Sir, I have just read the article about the Lake District National Park's financial black hole in this morning's The Westmorland Gazette (February 4, National park in cash crisis').

It seems to me that there can only be one solution to this problem and it would need co-operation between the LDNPA and South Lakeland District Council, who also have desperate money problems, to overcome.

Both are affected by a Scrooge-like lack of government support and funding.

Our beautiful area is visited by in excess of 10,000,000 people every year. This puts a tremendous burden on our various services. Equally the low population density means that rates income from locals is disproportionately low to pay for these services. Surely the time has arrived whereby we should find a way of charging an entry fee to the National Park. If we could obtain, say, £2 per visitor car, we would be in a very healthy income situation.

There are not that many routes into the park, so it need not be impossible to set up pay points. Also, as in American parks, visitors could be issued with a little welcome pack with a map and plastic bag to take litter away.

Locals, of course, and delivery and service vehicles could be issued with display discs to exempt them.

There may be those who will argue that any charge will stop people from coming or that there are too many complications, but with so many financial problems facing both park and council it seems to me that here is a major resource which is crying out to be tapped.

Derek Farman Winster