SIR, The Lake District National Park Authority normally maintains a dignified absence from your letters column about the forthcoming 10mph speed limit on Windermere, where writers seem unable, or unwilling, to grasp that a new by-law has been authorised and it is going to be introduced in March 2005.

However, this time I feel I must respond to points made on May 9, as the letters contained inaccuracies and called into question the professionalism and integrity of members of staff who work for the National Park Authority.

Your correspondent Jason Dearden claims that a new video in use at our Bowness Tourist Information Centre is "propaganda". The video was actually made in response to public demands for information about the issue.

The video is available for the public to see at our Tourist Information Centres and the Lake District Visitors' Centre at Brockhole, and I would recommend people make the effort to view the video and then judge its worth for themselves.

Another of your letter writers called for an inquiry "based on the facts" to look thoroughly at the speed limit debate and "settle the issue once and for all".

What so many people (including some of your own columnists) seem to conveniently forget is such a democratic process took place in 1994/95 and everyone had the chance then to voice their opinions!

A Government Inspector, at an open Public Inquiry, took evidence for 48 days and concluded that a speed limit was the only acceptable solution he could see to the conflict.

Recently, the DEFRA Minister responsible for National Parks, Alun Michael, has also confirmed that he believes Windermere should be a place where people have the right to expect a feeling of peace and tranquillity.

In a written Parliamentary reply to a question from the Labour MP Kate Hoey, the Minister said: "The by-laws are expected to cause fast power boating to cease on Windermere, together with associated activities, of which water-skiing is the most popular. On the other hand more people may be attracted to engage in other water-based recreational pursuits when what has been seen as a fundamental problem of incompatibility between power boating and lower-key activities has been solved."

The National Park Authority has recently appointed a new Windermere Project Officer whose role is to help formulate and develop business, leisure and conservation on the lake within the scope of the new 10mph regulations which will apply in the future.

Surely looking to the future as we are - and not trying to repeat past debates - is the way forward for those of us who enjoy England's largest lake, set in England's finest landscape.

Paul Tiplady

Lake District National Park Officer

May 16, 2003 11:30