A BOLD bid to bring back more water skiers to a 'declining' Windermere by nearly doubling the speed limit for power boats is being floated by lake users.

The move has been mooted by members of the Windermere Lake User Forum (WLUF) who have touted that the current 10 nautical miles per hour speed limit on the lake be increased to between 18 and 20 nmph.

It is believed that this would attract more people back to the lake, which has seen a worrying fall in renewals of registrations and moorings over the past few years, with levels reportedly as they were in 2012.

WLUF chairman Carole Shaw presented the group's proposals at a meeting of South Lakeland District Council's Lake Administration Committee.

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Speaking to the Gazette after the meeting, she said: "What we have seen over the last 15 years or so is a generation of young people not staying with the lake.

"People who do water skiing come in generations. The sport can go through three generations, as even when the grandparents no longer ski, they drive the boats. You don't get this with sailing or swimming or canoeing.

"The speed limit has meant that as kids get older they go elsewhere to water ski, and if the kids aren't coming the grandparents go where the kids go."

Ms Shaw pointed out that the lowering of the speed limit to 10 nautical miles per hour in 1994 had led to a change in perception about the way the lake could be used, and that it was no longer considered an 'exciting' place for watersports.

"A change has occurred. The lake used to attract a small number of people who were high spenders who came back to the lake every year and were part of the life here," she said.

"Water skiing offers a huge opportunity to revitalise the lake and bring back younger people. We want families to come and become part of lake life; to make friends and build part of their life around coming back time and time again."

The proposal outlined at the meeting was presented to the Forum members in March by the Power Boater representatives on behalf of the power boat groups that would like to see water skiing on the lake.

It is now under consideration and consultation by the other lake user reps to get views from their users and to bring this back to the meeting in September.

The potential for economic rejuvenation as a result of families coming and supporting the commercial businesses on and around Windermere also offers remedy for the damage caused to the area by the floods.

Many businesses were flooded as a result of Storm Desmond, and WLUF reported at the committee meeting that some were choosing to mothball damaged buildings and start again using new premises with in-built flood contingencies.

Jason Dearden, who represents commercial businesses on the forum and is managing director of Shepherds Marine, said: "Water skiing is a family activity. It brings people to Windermere and they stay the night. The lake is missing this now. I am on the lake a lot and there are times when I do wonder if the lake is being used as much anymore.

"When you buy a boat to go water skiing you commit to the area. You are making an investment in your lifestyle that means you come back to the area on a regular basis.

"Businesses want repeat customers. Water skiing provides this and this helps the economy and could boost it after the flood damage to businesses.

"As well as benefitting the businesses that are directly related it also benefits the economy for the whole area. The restaurants and guest houses in Bowness and Ambleside benefit from people coming and spending."

The forum made it clear that any higher speed water skiing would be 'well managed and responsible'. Anybody wanting to be exempt from the ten mile an hour speed limit would have to be a member of a club, and boats would need to be registered and drivers trained.

Only certain areas of the lake would be available to be used and times for this use would be decided to cause minimum disruption to other lake users.

Commenting on the forum's proposals, Windermere councillor Ben Berry said: "I read that moorings and usage is down own the lake and that's really sad for me to see having grown up here and seen a vibrant lake.

"I think there should be a review of the speed limit and a review to see what family activities on the lake would be most popular."

Nigel Wilkinson, managing director of Windermere Lake Cruises, expressed further support for the proposals, saying: "We hope that the authorities will look at what can be done to improve the situation on the lake and whether there are possibilities to make further use of the speed limit exemptions."

At the moment exemptions from the by-law that enforces the ten miles per hour speed limit must be applied for through SLDC. This would be the case for those wishing to water ski at the proposed new speeds.

Despite support from many of the lake's key users, the suggestions made by WLUF are not supported by all.

When the ten mile per hour limit was first introduced, it was done to promote tranquility on the lake and prevent power boats from disrupting other lake activity. Some believe that it must remain for the same reasons.

Alison Lax, policy officer for Friends of the Lake District, said: "We are happy with the situation on Windermere as it is. We worked for a long time for the tranquility on the lake, partly out of concern for the safety of other users of the lake when high speed boats were there.

"Since the speed limit was introduced there have been a lot more opportunities for other users and quite a lot of growth around businesses linked to these other uses - particularly with swimming. Some businesses did suffer from the speed limit but others have grown and built upon the lake being tranquil."

Steven Gaskell, park management leader for the Lake District National Park Authority, said: "In terms of a decline in moorings there has only been a decline of about 150 since 2013.

"We have been quite clear that using the by-law exemptions to bring back water skiing at speeds greater than ten miles per hour does not fit with the exemption policy at the moment."