Delight as speed boast banned on Windermere

29 February 2000

The charity the Council for National Parks (CNP) is celebrating today’s decision by Environment Minister Chris Mullin to confirm a speed limit on Windermere, which outlaws speed boating.

Sir Chris Bonington, mountaineer and President of CNP, said, "a 10mph speed limit will stop noisy and dangerous sports on Windermere. Most people come to the Lake District National Park for quiet enjoyment and we are delighted that the Government has recognised how important this is".

In 1992, the Lake District National Park Authority first proposed a 10mph speed limit on Windermere to uphold National Park purposes and to prevent accidents. In 1994, CNP appeared as a witness at a lengthy public inquiry alongside other supporters of the National Park Authority.

"CNP is thrilled that the Government has not given in to the minority who wanted to continue to disrupt appropriate and quiet enjoyment of Windermere by pursuing noisy water sports". Sir Chris said "This is a victory for National Park values and for people who want to enjoy them in peace and quiet".

Notes to editors

1.  CNP is the national charity that works to protect and enhance the National Parks of England and Wales and areas that merit National Park status, and promote understanding and quiet enjoyment of them for the benefit of all.
2.  In 1992, the Lake District National Park Authority first proposed a 10mph speed limit on Windermere to uphold National Park purposes and to prevent accidents. This was then the subject of a 13-week public inquiry in 1994, but the then Environment Secretary rejected the Inspector’s findings that a 10mph speed limit should be introduced. After the National Park Authority mounted a legal challenge the Deputy Prime Minister said he would reconsider the issue. Further documents were then submitted by all parties.
3.  Recent research (Countryside Commission and Countryside Council for Wales, 1996) found that people (at least 76 million visits are made to the Parks each year) come to the Parks for their beauty (58%) and peace and quiet (29%).
4.  The public inquiry Inspector found compelling the argument that the enjoyment of the many was being spoiled by that of the few. Power boating by a few has a disproportionate impact in terms of noise and disturbance across a large area of the lake and its shores.
5.  The interests of a large number of people (swimmers, canoeists etc) are not only disturbed but endangered by power boating – in summer 1998, a hired rowing boat was sliced in half by a power boat.

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Ruth Chambers, Head of Policy on
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