Zach Harrison

Zach Harrison reports finding rubbish, dog-waste bags, discarded clothing, glass and evidence of four fires along Windermere’s shoreline during a particularly dry summer. He criticizes visitors who ignore warnings from the Lake District National Park Authority and the National Trust, emphasizing that fires and discarded glass could contribute to wildfires. The piece calls on visitors to enjoy public spaces responsibly, avoid lighting fires and take their rubbish home.

Opposition and other councillors at Westmorland and Furness Council say 30-minute question periods at full council meetings are preventing some members from asking questions. Labour councillor Tony Callister argued that lengthy cabinet responses made the process unfair, while council chair Doug Rathbone acknowledged the concern and agreed to discuss it with the director of law and governance. Reform UK councillor Hazel Edwards subsequently said the limits were stifling debate.

A community campaign recorded 263 incidents of motorists driving the wrong way through Ambleside’s one-way system over 12 months, although members believe the true figure is higher. Cumbria Constabulary said any location identified as a problem hotspot could receive patrols and urged drivers to follow signs and report incidents with photographic or video evidence. Westmorland and Furness Council said poor driver behaviour is a major factor, while noting that additional signs and road markings had already been introduced and that further improvements may be needed to help visitors unfamiliar with the town’s road layout.

A planning inspector has allowed a retrospective appeal permitting a landowner to keep two horses and two stables on agricultural land at Rosgill near Shap. The Lake District National Park Authority had refused permission because it considered the stables unnecessary, discordant with the landscape and harmful to a Grade II listed limekiln. The inspector concluded that the rural location was appropriate, the buildings were modest and proportionate, and the development was justified by animal welfare needs.

A planning inspector quashed an enforcement notice issued by the Lake District National Park Authority against Richard Fallowfield’s timber-processing business at South Barn near Ayside. The authority had argued that the site’s use had materially changed from agriculture and required removal of a timber building, access track and hardstanding. Inspector R Merrett found no significant harm to the area’s character, the Lake District National Park, the World Heritage Site, residential amenity or highway safety, and concluded that the operation’s economic, social and environmental benefits supported approval. Fallowfield’s application for costs was refused.

Residents and campaigners in Ambleside say wrong-way driving has become a growing safety risk, recording 263 incidents over a year, including cases documented by photographs and video. The Ambleside The Wrong Way group warns that drivers approaching the one-way system from the wrong direction could seriously injure pedestrians, particularly at the Rydal Road crossing. Westmorland and Furness Council has renewed some signs and faded road markings and says it will continue reviewing the system and working with Cumbria Constabulary. Campaigners and local councillors say improvements have not solved the problem and are calling for a coordinated response involving the council and police, including stronger enforcement.

A Freedom of Information request found 16 incidents of pupils assaulting school staff in schools overseen by Westmorland and Furness Council across the two reported school years, including headbutting, kicking, biting and slamming doors on staff members’ heads. Former Cumbrian headteacher and National Education Union caseworker Chris Brooksbank said the incidents were not surprising after years of cuts and increased pressure on schools, and argued that assaults are likely under-reported, particularly in SEND settings. He called for more staff support, training, accurate monitoring and increased investment in education and children’s services. The council said it takes violence seriously and is supporting schools through trauma-informed development opportunities and an inclusion toolkit.

Cumbria Police have confirmed that the temporary 10mph limit on Aynam Road in Kendal is advisory rather than legally enforceable. The restriction is part of the Kendal Flood Risk Management Scheme, which is intended to protect the town from flooding while roadworks continue. A resident said drivers routinely ignore the signs. The Environment Agency stated that it has no agreement with Westmorland and Furness Council to actively enforce the limit, while maintaining that the existing traffic management is being reviewed to protect the public and workers.

Around 70 graves at Ulverston Cemetery have been marked with notices warning that their headstones are unstable or in poor repair, with temporary wooden supports installed in some cases. Westmorland and Furness Council said it inspects cemetery memorials on a rolling five-year programme and gives grave owners usually 12 months to arrange repairs, while securing or laying flat monuments that pose an immediate danger. If no family can undertake repairs, the council may stabilize the memorial by partially sinking it into the grave. Cemetery visitor Irene Whiteway criticized the site’s general upkeep, describing it as an “absolute disgrace.”

Westmorland and Furness Council approved new enforcement powers allowing the enforced sale of long‑term empty and problematic homes to recover unpaid debts. Councillor Judith Derbyshire said the policy is a last‑resort tool aimed at owners who refuse to engage and whose neglected properties cause safety issues and community harm. An Ulverston property vacant for over a decade, subject to antisocial behaviour and requiring more than £7,000 in council‑funded repairs, was cited as an example. The cabinet supported the measure, noting the need to address neglected properties generating complaints.

Westmorland and Furness Council is considering adopting an enforced sales policy allowing the authority to sell privately owned homes when owners fail to comply with statutory notices and repay debts arising from necessary works carried out by the council. Intended to tackle long‑term vacant or deteriorating properties, the proposal aims to improve neighbourhood conditions, promote responsible ownership, and support community safety. Priority would be given to homes in serious disrepair, long‑term vacancies, and cases where attempts to engage owners have not succeeded.

A new Performance Padel facility in Kendal is seeking an alcohol licence to allow drinks to be served after games. The centre, already approved by Westmorland and Furness Council, plans to operate daily from early morning to late evening and provide alcohol service until 10:30pm. Co-owner Robin Lawson described the sport as highly social and said the Preston branch has not experienced noise or behaviour issues. The Kendal site will feature five courts, a café, and changing facilities, with potential future expansion into pickleball courts. Opening is expected in late July or early August.

Friends of the Lake District outlines how it evaluates and responds to planning applications, focusing on developments with significant landscape impact in protected areas of Cumbria. Planning officer Leanne Parr explains that the charity, operating with limited resources, prioritizes cases with the highest potential influence and reviews applications for compliance with local and national policies, environmental considerations and possible mitigation measures. The group objected to only a small fraction of proposals last year and aims to suggest changes when objections are necessary.

A tied vote on a retrospective planning application for an extension in Coniston was resolved when the committee chair used his casting vote to approve the plans, prompting objections from a neighbour who argued the extension was too high and blocked views. Officers had recommended approval on the condition that lighting resembling cruise‑ship illumination be removed, with the applicant’s representative stating that wiring had already been disabled and the lights would be taken down. Objections focused on the extension’s height and excessive lighting, while committee members expressed mixed views before the approval was confirmed.