17 July 2025: Mike Milner and Harriet Fear Davies had another meeting this month with United Utilities on behalf of the parish councils. They will be updating their website this week to set out what their next steps are, but this includes (but isn’t necessarily limited to) what is set out below. The planning application is unlikely to go live again until spring 2026, with work commencing late 2026 / 2027, but that is subject to change.
- Commissioning feasibility studies into two options other than full removal of the weir: having a lower weir, and basically doing nothing except maintaining the weir to keep it in a safe condition. They will then decide which option out of the three (these two and the full weir removal) they will take forward, and will explain the reasons for that decision. It will, as ever, be subject to the agreement of the entire Project Steering Group, which includes the National Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency;
- Properly reviewing historic information about lake levels, compared to how they will be after their proposed work is completed, which will then be presented in a clearer manner;
- Ensuring that their flood modelling uses the correct data, and that it is approved by the Environment Agency;
- Finalising the long-term plans for management of the lake shore (including fencing), and in this respect, they have re-opened communications with the relevant landowners (and once they have decided which option to take forward, they will also meet landowners down stream);
- Updating ecology assessments, including trees. They are also meeting the Melbreak Wildlife Group to discuss their feedback;
- Considering a board walk across Park Beck;
- Arranging another round of drop-in sessions for the community to go and see the information and discuss it with members of the team – one of these will be in Loweswater, and another in Cockermouth. They are likely to be in late 2025 / early 2026;
- Preparing information in a more digestible manner, as not everyone wants to read documents which are hundreds of pages long and full of technical terms.
21 May 2025 : United Utilities has written to the planning authority to ask that its application in relation to Crummock Water is put on hold. It did so after local meetings on 8 May – one with Mike Milner and Harriet Fear Davies on behalf of the parish councils, the other with Friends of Crummock. Its letter to the LDNPA said:
“We are preparing our response to the points raised by the various consultees including the Environment Agency. This will take a number of weeks and require further discussion with statutory consultees, customers and the parish councils etc.
We would therefore request an extension of time to the decision making process such that all involved have sufficient time to fully consider the proposals.”
That extension of time was granted by the LDNPA and it has said that “Any further information received will be subject to full public consultation”.
Since then, the Environment Agency has clarified that it continues to support the aims of the project, and that “there is no indication that UU cannot ultimatately submit the necessary information to address our concerns [about flood risk]”.
All three of the above letters are on the LDNPA website with the rest of the planning documents.
19 April 2025 : The application to dismantle the weir and associated works is now live on the Lake District National Park Authority website here. Notices posted by the weir give 30 days for comments from the date of the notice, which was 1 April. Buttermere and Loweswater Parish Council are both official consultees, and have requested and been given an extension to this deadline. They have no influence over the planning authority’s general consultation period. It seems the authority is working to the timescales set out in statute for making a planning decision and intends to consider the application at its planning committee in early July with a decision soon after that.
We noticed on 16 April that the Environment Agency has objected to the application as it is not satisfied at present that the development would not increase flood risk elsewhere. We have asked United Utilities about this, and they say that they are looking to submit an updated Flood Risk Assessment in early May, which the Environment Agency would then comment on, and they are not looking to withdraw the planning application in the meantime.
We have also queried with UU the timeframe for works starting as this is set out inconsistently in the application. It’s worth noting that planning permission is not the only approval United Utilities need to obtain – there are other aspects which still need to be consulted on and approved, including in relation to rights of way. They have said: “ If we got approval (Planning, Landowner, Highways, Public Right of Way Diversion) in a timely manner, we would expect that we would look to do the enabling works as identified, towards the end of this year / early 2026 which would allow us to keep to the programme as set out in the Method Statement. In the event of any delays, the worst case would be the potential for the programme to slip 12 months. We will of course keep the website updated as the project progresses”.
For up to date information please visit the United Utilities website. www.unitedutilities.com/crummock
December 2024: On being asked for another update, United Utilities have said the following: “United Utilities are targeting to get the application for Crummock submitted within the first month of 2025. With such a sensitive application, we need to ensure the application is robust and thorough in order to deliver a sufficient quality output that all stakeholders can support as well as satisfying all our regulatory requirements.Delays have been as a consequence of agreeing the final details of the plans with all relevant stakeholders, detailed bridge design and flood modelling.As you can appreciate, if there are any changes to the plans, this has a ripple effect on numerous other documents, plans and drawings within the application that need updating consequently. The most recent delay was agreeing the location of the new footbridge bridge with adjoining footpaths etc and therefore a need to update the flood model and associated drawings, plans, and assessments.
As for a long-term forecast, once we have the application approved and contractors appointed, from this point we can then plan the remainder of the programme, but at this moment in time would assume a 2026 start on site. Again, this will be updated on the website once this is confirmed.”
March 2024: United Utilities has advised that the planning application is now more likely to be submitted in June 2024, and some ground investigation works will be carried out on United Utilities’ own land at Crummock, “due to start on Monday 18 March and expected to last approximately 3 weeks. All the work is on UU land and there will be some large vehicles being mobilised on site. This work is to confirm ground conditions that all feeds into the design for the planning application.”
United Utilities is planning works to Crummock Water now that it is no longer abstracting water from the lake. For all the up to date information please visit the United Utilities website. www.unitedutilities.com/crummock
For written answers prepared by United Utilities, mainly to questions asked by the Parish Councils, please download this document. Buttermere Parish Council Response June 23
Open letter from Buttermere, Lorton and Loweswater parish council chairs, and supported by Melbreak Communities, about Crummock Water – October 2023
Now that United Utilities (“UU”) have held its last drop-in session about plans for Crummock Water, we thought it might be helpful to summarise the position, as we understand that the consultation process is now largely complete (although we continue to raise points with UU and other organisations). The next stage is likely to be a planning application in March 2024, and subject to that, work is due to begin in 2025.
For clarity of the legal position, only Buttermere Parish Council will have a formal role in the planning process as a statutory consultee, but the other parish councils are able to comment, as are individuals.
Parish councillors in all three parishes are aware, as is Melbreak Communities, that there is a mix of local views about the proposed works. Some people are passionately against the concept, some are very much for it, and some are in between, but maybe with concerns. There is little doubt that most people are worried that there will be considerable disruption whilst the work takes place.
Over the past year parish councillors and Mike Milner, clerk to all three parishes, have worked hard on your behalf to understand UU’s plans and gather the views of the local community. We recognise that this is a significant project which will impact our lives, businesses and the look of our lovely valley. We have attended all UU’s drop in sessions, and the public meeting and a separate Q&A session for councillors in June. We have considered pages of documents and diagrams, and asked numerous questions of UU in writing, and in person. We have had discussions at parish council meetings, and heard the views of the public at some of those meetings; we are out and about in the local community in our daily lives and have talked about the plans with residents in person, by phone and email. We have met and written to a number of other involved organisations and individuals, including local landowners. We have made site visits. We put in a detailed response to the Scoping Document which UU submitted in relation to the Environmental Impact Assessment which will form part of the planning application (all of which can be seen on the Lake District National Park Authority’s (“LDNPA”) planning portal on its website). Councillors are all unpaid volunteers.
In particular, we have been in touch with the Highways Department about the effect on our local roads during the construction stage (and this dialogue will continue), and with English Nature in relation to wildlife and ecology.
We know that there are four key issues:
- Whether UU is planning to drop the level of the lake by too much. We have repeatedly asked questions of UU on this, and as mentioned previously, it has produced a presentation to explain its current thinking which is available on the UU website. We are considering that information and may pursue this further with UU prior to the planning application. Even if not, it is likely to be significant in driving our response to that application.
- The effect on downstream flood risk. UU will have to demonstrate to both the Environment Agency (“EA”) and the Planning Department that there will be no increased flood risk. We have met Cockermouth Emergency Response Group to ascertain their views, and they are strongly for the work as they say it will improve matters. They have assured us that UU’s modelling is scrutinised by the EA, and is also peer reviewed at Lancaster University.
- The impact on wildlife. The parish councils have it in mind that long-term, the project is likely to be largely beneficial for wildlife – that is based on what has been said by English Nature, and the fact that there does not seem to be any evidence from any ecological expert to the contrary. It is not disputed that it will in the short-term be potentially damaging, and the risk of greater public access to the shoreline may present issues. We have been in communication with UU and English Nature about specific concerns in this respect to make sure they understand the species which may be affected, and to try and minimise any adverse effects. These are issues which we will continue to engage with them on.
- Whether it is appropriate for UU to be decommissioning a reservoir when there are forecast climate change water shortages. We wrote to UU specifically raising this earlier this year. Its response is under the question section on its website. The loss of a reservoir may be a planning consideration – at this stage we don’t know – but it is certainly a factor weighing on councillors’ minds.
Once the planning application is submitted, the parish councils will review it in detail and reach a conclusion as to their views, which will take into account local opinion. They will comment on the application, probably in some detail, and Buttermere Parish Council will indicate whether it supports or objects. At the planning application stage the parish councils can only make comments on matters which are proper planning considerations; they are already taking steps to make sure they are fully informed on what those will be given that this is an unusual development. It is important to understand that the parish councils do not have the power to stop this work – they will be one voice amongst many, and the planning authority may go against the parish council views. The parish councils themselves cannot reach a concluded opinion on the scheme until UU puts in its final plans.
As set out above, the parish councils need to understand local opinions and we believe that we do have that understanding. Parish council meetings are advertised in The Link and on The Melbreak Communities website. Crummock Water is an agenda item for every meeting, followed by the section at which members of the public can raise their views. Harriet Davies, chair of Buttermere Parish Council who is co-ordinating the responses on behalf of all three councils attends all parish council meetings so that there is an overview of the issues and concerns.
We think that we have raised all the most pressing and valid issues and concerns which members of the community have with UU, some of which we are continuing to discuss with it and English Nature and will be factors in us considering the planning application. UU has also had ample opportunity to listen to feedback itself, through the three rounds of drop-in sessions which it has had, and the public meeting in June. If any residents of Buttermere, Loweswater or Lorton have any concerns which they think councillors are unaware of, please either attend your local parish council meeting, speak to a councillor, or email Mike Milner (buttermereparishclerk@gmail.com), making clear which parish you live in, and he will ensure the chair of that council, and Harriet, see it. Blindbothel Parish Council is also in communication with us, and residents of that parish should also take steps to communicate with their councillors if they wish to raise points (contact details are on the Melbreak Communities website).
Harriet Davies – Chair, Buttermere Parish Council, David Robinson – Chair, Loweswater Parish Council, Chris Poate – Chair, Lorton Parish Council, Glenis Postlethwaite – Chair, Melbreak Communities, & Councillor, Lorton Parish Council
The Melbreak Communities 