Plans disturb the peace at sanctuary

For half a century Scargill House has been a sanctuary from the world's troubles. As a Church of England Christian community, it opened its doors to everyone from church choirs to worshippers of other faiths.

But that calm has recently been disturbed. And to understand why you have be there on a clear night and gaze at the sky.

In the bible, Genesis 22:17 says, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars" – and in nearby Kettlewell the idea of star-gazing is suddenly on many villagers' minds.

"It's really quite spiritual," says one of them, a local artist named Susan Beazley. "I'm not sure if I can correctly identify things like Cassiopeia or Andromeda but I can see the Milky Way up there, and it's just remarkable."

This interest in astronomy by Susan and others has been heightened by proposals to modernise and expand Scargill House. Plans drawn up by architects would effectively double its capacity to over 200, and with much use of plate glass walls and an increased amount of external safety lighting there are fears that light pollution will interfere with the locals' enjoyment of the night sky.

"There's a lot of glass in the current plans," Susan Beazley goes on. "That means a great deal of light could conceivable come out of there at night. At the moment, if you look at satellite pictures of England taken at night the Yorkshire Dales is one of the few completely dark spaces. It's a fabulous thing."

So strong are the feelings of many people in Upper Wharfedale that they have formed an action group called WASPDALE, Wharfedale Against Scargill Plans Design and Light Emissions.

The opposition to Scargill's plans is the latest problem in a troubled few years at the retreat. After a long financial struggle, the gates were closed in the summer of 2008 and the estate put up for sale. It was thought likely that Scargill would become a country house hotel and conference centre, a health farm or time-share holiday complex.

But a group of Scargill devotees couldn't bear the thought of that happening, and formed a new charitable trust, the Scargill Movement. An interest-free loan was obtained from Lee Abbey – a similar Christian community in North Devon, with which Scargill has always had close links – and the new group bought the estate to ensure its future as a spiritual retreat.

Plans for the 6.5m reborn Scargill House, drawn up by Shipley architects Halliday Clark, are impressive and make much use of green technologies like biomass heating, rainwater collection and solar panels. The first of five phases is due to start this summer with the building of new classrooms and refurbishment of bedrooms in the original hunting lodge.

Other work includes a new dining hub for around 200 people – the current facility seats half as many. There will also be a brand new development of 26 en-suite guest bedrooms – so-called "outcrop accommodation" – cut into the hillside. Some parts of the new development take their design cues from Scargill House's landmark glass and cedar church, built in 1960 and now listed.

A specially created "youth zone" will accommodate 35 children and five leaders. There will be a new multi-purpose hall.

Some trees on the 100-acre estate will be cut down to provide a new parking area, and other trees will be felled to provide enhanced views across Wharfedale from some of the new buildings.

The depth of feeling towards the plans has taken the Scargill Movement by surprise, and last Sunday around 50 villagers were invited to Scargill House for tea and cakes by its new director, the Rev Phil Stone, who has previously worked in Inner London areas and with his wife, Di, led the youth camps at Lee Abbey for several years.

"It was an opportunity for villagers to come and see, and to understand what we do here," he says. "Lighting is clearly a major issue, and we are really trying hard to be sensitive about that. The last thing we wish to do is cause light pollution. This is a beautiful area at night,

and we do get the most amazing stars."

To that end, light emissions will be minimised by fitting more blinds and shutters. And to reduce undesired reflection of the sun off the increased glass during the day, brise soleil canopies – or sun-breakers – will be fitted.

When it reopens this spring Mr Stone hopes to return Scargill House to its core values of 20 or 30 years ago, focusing more on a Christian programme rather than the multi-denominational emphasis which dominated its activities before the closure in 2008.

"It's not going to be like a conference hotel," he says. "We're not saying to folk, 'here's some accommodation, come and have your group meeting here.' We are offering a truly Christian programme. Our strapline will be 'lives shared are lives transformed.' Our desire is that guests who come to Scargill House, like they did in the past, will go back with a new vision and new purpose."

But on Monday evening the proposed new development was rejected by a meeting of the Kettlewell-with-Starbotton Parish Council, although the final decision will be taken by the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Councillors objected to the design, the choice of building materials, and the increased scale planned for Scargill House. And they called for a full environmental impact investigation to assess, among other things, how much light will be shone in to the night sky.

Scargill House's summer programme is at www.scargillmovement.org