I read the report about parking in the Langdale valley (Gazette, February 21, 'Elterwater is a theme park now').

It's been a problem for many years and keeps getting worse. There are currently two car parks in Elterwater, but they don't provide sufficient parking for the demand and there is nothing in Chapel Stile or Skelwith Bridge.

Not only is there insufficient parking for day trippers, we also have a problem with a lack of parking in the villages for residents and holidaymakers. The local housing was never built with cars in mind. With up to 85 per cent of the properties being holiday lets and many visitor groups arriving in more than one car, our narrow roads get blocked with on-road parking.

The tourists undoubtedly bring jobs to the area, but they do bring problems too. The volume of tourists and cars have an impact on the lives of the local population.

It is not uncommon for tourists to park in residents' car parks, meaning that local people are not able to park outside their own homes. Not only that, but some tourists consider it their right to park anywhere they like and, if challenged, dismiss locals' concerns and have even been known to be rude or threatening. I have experienced this myself in Chapel Stile and it is very unpleasant.

While tourists are welcome to our lovely valley not all of them show enough respect to the people who live and work here.

How would they feel if we parked on their driveways and went off for a long walk?

My family has lived in the Langdale Valley for 400 years and I have lived here all my life. I care about this special place that is my home and I find it very upsetting that not enough is being done to protect our valley.

The Lake District National Park Authority should be doing everything possible to preserve and protect the area for the benefit of future residents and visitors alike but we feel abandoned.

I haven't spoken to a single local person who thinks that becoming a World Heritage Site was a good idea. This has simply resulted in more tourists, but without any additional funding to local communities to cope with the volume of visitors.

The national park authority seems to have an ambition to continue increasing the number of visitors to the Lake District, but where are they all going to park?

Jean Birkett

Chapel Stile