CHARGES for boating enthusiasts using Windermere from April next year will be pegged at around two per cent.

South Lakeland District Council has unveiled marginal increases for the new season to keep close to or just over inflation.

But there will be a 25 per cent increase for some using Ferry Nab services because of high demand, a meeting was told.

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Jim Maguire, SLDC's community and leisure manager, explained that the council had 'a very large waiting list' for Ferry Nab but its proposed new fees were comparable to other areas.

SLDC owns the lake-bed, provides public slipways and manages moorings.

It charges for permanent moorings and has 763 boat owners on its books which brings in around half-a-million pounds of the £1.1 million it makes every year for a service that costs around half a million to run.

Moorings are charged on boat length and these will rise from £122 to £125 - equivalent to 2.5 per cent.

It also charges for encroachments on its jetties, piers, quays, boathouses and docks and these will rise around 2.5 to 3 per cent.

It also charges for other 'ancillary' services such as slipway usage, dinghy and trailer storage and and winter storage.

Cllr David Williams, the Conservative member for Bowness, said: "I'm delighted to see at last that this council realises increased greed means decreased revenue after years and years of 14 to 15 per cent increases."

Mr Maguire, addressing a meeting of the Lake Administration Committee at the Marchesi Centre in Windermere, explained: "The biggest single increase is for use of slipways which is 50p to £12.50 it looks a lot in percentage but it's not in money.

"The fees that have been proposed have taken account of the views of the Lake Users' Forum and lake users."

It follows claims last year that the council was using Windermere as a 'cash cow', which it defended because the services cost money to run and it also invested heavily around the lake.

SLDC had a revised application for its new facilities at Ferry Nab at Windermere approved by the Lake District National Park back in May.

It plans to extend the total length of its jetties by around 50 metres (164ft) 

yto create a marina with long-term berths for private let.

It will bring in £90,000 to council coffers in the first year with work expected to start in early 2015, the meeting was told.

Mr Maguire explained that there would be 26 berths in the new marina and 70 people had expressed an interest so far.

The facility would cater for boats up to 14-metres and down.

Its eleven berths for 14-metre boats will be charged at £5796 per year and its 15 berths for 12 metre boat would be £4968.

Cllr Andrew Gardiner, (Con) for Grange North, asked: "Why are we getting involved in running a business on the lake when there are other commercial operators?"

Mr Maguire said the council was trying to fill a gap in the market.

"At the moment, there's very few options for larger yachts to come onto the lake.

"I know of users who have left the lake because that place in the market is not being fulfilled," he said. "If we do not provide this facility, they will leave."