In an open letter to political party leaders, a campaign group has asked them to commit to protecting Windermere.
Save Windermere is calling for England’s largest lake to be granted greater protection as it currently has no special protection.
Backed by Chris Packham, Paul Whitehouse, Campaign for National Parks, CPRE: The Countryside Charity, Friends of the Lake District, WildFish and others, the group said the current Water Framework Directive system is failing to address the ecological, cultural and economic stability of the lake and the surrounding area despite its national significance.
It said the lake was being degraded by pollution and had been exploited for many years.
Mr Packham said: “Windermere is one of this country’s most important natural assets. It needs greater protection and it needs to be free from sewage. We urge all parties to take action and commit to protecting Windermere for future generations.”
Save Windermere recently released a 10-point plan for a sewage-free lake, which outlines actions needed to protect it in the short and long-term.
As part of this plan, the campaign advocates for a Rights of Nature approach. This would involve the recognition of Windermere as a legal entity, and the granting of legal personhood as a means to achieve greater protection.
Unlike current reactive designations, Rights of Nature promotes a precautionary approach, enforcing proactive measures to protect ecological integrity, including stricter sewage regulations and mandatory environmental impact assessments.
Matt Staniek, founder of Save Windermere, said: “Windermere is being exploited and one of the easiest ways this can be prevented is by giving our lake greater protection. We have produced a 10-point plan to Save Windermere from sewage and the call for greater protection is one of those demands.”
Dr Rose O’Neill, chief executive of the Campaign for National Parks, added: “It’s a global outrage that the UK treats its most iconic lake in its most famous national park like an open sewer.
“It’s high time Windermere, and all national park waterways, were properly protected. That’s why we’re urging all party leaders to get behind Save Windermere and save the lake that is the lifeblood of this most precious landscapes.”
- Mr Staniek will ask the first question at a hustings event organised by Friends of the Lake District later this month. Candidates in the Westmorland & Lonsdale constituency have been invited to the event, at Ambleside Parish Centre on Vicarage Road, Ambleside, on Monday, June 24 at 8pm. For more information and to book ticket to the hustings, visit www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/hustings2024. Tickets can be booked online, or by calling Friends of the Lake District on 01539 720788.
