A planned £300 million project to install 100km of new water supply pipework through West Cumbria is set to win the backing of Copeland Council.

United Utilities is planning a new pipeline from Thirlmere to West Cumbria, creating up to 400 jobs.

If it gets the go-ahead, work on the scheme would start next March and be completed by 2022.

The planning application is set to go before three local authorities – the Lake District National Park Authority and the borough councils of Copeland and Allerdale – with Copeland's planning panel being recommended to back the plans at a meeting next Wednesday.

The new connection would run from the reservoir, through Keswick and roughly parallel with the A591, east of Bassenthwaite Lake.

It would pass the Castle Inn at Bassenthwaite and cross the A595 to a new water treatment works plant near Blindcrake before splitting and feeding into the wider network.

The project would include a new service reservoir and valve house and Moota Hill, linked to a new pumping station at Harrot Hill near Cockermouth.

Also included are underground mains supply pipelines from the proposed water treatment works to Quarry Hill, Broughton Cross, extending into Copeland.

Changes would be made to the existing pipelines from Broughton Cross to Stainburn and from Cockermouth to Southwaite Farm.

Heading into Copeland, there would be a new service reservoir and pumping station at High Leys, near Rowrah, from which the water supply would flow into the existing network at Summergrove and Kelton Fell reservoirs.

Unitied Utilities is seeking an alternative route after having its licence to draw water from Ennerdale Water revoked to protect rare mussels.

Its permission to draw from Crummock Water, Chapel House and Overwater in West Cumbria is also due to come to an end.

No objections have been lodged by the parish councils of Arlecdon and Frizington, Cleator Moor or Lamplugh.

However Weddicar, while not raising an objection, asks for an impact study of the project on the parish.

In recommending the go-ahead to councillors, Copeland's planning team reports: "The project will provide for a resilient, sustainable water supply to serve the needs of West Cumbria.

"There will be relatively minimal negative impacts in Copeland arising from the scheme. The majority are likely to arise from construction activities which will be temporary and unlikely to be significant in the long term.

"The benefits of the proposed scheme are considered to significantly outweigh any negative impacts."