A NEW project officer has been appointed to help revitalise three Lake District communities.

Donna Lee will co-ordinate the implementation of the Lakes Market Town Initiative - an action plan designed to rejuvenate the economies of Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside.

The towns are three of 15 in the North West taking part in the Countryside Agency's Market Towns Initiative a national scheme set up in 2000 to breathe new life into the country's market towns by attracting millions of pounds of fresh investment.

Straight from her previous post as project officer for the same scheme in Rydale, North Yorkshire, Mrs Lee will be reviewing the Lakes Market Town Partnership's action plan a document formed on the basis of local residents' wants and needs and trying to ensure its projects get off the ground.

"People think of regenerating as something that happens very quickly but in reality it can be more like conquering Everest.

"If the initiative goes to plan over three years we will start to get results. It needs a lot of hard work. But the members of the Lakes Partnership are very dedicated and keen to make sure we achieve as much as possible," she said.

The partnership comprises people from local businesses, government, voluntary groups, schools and service providers, who are responsible for driving the scheme through.

It is hoped the initiative will help revive the economies of the three tourist-trade reliant towns, which were rocked by foot-and-mouth and which could feel the potential impact of the 10mph speed limit on Windermere.

The mother-of-two, who is based at Windermere, said: "Fundamentally, this is an economic development initiative that looks at business in the town, access to the towns, opportun- ities for development or redevelopment, so it becomes a better place for people to live and work.

"This is only a three-year plan - we should look at a 10-20 year plan that creates the building blocks for much longer term economic development and improvement."

May 16, 2003 11:00