lake District Hotels

One of the arguments used by the promoters of this road was that it would free the A591, the Kendal, Ambleside, Keswick road, of heavy traffic. The order prohibiting such vehicles using the A591 was made in July 1980.But ithas taken the amenity societies a long time and .much bitter argument tosecure the fulfillment of the original promise. The campaign for the exclusion of heavy goods vehicles from this road has been pursued for adecade; arguments have been put to public inquiries; leaflets have beenissued explaining the position, and members of the public, whether membersof the amenity societies or not, have been persistent in their campaign.

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Heavy goods vehicles originating outside the National Park and whosedestinations are also beyond its boundaries are now obliged to use the M6motorway and the A66 trunk road. There are certain exceptions vehiclesneeded for road maintenance or agricultural purposes, for example. Since the order was made, the road has been much more peaceful. In thefirst few months of the operation of the order, six lorry drivers wereprosecuted for breaking the law and were each fined £40 at Windermere. Theacquisition by Manchester Corporation of Thirlmere and Haweswater areperhaps the best known examples of urban intrusion into the area for water.As industries grew and diversified and domestic users needed more and morewater, the municipalities turned with increasing greed to the LakeDistrict.

In the preNational Parks era lakes other than Thirlmere and Haweswater hadbeen acquired as sources of water for urban use. Wastwater, as yet undammedbut fitted with pumping stations and underwater pipes, supplied industrialwater to the Windscale and Calder Hall factories; Ennerdale suppliedWhitehaven with water, and Crummock Water supplied Workington. Varioustarns were also used. During 1945 and 1946 there was a proposal to create areservoir for industrial purposes in Ennerdale. This was supported by apowerful industrial concern, several Ministries and Whitehaven Corporation,while only the amenity bodies were against it. This scheme would have meanta substantial raising of the top water level of the lake, and the rise and
fall of the water would have been determined by the ratio betweenindustrial consumption and rainfall. Thus, when one was high and the otherlow, the margin of the lake with its bleached rock and mud would have beenunsightly.

Another scheme, showing that the required water could be obtained withoutany rising of the level of the lake, was suggested by the Friends of theLake District. The inquiry which followed lasted a week. The costs to theFriends of the Lake District for legal aid and technical advice andconsultation were in excess of £1,300. Although the Minister decidedagainst the amenity societies, the industrial concern changed its mind, andthe scheme was not implemented.

During the 1960s there was scarcely a sheet of water in the area which wasnot, at one time or another, suggested as a suitable source of urban water.But it was not until the mid seventies that the western lakes wereseriously threatened. In 1976 the North West Water Authority issued a
report on water resources in West Cumbria. Apparently a greater supply ofwater was needed for industrial and domestic use and also for BritishNuclear Fuels. In its search for increased supplies the Authority decidedto pursue the investigation of two schemes, the increased use of Ennerdale

Lake and a project using water from the River Derwent.Under legislation already existing, obtained before the area became aNational Park, the North West Water Authority had powers to construct anembankment at Ennerdale to enable the lake to store up to 770 milliongallons more water. The Authority claimed that by raising the level to thisextent they would not greatly alter the appearance of the lake when full.

The shore line, however, would be exposed when the level of the water was own. The Authority proposed to explore ways of mitigating this effect,possibly by designing the overflow so that the water level would be raisedin two stages.

In 1977 the Authority looked at a number of alternative schemes, eventuallycoming down on the side of Ennerdale rather than the River Derwent scheme,the runnerup in popularity. Ennerdale was no doubt chosen because of itsrelative cheapness, £2.2 million as against £4.6million for the River

Derwent scheme.

After months of hesitation and discussion the Lake District SpecialPlanning Board, by a majority of seventeen to eight, decided to oppose theEnnerdale scheme. A large number of amenity bodies were also opposed, aswell as some local councils. Listed they appear formidable: Allerdale District Council British Mountaineering Council Copeland BoroughCouncil Council for National Parks Council for the Protection of RuralEngland Country Landowners' Association Countrywide Holidays Association

Cumbria Countryside Conference Cyclists' Touring Club Egremont Anglers'Association Friends of the Earth (West Cumbria) Friends of the LakeDistrict Holiday Fellowship ,National Farmers' Union National Trust YouthHostels Association Supporting the scheme was Cumbria County Council who,by fiftyfive votes to six, approved it.

In November 1978 the North West Water Authority published a draft order toempower the necessary works such as the construction of an access road,the compulsory acquisition of the necessary land and the stopping offootpaths. In the meantime a Save Ennerdale Campaign had been started. The following year another threat as profound as that to Ennerdale hadappeared. In the spring of 1979 British Nuclear Fuels announced theirintention of taking much more water from Wastwater. Atthat time they wereauthorized to take four million gallons daily and this had been thesituation for the fast twenty years. In order to allow this, it had beennecessary artificially to control the lake level. The works were fairlyunobtrusive. The pump house near the outflow of the lake was modest and,since it was built of stone, in keeping with the landscape; in addition itwas carefully sited. British Nuclear Fuels had found it necessary to go to

Wastwater because the water there was sufficiently pure. The new demand wasfor eleven million gallons daily, which would entail raising the lake levelby slightly more than a yard, the construction of a dam, weir or embankmentand the installation of additional pumping machinery.

A public inquiry into both the Ennerdale and Wastwater schemes started on15th January and went on until 9th May 1980. The North West Water Authorityand British Nuclear Fuels occupied thirtythree days of the inquiry, theNorth West Water Authority's landscape architect being at the witness standfor 4112 days. It appeared that the North West Water Authority had alreadymade provision for British Nuclear Fuels requirements in the Ennerdalescheme, but British Nuclear Fuel wished to get its own supplies fromWastwater, a situation not without advantage to the objectors of bothschemes.

The objectors pointed out the devastating effects on natural scenery whichwould result from these schemes. Leading for the objectors was the LakeDistrict Special Planning Board, followed by the Countryside Commission,the Nature Conservancy Council and the National Trust. The National Trustwas in a special relationship, being the owner of considerable property inEnnerdale, especially Mireside Farm, the agricultural property which wouldbe most affected by the scheme. The land owned by the National Trust isowned inalienably, meaning that it cannot be acquired by any other bodywithout consent of Parliament. Thus, to get this land, both the WaterAuthority and British Nuclear Fuels would face a long and expensiveprocess.

Following these objectors came the evidence of the campaign committee, withrepresentatives from all the amenity societies and also including a childof ten from the local primary school, representing the view of localpeople. Their case stressed the importance of protecting two of Lakeland'smost splendid dales and of controlling this threat to the whole philosophyof National Parks. The receipts for the funds of the campaign committeewere close on £15,000.

In support of the campaign committee, two demonstrations took place, bothat Easter. One was a great shout, taking place in Wasdale, at Echo corner,Wasdale, from which there are superb views of the Screes, the lake and themountains at the head of the lake. Here, on Easter Sunday, local people andmany campaign supporters from far and wide gathered to add their voices ofprotest. They were asked the question, Should more water be taken fromWastwater? No, rang out the great shout, and after a few seconds the echocame back perfectly.