Windermere pollution key issue for Cumbria candidates

The candidates faced questions from a packed audience at a hustings for Cumbria’s Landscapes organised by the charity Friends of the Lake District.

At the event, which took place on Monday, June 24 at the Ambleside Parish Centre, candidates debated issues such as sewage in Windermere, climate change, nature-friendly farming, public transport, housing and hill farming culture.

Westmorland and Lonsdale candidates from all the parties who had MPs sitting in the last parliament were invited along to the event.

On the night, Tim Farron (Liberal Democrats), Phil Clayton (Green Party) and Pippa Smith (Labour) took questions from the audience.

The three candidates in attendance on the night (Image: Friends of the Lake District)

Matty Jackman (Conservative) and James Townley (Reform) were unable to attend but sent statements which were distributed to those in attendance.

The overriding theme of the discussion was that there was a consensus among the candidates for stronger, and more rigorously applied, regulations on water companies and better infrastructure.

Mr Jackman said: "Saving Cumbria’s lakes is another crucial issue - I will add more urgency to this, working across all groups to achieve positive action.

"We need an MP who fights to fix this, promotes our area and protects its reputation - Conservatives are cracking down on polluters with unlimited penalties and increased regulator powers."

Mr Townley added: "I've seen first-hand what's happened to Windermere as I grew up at Newby Bridge, spending most of my time fishing and boating as a child, and it's nothing short of a disaster the state it’s in now.

"It's high time these organisations are held to the same standards until they sort out the mess and our waters are returned to health again."

Labour’s Pippa Smith called for a 'balance to be struck' between commercial interests, tourism and the needs of nature, the environment and local communities in the national park.

This came after questions centred on the creation of a new adventure attraction at Elterwater Quarry.

Both Mr Farron and Mr Clayton said they strongly opposed the plans, with the pair labelling the idea as 'daft' and 'baffling' respectively.

Labour’s Pippa Smith called for a 'balance to be struck' between commercial interests, tourism and the needs of nature, the environment and local communities in the park. 

Chief Executive of Friends of the Lake District Michael Hill said: “As a landscape charity created 90 years ago to protect and enhance the Lake District, we have no political affiliations, but we strongly believe that landscape matters.

"It was heartening to hear the candidates on stage in broad agreement about the challenges facing Cumbrian landscapes. We hope that politicians in the next parliament step up and do something about these issues, which is why we’ve launched our own Manifesto for Cumbria’s Landscapes. This calls on the new government to commit to delivering on six demands covering areas such as water, local housing, nature friendly farming and the impact of tourism.”