As Vice-Chairman of Cumbria Wildlife Trust and a member of the Lake District National Park Authority, like other environmental organisations, I am personally concerned about so many aspects of the proposal to set up an Internal Drainage Board for the Lyth Valley and Witherslack areas.

This will arrange funding to continue the pumped drainage of the area to the benefit of a small number of farming businesses.

My main concerns are: 1. Switching off the pump will dramatically improve the wildlife of the area with no significant impact on properties or infrastructure but will continue to allow intensive farming of the area.

2. Residents of South Lakeland will be expected to contribute some £46,000 in the first year with the risk of considerably more in the future to improve the grazing for a small number of farmers in the Lyth Valley area. There has been virtually no attempt to consult beyond the farming community that will benefit, despite the resounding rejection of a similar proposal in 2011.

I hope your readers will contact their South Lakeland district councillors before they consider this matter in mid-September and respond to the NFU consultation to express their concern.

John Farmer

Longsleddale