BOAT owners who use Windermere will soon see their fees rise because of coronavirus.

South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) proposed to raise the fees for Lake services by two per cent and the legal fees by more than two per cent.

Service fees include tractor use, mast hoist use, warden boat hire and towing services.

The legal services fee which is tacked into the start of any new contract will rise separately above the two per cent recommendation, so as to recover costs incurred for time spent by lawyers.

The price hikes mean the average new pleasure boat owner will have to pay upfront costs of £500.

Josh Adams from Windermere Aquatic Ltd in Bowness said he was very surprised by the new increase in legal fees.

He said: “I don’t know how SLDC think that people on the lake have enough money to keep charging us more and more.

"In the old days before the speed limit was reduced, you could easily have charged these fees to the speed boat users and water skiers, as they were the people who actually had the big money to spend on the lake.

"I think the whole bylaws of the lake needs a complete restructure as a result of this pandemic.

"The only people you see out today are paddleboard users and they don’t contribute much to the economy around here.”

Danielle Walls, legal, governance and democracy specialist at the council defended the rise.

She said: “Windermere’s legal fees are disproportionately low.

"I agree it looks large but a legal agreement at £500 is propionate.

"We are happy to review it but it is a proportional cost in the time we take to review this agreement."

Councillor Adrian Legge, who is a Lakes parish Councillor and sits on the committee said there should be an easier way to raise the fees.

He said: “I propose a 50 per cent increase in the first year which would bring the fee up to £300 from £200 and the subsequent year to go to the commercial rate instead. We should then impose the fee which would reflect the year we are having.”

Councillors voted eight to four not to raise service fees, but nine to three to raise the legal fees. The new rule begins next April.