Border Business

Controversial plans for a budget hotel in the centre of Penrith have been approved by Eden planners.

A Premier Inn will be built in the New Squares area of the town, despite some bed and breakfast owners opposing the idea.

But Planners said they were likely to turn down an application for a petrol station, close to the new hotel. The final decision is will be made at a later meeting.

The Lake District National Park Authority has put seven sites up for sale, including the iconic Stickle Tarn.

The Tarn's well known to fell walkers, set within the Langdale Pikes, 1,500 feet above sea level - and three miles west of Grasmere.

It has a guide price of between £20,000 and £30,000 and is already attracting interest.

But not everyone is pleased it is up for sale.

Our correspondent Hannah McNulty made the hour long hike up it to find out who may want to buy it.

The swimmers in the piece are professionals and were being supervised and were only in the water for a short amount of time.

A group of open water swimmers in Ambleside are hoping to form a consortium in order to buy Stickle Tarn.

It is on the market with a guide price of between £20,000 and £30,000.

Pete Kelly who runs Head to the Hills, an open water swimming school, is asking people to get in touch with serious bids.

Stickle Tarn has gone on sale alongside seven other properties in the Lake District National Park.

But Park Authorities have said that the sales won't affect existing public access.

They say that the money earned from the sales will be put into other National Park properties.

One of the Lake District's best known beauty spots is being sold off by park bosses.

Stickle Tarn, in the Langdale Pikes, is one of seven areas that has been put on sale by the Lake District National Park Authority.

It is on the market with a guide price of between £20,000 and £30,000.

Dumfries and Galloway Council is confident the regeneration of Stranraer town centre will go ahead, despite missing out on funding.

Bids were made to the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Historic Scotland, for grants to help the £3.5 million project.

But the high level of competition for the funds means the council has been invited to resubmit its application in August.

The council remains committed to spending £1 million on the regeneration.

The MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk has said that the the arrival of the Borders Railway will put the whole area in the spotlight.

The Chairman of the Conservative Party has visited Cumbria to see the impact superfast broadband is making in the county.

Grant Shapps went to XLVets UK in Dalston, one of more than two million properties nationwide that now have access to the service.

He says there is still work to be done in achieving the best connection for people.

MP Michael Moore has told the Scottish Affairs Committee that the Borders Railway is an 'Olympic moment' for the area that can't be wasted.

The 30 mile line is due to be reopened between Edinburgh and the Borders in September.

The Scottish Affairs Committee is in Galashiels to hear evidence about issues facing businesses and residents of the border regions in Scotland and cross-border issues.

A UK Parliament committee is in Galashiels today to scrutinise issues faced by businesses on the border.

The Scottish Affairs Committee will hear about problems facing businesses and residents of the border regions in Scotland and cross-border issues.

Among the speaker's are Michael Moore MP and Jack Clark, convener of Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce.