EVEN if the Lake District National Park Authority decides to go ahead and scrap its events programme, it will still have to publish the accompanying glossy brochure because it would cost more to ditch it than to keep it, reports Michaela Robinson-Tate.

The news, which was dubbed "extraordinary" and "bizarre" by members of Windermere Town Council, came just over a week before the crucial meeting at which the decision will be made whether or not to cancel the events programme and the cherished free guided walks.

Members of Windermere Town Council voted unanimously at their meeting on Monday to write to the national park objecting to the scrapping of the guided walks.

Coun Jennifer Borer wanted to know what would happen to the brochure that was used to publicise the events programme, which she said had been welcomed by local people.

Coun Helen Jones, who is also a member of the LDNPA, said that because there was a "financial cost" involved in not publishing the brochure, it would still be published, but it would publicise other organisations' events.

Coun Borer said, "how extraordinary", and Coun Jones agreed, adding it was "bizarre".

LDNPA spokesperson Mick Casey said that the net cost of producing 100,000 copies of the guide, after taking out advertising revenue, was £19,000.

He said: "It was found out that to actually stop the guide would probably cost more than it would to carry on with it, (because of) advertising and compensation and printing costs."

He said that if members decided at a special meeting on February 7 to reinstate the events programme, there should still be time to include it in the events guide. If members opted to scrap the walks and the events, the brochure would be published but would list events held in the national park and organised by other organisations.

LDNPA member Maureen Colquhoun, who said she did not want to lose the events programme, commented: "It's part of the gross inefficiency existing within the authority at the moment, that matters are put before members that are sometimes not fully and properly thought out, and this events booklet is one of those."

However, Mick Casey stressed the original decision to scrap the walks had been taken by members who had a full briefing and background papers.

Meanwhile, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins said he had asked Government ministers for reassurance that the LDNPA would not suffer a financial penalty if members opted to keep the guided walks.

l Mick Casey this week defended the authority following criticism in a report about the Joint Structure Plan, which is produced by LDNPA and Cumbria County Council.

Despite the Government's Planning Inspectorate stating that there was "a lack of commitment from the national park authority itself to forward planning in the national park", Mr Casey said the comments did not refer to the work of the authority as a whole, and were made only in the context of the joint structure plan and its examination in public.