By Jenny Barwise

Last updated 10:20, Sunday, 06 July 2008

Work on a £90 million holiday park in Lowca, which was due to start in the spring, has been put back to the end of the year.

Approval for Cumbria Leisure Park was granted in December.

Since that time, a number of archeological investigations have been carried out, finishing last week.

Work has now began on the ground investigations, which will take around six weeks.

David Sutherland, senior partner of the PHSM Partnership, which is the project manager, said: “The date has gone back a bit.

“We are still working on the fine details of the designs and layouts. At the very earliest it is going to be at the back end of the year.”

He added that once the detailed designs have been complete, they will speak to local contractors to price the work.

The project, which will provide up to 120 full-time and 50 part-time jobs, will be built on a 35.3 hectare site at Micklam Farm.

It will have 449 timber lodges, a 450-seat cinema/theatre, a mini supermarket, a swimming pool and fitness centre, a pub/diner and three takeaway premises.

Each lodge will have two parking spaces, with a large car park being provided on the site of the old Micklam brickworks.