BOAT users on Windermere will face an increase in fees amid ‘unprecedently high inflation’.

Members of the Lake Administration Committee for Westmorland and Furness Council approved measures to increase lake service fees by ten per cent in 2024/25.

A report prepared by council officers for the meeting said: “The proposed increase of 10 per cent ensures that we are able to meet the additional running costs as well as supporting the proposed additional lake wardens who will include support the effective collection of our existing income.

“This will minimise the impact of the additional running costs impacting on other services or falling to all council tax payers.”

According to council reports the proposed increase will generate around £135,000 in additional income for Westmorland and Furness Council.

Cabinet Member for finance for Westmorland and Furness Council councillor Andrew Jarvis (Windermere and Ambleside, Lib Dems) said: “We need to take that surplus and use it for the benefit of our council taxpayers. I mean, let’s be clear, unlike most of our services, encroachments and moorings are not really necessary services.

“In the case of moorings there are alternative private suppliers you can go to. I don’t see why those who are privileged to have either encroachments or the moorings shouldn’t get a real terms cost decrease at the expense of the council taxpayer.

“Personally, I’m not ashamed that there’s a surplus here, it’s right there’s a surplus and thus to revoke that surplus essentially is at the cost of the council tax payer.”

The proposals will see the cost of open deck yachts moored annually increasing from £846 to £930.60 and the cost of mooring licences rise from £130.80 to £143.90.

The council say the proposed uplift is a direct of ‘unprecedently high inflation’ during 2022/23 and in 2023/24.

Director of resources for Westmorland and Furness Council Pam Duke told the committee the proposed uplift was below inflation over the two-year period as last year costs were only increased by five per cent.

A member of Windermere and Bowness Town Council, councillor Adrian Bruce Legge, called the proposed increase ‘unfair’ and proposed the council increase fees by 6.7 per cent.

Cllr Legge said: “I would agree with councillor Jarvis if that surplus were ringfenced and spent on facilities for the lake but it’s not, it disappears into council coffers and can be spent anywhere.

“There is a general presumption the increase will be line with inflation but this increase of ten per cent I would regard as being unfair and unreasonable.”

Member of Windermere and Bowness Town Council councillor Peter Douglas Hamilton spoke about the impact the proposed increase would have on the Windermere 17 fleet, a club which race yachts on the lake.

He told the committee the club, which has a ‘proud history’ of racing on the lake, has ‘serious concerns’ over the proposed increase.

He said on behalf of the club: “We are facing proposed mooring fees of £691.70 which works out at £138 each month our boats are on the water. The total fees our fleet is facing for 2024 is £13,834 which seems an excessive amount to expect for a locally small group of people which pursue the sport and continue the tradition of racing in these unique boats.”

Cllr Hamilton added the club are calling for a fifty per cent discount which recognises their ‘unique and historic setting’ on the lake.

Councillor Matt Brereton (High Furness, Conservative) said over two years the increase is not ‘unreasonable’ but called for a discount for historic or third sector users of the lake.

He added: “Nobody wants to see those 1930s yachts gone from Windermere as that would be a tragedy.”

Members of the Lake Administration Committee for Westmorland and Furness Council approved the ten per cent rise on Monday January 8 at Kendal Town Hall.