THERE seems to be a considerable amount of concern developing within Lakeland communities about the proposal to seriously restrict the output of slate working sites in the Lake District to about 10 per cent of the present level to satisfy the demands of World Heritage Site status.
It is therefore good to see that Steve Ratcliffe, director of sustainable development at the Lake District National Park Authority, has taken up this issue and plans to try to persuade UNESCO to allow the industry to continue operating in its present form and develop when appropriate.
It is essential that the Lake District encourages the development of industries such as slate working and other skills to balance tourism.
It is estimated at the moment that slate working provides around 50 full-time, extremely skilled, 12 months of the year jobs, with good wages; something that tourism could never match.
I know that many people will be wondering how the team that worked to acquire World Heritage Site status clearly didn’t realise the consequences it would have, and take action to safeguard the industry.
A.D. Cameron
Coniston
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