Windermere sea plane centenary speed limit issue debated

The speed limit was introduced in 2005

Lake District planners are to decide whether to allow a sea plane to land on Windermere even though it would break the 10mph speed limit.

There is a plan to mark the centenary of the first successful British hydro-aeroplane flight when Waterbird took off from the lake in November 1911.

Members of the Lake District National Park Authority will consider the proposal on Wednesday.

Among the options is not enforcing the by-law as an exception.

The event is being planned by Windermere Town Council. There is also a project to create a replica of Waterbird but that would not be until 2012.

The controversial speed limit was introduced on Windermere in 2005.

One option set out for Wednesday's meeting is to confirm the event cannot take place because of the by-law, which would leave it up to the organisers to decide whether to go ahead.

The other is to confirm it would breach the by-law but that the authority "might, exceptionally, consider 'not enforcing' the speed limit by-laws against this specific and planned sea plane landing and take-off".

The authority said that would be dependent on the organisers' assurances on environmental and user safety.