The Keswick Convention was always a controversial subject with local residents. Spread over three weeks the annual religious gathering attracts thousands of visitors to the town in the Lake District during the peak tourist season. However traders claimed that they did not contribute to the local economy because they stayed on site while they were there. And, when plans to convert a former pencil factory, right next to the famous pencil museum, into a convention centre fears were raised that the local hotels and guest houses would no longer benefit because holiday accommodation was part of the planning application. Here are both sides of the argument.

KESWICK businesses are urging organisers of the town’s annual religious Convention to change the dates of next year’s event amid claims that it adversely hits trade.

The annual three-week event, which was first held in 1875 and is organised by Keswick Ministries, usually begins a week before the summer break, but it has been revealed that next year it will fall wholly within the school holidays.

A meeting of the town council was packed with angry traders, who said takings dropped between 20 and 90 per cent during the Convention, and urged Keswick Ministries to have a change of heart for the benefit of the town.

They highlighted the importance of the summer holidays to the town’s takings, because it was traditionally the busiest time for visitors. But holidaymakers found it difficult to find somewhere to stay with so many conventioners in town.

Councillors agreed more could be done to better co-ordinate events which took place in the town to maximise the benefits and it is understood the matter will be discussed at next month’s town council meeting.

Keswick Ministries has invited local business representatives to a “round table discussion” during the first week of September, but Brian Price, of Price Walker Antiques, said this would be too late to make any changes to next year’s event.

He said they were hoping to form a group, called Keswick Together, which aimed to give businesses and residents a single voice while monitoring any planned expansion of the Convention.

Mr Price said it was understood there were plans to build a hotel at the former pencil factory site, as well as a cafe, which could take further trade away from local businesses.

Some businesses had said trade was down by as much as 90 per cent during the Convention because those attending did not tend to spend locally. “In the last six years I’ve had one sale to a conventioner,” said Mr Price.

“I’ve got nothing against people who are conventioners and I’ve got nothing against religion, but I do object to the event becoming a parasite on the town — it’s a parasitic event.”

He said residents had to live with the “turmoil” the Convention brought, with an expected influx of between 12,000 and 15,000 conventioners, and, if the event moved within the summer holidays, it left only a three-week window for regular visitors who did not want “a large event” taking place during their stay.

In 2015 radical multimillion pound plans were unveiled for the old pencil factory site with the aim of converting it into a new base for the Convention.

Organisers launched a drive to raise the £5 million needed over a three-year period and earlier this year it was announced Keswick Ministries had appointed Cockermouth architects Day Cummins to help it draw up the plans.

Keswick Ministries said in a statement that it would be inviting representatives of the main business providers in the town to a discussion in September with the hope of engaging with them over concerns raised regarding next year’s dates.

The organisation is working with the town council and Keswick Tourism Association to identify a list of representatives of various local businesses potentially affected by the dates for the Convention.

Peter Maiden, the ministries’ minister-at-large, said: “We are keen to engage with the businesses who have expressed a concern about next year’s dates. We would like to understand from the various types of businesses whether the dates impact them or not and how they impact them.

“We would also like to raise awareness of how dates affect conventioners, speakers and our 650 volunteers all over the UK who come up to the Lake District in the summer.

“As a major tourist attraction, the Lake District, now also a world heritage site, attracts people from all over Great Britain, including conventioners who travel far and wide to this beautiful region in the UK, not just in summer, but at other times of the year.

“It is important that we preserve the heritage of a welcoming town for Christian and non-Christian tourists in the future.

“We look forward to engaging on the issues around dates for 2018 and will be extending invitations to the round table over the next two weeks.”

From the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald on Saturday, July 29, 2017.

“White elephant” fear over conference centre plans for derelict pencil factory

PLANS to redevelop Keswick’s derelict pencil factory into a conference centre have been submitted to the Lake District National Park Authority.

Keswick Ministries, the group behind the town’s annual religious Convention, is hoping to renovate and change the use of the original building to provide offices, meeting and conference space, accommodation and toilets.

If approved, the scheme would also involve the demolition of buildings to the north of the Main Street site and development of a car parking area to be used for a marquee for the Convention for three weeks in every year — as well as for use by third parties on an occasional short-term basis.

It is considered to be a “major full application” and, if successful, would relocate the annual event from its current base in Skiddaw Street to Southey Works, off Carding Mill Lane.

Ministries director James Robson said: “The Derwent Project plans are really exciting for us and the town.

“Keswick Ministries will be able to welcome regular small groups of visitors outside peak holiday times, and Keswick will gain a conference centre providing valuable business and local community use all year round.

“The plans will also make us better neighbours during the Convention, which is really important to us. It will mean the Convention is more contained, and we’ll be able to hold more of our events indoors.

“We are really positive about what this redevelopment will mean for the town, preserving a great piece of our shared heritage and bringing economic benefits to Keswick.”

Last year the Convention hit the headlines when it was announced that the 2018 event was originally scheduled to take place wholly within the school summer holidays.

Some local traders complained because they claimed takings usually dropped during the event, which has traditionally started during the last week of term, and the six-week break was the busiest time for them. The decision was reversed following local consultation.

A spokesman for Keswick Together, a group formed to give a voice to residents and local businesses, said it felt the proposal was “damaging to the town” and the “carrot” of a conference centre would be a “white elephant” because it would be empty for most of the year. He added: “Just like a derelict pencil factory.”

He said the group believed the site should be kept for industrial use to bring jobs to the area. “If the use is to be changed then it should be for the benefit of the town such as housing, a multi-storey car park or small shop units — anything that contributes to the well-being of the community while bringing in jobs.” he said.

“Jobs are important for the town. We rely on tourism and agriculture, we need a diversity of jobs.”

The Cumberland Pencil Company moved to new premises at Lillyhall, Workington, in April, 2008, ending a tradition of pencil making in the Greta Bridge area since 1832.

Previously planners had wanted to see the premises retained for industrial use.

Keswick Ministries originally secured the redundant site for £3 million in 2015 with the help of a Christian trust, and a team of Cockermouth architects, from Day Cummins, has worked with the charity to draw up plans.

Proposals to convert the former pencil factory were originally unveiled last July and at the time it was estimated the project would cost in the region of £10 million.

Although the pencil mill site was hit by the floods in 2015 the development is designed to be flood resilient.

Under the proposals the neighbouring pencil museum would be unaffected by the development and organisers are hoping it will be completed in time for the 2019 Convention.

The religious festival began in 1875 and attracts an estimated 15,000 visitors to the town.

From The Cumberland & Westmorland Herald on Saturday, February 10, 2018.