SOUTH Lakeland District Council is to spend £250,000 on improving the 'public realm' at Waterhead.

The money was secured at a budget-setting meeting of the authority last night.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron said it followed work by two local Lib Dem councillors - Heidi Halliday and Coun Vivienne Rees.

The pair have been campaigning for money and it will be used to improve the promenade, paths, parking and the beach at the northernmost point of 10.5-mile long Windermere.

Mr Farron said the project has been a long-running campaign for Coun Halliday who he said had pledged to secure funding when she was first elected to SLDC.

Coun Halliday also paid tribute to the work of Lakes Parish Council and local residents.

Ambleside Civic Trust are also said to be on board and are funding a slate panorama of the Lake District hills you can see across the lake.

Mr Farron said: “I want to thank local residents and praise Heidi for all her work and campaigning on the issue. She really does show what a local councillor can achieve if they work with their community. The funding secured at last night’s meeting was down to her, being a champion for her area.”

Coun Halliday, also a county councillor, said: “Councillor Rees and myself have long recognised the importance of Waterhead and I am really pleased that SLDC not only listened to us but have also agreed to invest a significant amount of money into this exciting project. "

Giles Archibald, the SLDC portfolio holder for town centres and small businesses said: "It has been a delight to work with Heidi, Vivienne, the Civic Trust, the Parish Council, and Go Lakes, to get us to the point where we had a viable project to present to Council. I am now looking forward to working with them on this project to improve Waterhead.”