Caversham Lakes Watersports have been refused retrospective planning permission to host swimming, paddleboarding and kayaking.

The business has been operating in Henley Road without authorization for the activities from South Oxfordshire Council since 2020, resulting in the loss of biodiversity in the area, increased traffic and inadequate highway safety, the council said.

This is the second planning application to be declined in this time, with Cosmonaut Leisure Limited asking for permission for swimming, its reception, kayak store, changing rooms, food and drink provision and the construction of a bridge to an island close to the bank.

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Objections to the facility included noise, increasingly poor water quality, unconsented clearance of habitat, unsuitable pedestrian access and insufficient road safety at the junction with the A4155.

A council report read: “The manner in which the site has beendeveloped, the extent of land clearance undertaken and the range of facilities and activities implemented at the site since its opening are likely to have resulted in significant adverse impacts, particularly with regard to ecology.

“Since the previous refusal of planning permission, a range of facilities have continued at the site alongside open water swimming.

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“The activities promoted by the applicant include the use of artificial beaches, a beach club with bar and restaurant, a café, a private hire reception venue, camping provision and numerous music events.”

Between April 1 and December 31, 2021, 33,897 bookings were made for open water swimming, stand up paddle boarding and use of the Aqua Park, according to Caversham Lakes planning agent Paul Bledwell.

During this period, the site accommodated 89,412 guest visitors to the area.

Mr Bledwell has previously argued use of the lake has provided families with healthy activities and become an economically beneficial tourist destination.

The agent argued the lake’s most intense use runs between the beginning of April and early October, with use limited during the five months from November to March.