Can you sit in the middle of your chair?- Am I not in the middle?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- You're a little bit to one side. - Which side am I on?
0:32:01 > 0:32:04A little bit to your right.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12- I need to move that way?- Yeah. - Is that better?- Yeah. Perfect.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15'Today, he is boating with some teenagers from Dudley
0:32:15 > 0:32:17'on an adventure course.'
0:32:17 > 0:32:23- Have you done this before?- No. - That's you and me together, then.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31These young kids are getting their first taste of the countryside.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33It's a perfect example for Richard
0:32:33 > 0:32:36of his policy of Adventure Capital in action.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Mr Cox says if you turn this, all the water will drown out. Is that true?
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- Turn it and see what happens.- Sir!
0:32:45 > 0:32:48I'm keen to find out if Richard Leafe
0:32:48 > 0:32:54is disappointed by Natural England's position on Mark's via ferrata.
0:32:55 > 0:33:01I didn't feel that they were coming to the piece of work
0:33:01 > 0:33:06with a mindset that would be about looking for a solution,
0:33:06 > 0:33:10that allowed the via ferrata to stay where it was.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13But it's not really Natural England's job
0:33:13 > 0:33:15to worry about solutions to things, is it?
0:33:15 > 0:33:18No, it's more OUR job to worry about solutions to things.
0:33:18 > 0:33:24It helps if you've got people on all sides of the debate,
0:33:24 > 0:33:28if you like, trying to work to resolve it.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36If Natural England do prosecute Mark,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39he might end up losing the via ferrata altogether,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43and almost certainly never get the zip wire.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46His whole business could be under threat.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50So at the end of October, I take up an invitation
0:33:50 > 0:33:54to have dinner with Mark and his family at their home,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56a remote spot near Cockermouth.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01Jan, his partner, is a full-time mum to Prentice, Piers and Georgie.
0:34:01 > 0:34:07- Hello, Darling.- Hi, Sweetie. How are you? Good day?- Yeah.- Busy, busy.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12- Are we cooking?- Smells delicious.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16- Is that enough?- Yeah.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19'Jan and Mark tell me the conflict with Natural England
0:34:19 > 0:34:23'is making them wonder if they should just pack up and move somewhere else.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:26We'll sit at the table, sweetheart.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31Most people can't just up sticks and go because something goes wrong.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33They've got bills to pay, mortgages to pay.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Well, you pay your bills then you go, don't you?
0:34:36 > 0:34:41There's options and all you have to do is embrace what's happening.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43You don't sit and dwell on it.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47You go to where your life's going to be
0:34:47 > 0:34:50more fruitful, maybe, and happier and easier.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53That business is very demanding
0:34:53 > 0:34:59- and if she's lucky...- It's lonely. - ..she's got two hours a day.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02- You're lonely, are you? - It can be very lonely.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08I've got three children and you need a team - I need a team -
0:35:08 > 0:35:11and half my team's been taken away.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Every time there's more issues to battle on with,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18that pulls even more time away.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23- You didn't say goodbye to me this morning.- Did I not?
0:35:23 > 0:35:26'After dinner, 11-year-old Piers joins us at the table.'
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- So, big boy...- Leave me alone.
0:35:29 > 0:35:38- Right. If you don't say goodbye to me again, there's a problem.- OK!
0:35:38 > 0:35:43- Do you understand? A cuddle and a kiss, do you understand?- Yes!
0:35:45 > 0:35:49In November, Mark receives a letter from Natural England.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52It's demanding he dismantle the via ferrata immediately
0:35:52 > 0:35:55or face certain prosecution.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59He rings Richard Leafe for advice.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02- Hi, Richard, how are you doing? - 'Not too bad, thank you very much.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04'How are you?'
0:36:04 > 0:36:10Well, I'm in no man's land at the moment because they've given us
0:36:10 > 0:36:13almost a closure notice to come off there.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18'Yes, I know they're quite focused on their enforcement activity.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- 'Natural England, you're talking about?'- Yes.
0:36:21 > 0:36:27I think it really, really will be sad for everybody concerned,
0:36:27 > 0:36:29even the customers that use it,
0:36:29 > 0:36:33if we lose that via ferrata on the front of there.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35I think it's bad for the Lake District...
0:36:35 > 0:36:38'You have to recognise that you're in a tricky position
0:36:38 > 0:36:39'with Natural England.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41'However, given the point that you're at now,
0:36:41 > 0:36:45'and they're about to start the serious bit of the prosecution,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49'I would do as much as you can to play ball with Natural England.'
0:36:49 > 0:36:54She's given us a deadline of 12th November to pull off there.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56I'm not going to adhere to that
0:36:56 > 0:37:01because if I haven't got a via ferrata, I haven't got a product.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05The 12th of November comes and goes.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09But Mark continues to ignore Natural England's demand
0:37:09 > 0:37:12that he close the via ferrata.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16By doing this, he's not just risking losing the via ferrata,
0:37:16 > 0:37:20but also getting a fine of up to £20,000.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41I'm joining Richard Leafe and Dave McGowan
0:37:41 > 0:37:44for a walk up to Stickle Tarn in Langdale.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48It was climbing up here many years ago
0:37:48 > 0:37:52when Richard fell in love with the landscape.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56I think it was the sheer scale of it. It was the size of it.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00I'd never seen hills or mountains this big before.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02In a sense, back then when you were just a teenager,
0:38:02 > 0:38:07there was this moment here that meant that your destiny would be to come back to the Lakes?
0:38:07 > 0:38:09It sounds pretty cheesy, that, doesn't it?
0:38:09 > 0:38:12"I had a moment when I was a teenager"!
0:38:12 > 0:38:14"There was a revelation in Langdale".
0:38:14 > 0:38:19Actually, it's not untrue. I was gripped by the place.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21I was struck by it.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29While we're sitting at the top,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Richard talks about how he and Mark Weir
0:38:32 > 0:38:34share a similar vision for the Lakes.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37There's a little video clip on Mark Weir's website
0:38:37 > 0:38:40of a black kid from Bolton or Manchester or somewhere,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43who's gone up the via ferrata and got to the top of Fleetwith Pike,
0:38:43 > 0:38:47and he's stood there on the top with his jaw open, going,
0:38:47 > 0:38:49"God, this is just unbelievable.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52"Absolutely fantastic".
0:38:52 > 0:38:54And I think we've got to reflect
0:38:54 > 0:38:56long and hard on that and think about how it is
0:38:56 > 0:38:59we encourage the next generations
0:38:59 > 0:39:02to engage with these magnificent places.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Around the same time, the mine is completely cut off by the snow.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24Only Mark has made it in.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30It's been several weeks since the letter from Natural England
0:39:30 > 0:39:36and I'm keen to know if Mark has decided to close the via ferrata, as they are demanding.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42I don't agree with English Nature's stance.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49So when you don't agree with something like that,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52you've just go to sit by and see what happens.
0:39:55 > 0:39:56Christ!
0:40:00 > 0:40:04You've never lived, have you?! Richard, you've never lived.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Never mind.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13BIRDSONG
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Three weeks later, the slate mine staff gather for their Christmas party.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23Mark is continuing to ignore the ultimatum from Natural England.
0:40:23 > 0:40:28This year has been an incredibly difficult one for various reasons.
0:40:28 > 0:40:34The via ferrata and the new zip and all the rest of it, we're still working on all those projects.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36But, on a more positive note,
0:40:36 > 0:40:43this year, I've escaped losing my life nearly four times, so it's getting less!
0:40:43 > 0:40:47It's actually getting less, which is really good.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50So, I'm glad I'm still standing here and I'm still alive.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55But there wouldn't be a Honister without all you around this table,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58and from the absolute bottom of my heart,
0:40:58 > 0:41:03I genuinely, genuinely love you all in all different ways.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Here's to all of you.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07ALL: Cheers.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09PARTY BLOWER HOOTS
0:41:09 > 0:41:10Here's to the future.
0:41:14 > 0:41:20Although I could never condone what Mark is doing, I can see his dilemma.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23If he closes the via ferrata, he'll have to lay people off.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28But if he keeps it open, he'll be prosecuted and it will be shut down.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31So, either way, job losses seem inevitable.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41But things are about to change.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46Early in January, I'm heading back to the top of Fleetwood Pike
0:41:46 > 0:41:49with Mark and his architect, George.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- You've never been up here, have you? - No.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00We're going to do a little bit of walking now.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Over Christmas, an idea has occurred to him.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08If his plan works, it will mean he could reapply for the zip wire,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11regardless of what happens to the via ferrata.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14He's going to show it to George and I today.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Beneath our feet are miles and miles of old mine tunnels,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22and Mark's new idea will utilise these.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27One of those tunnels surfaces near the summit.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30How far down there are you before you hit the workings?
0:42:30 > 0:42:34- You're in the workings there. That's it.- Is that a man-made hole?
0:42:34 > 0:42:39- Yeah, it's a mine's entrance. - Have you come up through the hole?- Absolutely.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Otherwise, I wouldn't know anything about it!
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Mark's idea is simple.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49Visitors will access the zip wire not by coming up the via ferrata,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52but by climbing through the inside of the mountain,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55through tunnels made by miners hundreds of years ago.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57Once out of the tunnel,
0:42:57 > 0:43:01it's just a short walk to the zip-wire take-off point.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04So you'll go along, run, run, run, run, run...
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Hey! And off you go.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09Exciting, innit?
0:43:09 > 0:43:12I only get animated when I'm actually here.
0:43:12 > 0:43:19What you know you're going to enter into there, it'll be a fantastic thing for all people of all ages.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26I could see that Mark is quite excited about his new idea.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30It resurrects his dream of a giant zip-wire ride.
0:43:30 > 0:43:35But, sadly, it's not a dream he would see come true.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41A few weeks later, in February, I went back to Honister.
0:43:41 > 0:43:47It was the day his new zip-wire application was formally resubmitted to the park authority.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52This would be the last time I filmed with Mark.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58- Where are we going? - We're going to get a sheep.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03There she is.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05The sheep is stuck high up on a crag.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07HE GRUNTS
0:44:09 > 0:44:11It needs to be rescued.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21Hello.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27HE GRUNTS
0:44:29 > 0:44:32This is another precarious act, a bit like the time
0:44:32 > 0:44:36he climbed the ladder in the mine, six months earlier.
0:44:41 > 0:44:45But, to Mark, it is simply the way he lives his life.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48HE GRUNTS THROUGHOUT
0:44:55 > 0:44:56Go on!
0:44:58 > 0:45:02I would say, another two or three days, it would have been dead.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Will he be all right?
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Yeah, it will go for some water now and it will be all right.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10Would you do something like that?
0:45:10 > 0:45:13It's that risk thing we were talking about the other day.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16- Yeah, I probably wouldn't. - Would you be insured for that?
0:45:16 > 0:45:19- I don't suppose so.- No.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21No.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24So, who would do that, then?
0:45:25 > 0:45:27No.
0:45:27 > 0:45:28Not my job, really.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31'A week after this...'
0:45:33 > 0:45:34'..and Mark is dead.'
0:45:44 > 0:45:45He took off from the mine
0:45:45 > 0:45:50just after seven o'clock one evening for the usual journey home.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54It was pitch black and unusually windy.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00His helicopter crashed just 200 yards from its take-off point.
0:46:01 > 0:46:08Two days later, Mark's partner, Jan, assembles all the mine staff together.
0:46:08 > 0:46:13There are my thoughts here on this paper that have come from my heart.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20He's lost his life.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24And we have to take this legacy forward.
0:46:24 > 0:46:33And, um, I know he has so many, many qualities...
0:46:33 > 0:46:38and faults, because he was by no means perfect.
0:46:38 > 0:46:44And when you're having a bad day, be strong, please be strong.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Please, just be strong.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Be strong.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57And, um, let's make him proud. Yeah?
0:46:57 > 0:47:02Can we all be upstanding? I know that's a formal way to do it,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05but it's an important thing, yeah?
0:47:05 > 0:47:09This is us going forward. This is Mark going forward.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11- Yeah?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14- Mark.- ALL: To Mark.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21So, I'm going to cut the ribbon first. Here we go.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25- There we go.- Thank you. - OK, all right.
0:47:25 > 0:47:31'At the same time, Richard Leafe is entertaining the environment secretary on a visit to the Lakes.'
0:47:31 > 0:47:33What is special about English national parks...
0:47:33 > 0:47:39We're all in a state of shock, really, I think, about what's happened
0:47:39 > 0:47:42and it's going to take us a bit of time to digest it.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Over the next few weeks and months,
0:47:56 > 0:48:00Jan has to take over the reins of the slate mine.
0:48:00 > 0:48:05She is thrown in at the deep end with the zip-wire application.
0:48:05 > 0:48:10But it only takes one query and then we're into... Absolutely.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16In the spring, Dave McGowan and his team return to the mine
0:48:16 > 0:48:18as part of the zip-wire application.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Then there is sorting out how this surfacing would work.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25Your point is maintenance, health and safety?
0:48:42 > 0:48:46In the summer, Natural England follow through with their threats of legal action
0:48:46 > 0:48:49over damage caused by the via ferrata.
0:48:49 > 0:48:56Jan is fined £15,000, as she agrees to remove the via ferrata by November 7th.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03Two weeks before the zip-wire hearing,
0:49:03 > 0:49:05I meet with Richard Leafe and Dave McGowan.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08They don't decide the outcome of the zip wire,
0:49:08 > 0:49:12but they do recommend to the board members which way to vote on it.
0:49:12 > 0:49:18'For 18 months, Dave McGowan's team has been analysing results of public consultations,
0:49:18 > 0:49:24'ecological surveys, impact assessments, and now it's time to reveal its conclusion.'
0:49:24 > 0:49:27So, what is the recommendation?
0:49:27 > 0:49:29Well...
0:49:32 > 0:49:38Where we've ended up is on something which, on the one hand,
0:49:38 > 0:49:42gives me a little bit of discomfort. I feel that perhaps
0:49:42 > 0:49:46our committee won't feel we've done the job we need to do for them.
0:49:46 > 0:49:51Um, because it's an open recommendation.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54I can see why that might make you a little uncomfortable,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57I suspect. It does me.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01My inclination, as you know, is always to call that shot
0:50:01 > 0:50:03when it comes down to it, however difficult it is.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06And I feel that we haven't ducked it.
0:50:08 > 0:50:13After careful consideration, Dave's team has decided the issues are too finely balanced
0:50:13 > 0:50:16to recommend either rejection or approval.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20You know, I could write a reason for refusal and a reason for approval,
0:50:20 > 0:50:24which would both be logical arguments based on the assessment.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27It depends which side you fall on that line.
0:50:27 > 0:50:32You know, I've said in the past that I would fall on the side of
0:50:32 > 0:50:36consenting this, because of the...
0:50:36 > 0:50:40In my view, the benefits outweigh the harm.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43But, as Dave says, it's easy to construct an argument
0:50:43 > 0:50:46that's the other way round and would be as justified.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50And so, which way do you think it's going to go?
0:50:50 > 0:50:51LAUGHTER
0:50:56 > 0:51:01At the beginning of September, two days before the zip-wire committee,
0:51:01 > 0:51:06I meet with Jan to find out how she feels now the decision is imminent.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10It is very difficult, because I can imagine a helicopter coming in,
0:51:10 > 0:51:12I can hear it coming in,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16and I have to not get too emotional on Wednesday.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19I have to be constructive and I have to try
0:51:19 > 0:51:23and relay the essence of what it's all about.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28What was it like being, you know,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31a partner of someone who was a risk taker?
0:51:31 > 0:51:35Um, it wasn't easy an relationship,
0:51:35 > 0:51:38because he was such an adrenaline junkie,
0:51:38 > 0:51:44because he had such off-the-wall ideas, sometimes.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46Um...
0:51:47 > 0:51:49He was a good guy.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53He was hard to live with, but he brought a full life.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55And that's what life's about.
0:51:55 > 0:52:01It's having a fulfilment, and that's what Honister's about.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05He wanted to let people, I suppose, maybe live like a tiger for the day,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08rather than a mouse for the rest of their life,
0:52:08 > 0:52:12and that was how he lived his life. That was his motto.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20On 7th September, people gather
0:52:20 > 0:52:23at the headquarters of the Lake District National Park Authority.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26Lots of Honister staff have come to support Jan,
0:52:26 > 0:52:30but she also has a surprise star witness to unveil -
0:52:30 > 0:52:33the renowned mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Just to explain how we're going to do this,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41a presentation from officers, then there are questions from members.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45'The 14 board members who will be voting sitting around the outside of the room.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49'The board is made up of locally elected councillors,
0:52:49 > 0:52:52'and some people appointed by the government.'
0:52:52 > 0:52:56- Andy.- First of all, in terms of the background to the proposal...
0:52:56 > 0:52:57'At the start,
0:52:57 > 0:53:01'the planning team outlines the application for the board members.
0:53:01 > 0:53:07'Then it's time for the interested parties from either side to put their case to the board.'
0:53:07 > 0:53:11- I'd like to start off.. - 'Richard Pearse, from the Friends Of The Lake District,
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'is one of three people to speak against the zip wire.'
0:53:14 > 0:53:16We feel this is a line-in-the-sand proposal
0:53:16 > 0:53:20that has implications for the entire ethos of the national park and its future.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24I'll summarise briefly the reasons we feel that this proposal is
0:53:24 > 0:53:27so fundamentally inappropriate. Firstly, the mine is located
0:53:27 > 0:53:32in one of the most outstanding landscapes in the country.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35It is this quality that attracts many thousands of visitors to the area.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39'Then it's time for those in favour of the zip wire.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42'First to speak is Sir Chris Bonington.'
0:53:42 > 0:53:45I have lived in the Lake District National Park for 45 years
0:53:45 > 0:53:48and have a deep love and concern for the conservation
0:53:48 > 0:53:51of its beauty and its very special character.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55I have a very deep respect for the work of many voluntary bodies
0:53:55 > 0:53:59who oppose this application and, in fact, I've got honorary positions
0:53:59 > 0:54:01on just about every single one of them.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04But, in this particular instance,
0:54:04 > 0:54:06I feel I've got to express disagreement.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08Then, Jan speaks.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12Some remember Honister as a derelict,
0:54:12 > 0:54:14dirty and abandoned, lonely place.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Wainwright was one of those people,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20and that's what it was like before we actually came.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23My family reopened England's last working slate mine
0:54:23 > 0:54:27and we have kept it open, despite all the odds.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30But keeping that 400-year-old business,
0:54:30 > 0:54:34and the last working slate mine in England open,
0:54:34 > 0:54:37can't be sustained by slate alone.
0:54:37 > 0:54:43'Then, it's time for some of the board members to express their own views before the vote is taken.'
0:54:43 > 0:54:47I shall be voting to reject the application.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50In my view, the proposed development
0:54:50 > 0:54:55would conflict with the first statutory purpose and I would refuse this application.
0:54:55 > 0:54:59You can be on one of these beautiful places,
0:54:59 > 0:55:04which is tranquil in the fact that you don't see another person,
0:55:04 > 0:55:09and I do think we would be sacrificing it, so, therefore,
0:55:09 > 0:55:12I will be voting against it.
0:55:12 > 0:55:19I consider the zip wire would be an incongruous and inappropriate development on this occasion
0:55:19 > 0:55:22and I have to agree, therefore, will be voting against it.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25'It all seems to be going against Jan -
0:55:25 > 0:55:27'that is, until the next member speaks.'
0:55:27 > 0:55:32Do we want to kill the Lake District dead, or do we want to preside over a mausoleum
0:55:32 > 0:55:36where human beings can no longer shout, can no longer enjoy themselves?
0:55:36 > 0:55:39Who is this park for? We know who it's for,
0:55:39 > 0:55:41because it's in the regulations.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45It's there for the enjoyment of all, and we must never forget that.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48Every age group, every colour, every creed
0:55:48 > 0:55:51and wherever they come from, and that's what we're doing.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54We're not fossilising it, we're not putting it in aspic,
0:55:54 > 0:55:57we're not keeping it for the privileged few.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00Honister has got a very reasonable application,
0:56:00 > 0:56:03I think they've worked wonders. Thank you.
0:56:03 > 0:56:08I, Madam Chair, am going to support the application for the zip wire.
0:56:08 > 0:56:13I do feel that there are plenty of places that we can have the quietness, and I will support this.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16I definitely will support it.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20I think it's a great idea, and it's a pity they put an age limit on it,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23because I might have just tried it.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26LAUGHTER
0:56:26 > 0:56:31So, members, there is a proposal on the table, which is to support this application.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34'Once some of the 14 members have spoken,
0:56:34 > 0:56:37'the final decision is made with a show of hands.'
0:56:37 > 0:56:42So, those who are in favour of the proposal, please show clearly.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44One, two, three, four, five.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46And those who are against, please.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55That means the application is rejected.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00The zip wire is rejected by nine votes to five.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06Is everybody happy with what David has just set out?
0:57:21 > 0:57:24My mate would be extremely angry today.
0:57:24 > 0:57:29He would be punching the trees, I think.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32Er, yeah, he would. He would.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34I'm going to go home. I feel like shutting the door.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38Um, and no more Honister. Maybe that's what people want.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41Maybe that's what the park are prepared to have.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43But I'm going home.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45- Take care, anyway.- Thank you.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Bye.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22- Hey, stop! - He nearly knocked me down!
0:58:22 > 0:58:25All you want to do is represent the Tories.
0:58:25 > 0:58:27So they wanted us to give way to them.
0:58:27 > 0:58:3160 ramblers do far more damage to the path than one motorbike.
0:58:31 > 0:58:35- It's terrible what's happening. - The police can't change the law, the people can.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38Keep your neb out!
0:58:38 > 0:58:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:41 > 0:58:44E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk