Speed boat lake ban rejected

The lake is popular with water sports enthusiasts

Campaigners trying to stop the use of powerboats on a north Wales lake will continue their fight, despite a decision not to ban them.

People living near Llyn Geirionnydd in Snowdonia claim the water sports cause a nuisance.

A petition objecting to water sports on the lake was handed to the Snowdonia National Park Authority.

But the authority said no evidence was found to support introducing a by-law to ban water sports.

People living near the lake have said speed boats on Llyn Geirionnydd are noisy, dangerous and are damaging the local beauty and complained to the Snowdonia National Park Authority.

The information is not strong enough in the authority's mind to go ahead with a by-law Aneurin Phillips, Snowdonia National Park Authority

But after an investigation, officials from the authority said that they could not justify prohibiting the boats.

"After collecting information in a survey over the summer, the information about water pollution, safety for swimmers and sound levels is not strong enough in the authority's mind to go ahead with a by-law," said the chief executive of the authority, Aneurin Phillips.

"I acknowledge, and the authority acknowledges, that the people are anxious and that they have also given their thoughts about the use of these boats.

"We will be doing two things. One is to carry on to monitor the use of the boats on the lake through out the summer of 2005 and secondly to promote voluntary management between the skiing club and other uses of the lake.

"If the evidence shows that there are problems in conservation terms or in sound and safety then the authority will be happy to use the necessary powers.

We have collected over 1,000 names on a petition and we want the lake back as it was Josephine Roberts, Friends of Llyn Geirionnydd

"But at the end of the day, the evidence has to be strong enough to persuade an inspector in an investigation that a by-law is the only answer to deal with the problem."

But members of the local campaign group, Friends of Llyn Geirionnydd, said that they will continue to put pressure on the authority to ban the boats.

"We were not expecting a by-law within a year because people have been opposing the use of speed boats since the 1960s," said Josephine Roberts chair of the action group.

"The authority has said from the start that it is going to take time and that they need a lot of evidence against the speed boats and we know it is going to be a slow job.

"The sound level is not at a dangerous level but we think it is on a level which is uncomfortable for people to enjoy themselves, to have a picnic or to go swimming.

"We have collected over 1,000 names on a petition and we want the lake back as it was because it is the only lake left to swim or to canoe as the others are reservoirs."