Ambleside News 4 April 2026

Westmorland and Furness Council has launched funding support for residents who rely on domestic heating oil and are experiencing financial hardship due to rising costs. The fund provides assistance for households after the recent sharp rise in the cost of oil. Eligible households can receive a one-off cash award of between £200 and £250, depending on household size, with an additional £20 for each child in full-time education up to the age of 18. This will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until the funding  is fully committed, with residents urged to apply as soon as possible, because the Household Support Fund is strictly time-limited by the government and only available until next Tuesday 31 March 2026. However, wider funding may also be available in April through the Government Crisis and Resilience Fund, full details on www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk

Lakes Parish Council asked Neighbourhood Sergeant Simon Totton and PCSO Debbie Ross to validate police requests that Lakes PC should fund CCTV which, up until it ceased operating in 2022, used to record from the top of Compston Road. Police said it helped identify shoplifters, tracked vehicles and assisted in locating missing persons using live data, while also acting as a crime deterrent. Windermere, Ulverston and Kendal all have Council funded CCTV. However, the camera had no formal mechanism for recording specific instances and uses, and evidence was largely anecdotal. Lakes PC said it had received no feedback on its usefulness or how it resulted in prosecutions, so had to decide whether the cost to the Council of re-instating was justified, especially in a town without regular police presence. Its re-deployment will be reviewed by the Finance Committee, and voted on by Council this week.

Complaints about parking outside Tesco on double yellow lines were again raised, and police said they could take action if a vehicle caused an obstruction. However, enforcement of parking on double yellow lines was the Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers’ responsibility.

LDNP Tree Officer Lucy Saunders explained to councillors the rules applying to tree management within Conservation Areas such as the Ambleside Conservation Area and the Grasmere Village and Grasmere Town End area. Trees within these areas with a stem diameter of 7.5cm or greater are legally protected, and tree works such as crown reduction are not automatically permitted  and must be justified. However, outside conservation areas, tree removal can’t be prevented unless a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) is in place, and if so, justification must be provided. There are 500 TPOs in the Lake District, based on particular tees as having significant local amenity value, or a need to protect the tree. For TPO-related works, there is a legal requirement to plant a replacement tree if one is felled. TPO applications are assessed by the Tree Officer and either approved, or refused with justification, or a ‘split decision’ can be issued. Lakes PC often provide comments on tree work applications, and any objections must be justified with strong valid reasoning, which might in turn support LDNPs’ Tree Officer to create a TPO. Council was encouraged to specify whether applications should be approved with or without replacement planting, or refused with justification, or determined via a split decision.

United Utilities has asked Grasmere residents to prevent ‘fatberg’ blockages in the sewers caused by pouring congealed fats, oils and grease down sinks. This is exacerbated by flushing wet wipes down the toilet, which together create solid blockages in pipes. UU is running a ‘Stop The Blocks’ campaign in areas with high visitor numbers such as Grasmere and Windermere,. This encourages households and food businesses such as restaurants and take-aways to cool fat, before putting it into a container and disposing of it in the household waste bin.