MP welcomes action to tackle sewage leaks in Bowness and pushes United Utilities over Windermere project

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has spoken to United Utilities about their plans for cleaning up Windermere after he secured a promise to take swift action to prevent foul sewage overflows in front of the Tourist Information Centre at Bowness Bay.

United Utilities have agreed to act on the issue as a matter of urgency. Environment Agency statistics show that the drain on Glebe Road outside the TIC has overflowed on average 248 times a year since 2000, pouring 131 million gallons of sewage on to the streets and into the lake.

Tim said, "The regular sewage overflows at Bowness Bay are a disgrace and a threat to public safety. This is the epi-centre of the Lake District tourism economy and for foul water to be spilling out onto the pavement and the road is utterly unacceptable. It's great news that our campaign for action to be taken looks to have paid off."

Original plans to deal with outflows into the lake by building a holding tank under the Glebe at Bowness were called off after figures showed that the tank would have to be almost four times larger than originally thought. This means that alternatives have to be found in order to deal with unacceptable pollution in the lake.

An exhibition is being held at the Belsfield Hotel on 27 July to allow local residents and businesses to comment on the plans. United Utilities have agreed to shelve the plans to dig up the Glebe and look at a 'holistic' solution.

United Utilities have agreed to sit down with the Environment Agency to improve water quality in the lake and Tim is urging local residents, businesses, farmers and environmental groups to engage fully in discussions to make sure that the way forward is one that everyone can support.

Tim said today: "I am delighted that the Glebe plans have been shelved, and that we can bring everyone around the table and look at a long term plan to improve the water quality."