Save Windermere’s founder and the chief executive of United Utilities are set to publicly debate the future of the lake.
Environmental campaigner Matt Staniek and water boss Louise Beardmore will sit down for a rare and candid public conversation at The Lake District Book Festival, at Cartmel Racecourse, in June.
Both parties are expected to openly discuss and debate the future of Windermere – England’s largest lake – and how it can be protected from pollution for generations to come.
The discussion will be moderated by Adam Vaughan, environment editor at The Times.
It will take place at the festival on Friday 12 June and will last one hour, starting at 4.45pm.
The Save Windermere campaign was first founded by Matt Staniek in 2020, after he raised concerns over sewage discharges and water quality.
It has continued since to call for the end of sewage discharge into the lake since and has carried out protests, organised petitions, gathered pollution data, and pursued legal and regulatory action.
It has pushed Windermere into a national spotlight and has resulted in increased regulatory scrutiny, Environment Agency investigations and greater transparency around sewage discharge data.
The campaign has since grown into a community interest company and has been backed by a number of celebrities including Feargal Sharkey, Steve Coogan, Paul Whitehouse, and Lee Mack.
United Utilities has carried out major investment and infrastructure work around Windermere since 2020, aimed at reducing sewage spills and improving water quality.
In recent years the water firm has also announced plans for £200 million in investment to help improve water quality in the lake through to 2030.
It is also scheduled to increase consumer bills by 32 per cent over the coming five years, which will help pay for a £13.7bn investment plan in the wider region between 2025 and 2030.
Last year, Louise Beardmore told MPs that increased pollution levels in Windermere were down due to better monitoring and increased wet weather, but admitted the company needed to do more to prevent discharges in the future.
The Lake District Book Festival is a three day festival, running from June 12 until June 14.
Several other debates, discussions and book talks will take place over the course of the weekend.
It will also see Rory Stewart quizzed by Matt Frei about Britain’s place in the world and Kathleen Stock will discuss the case against assisted dying while the Netherlands’ Rob Jonquière will explain his support of euthanasia.
Avi Shlaim will also discuss his book ‘Three Worlds – Memoirs of an ArabJew’ while also giving views on today’s Israel and Zionism.
The festival said it expects the events to produce pithy and occasionally controversial debate around facts and feelings.
More information on tickets can be found on the The Lake District Book Festival’s website.
