A historic moment for Windermere. But our fight is far from over.

Dear supporters,

In five years of campaigning to end sewage pollution in Windermere, there have been only a handful of moments when we've been able to stop, reflect and truly appreciate just how far we've come in our fight to protect England's largest lake for future generations.

When I started this campaign, I was told that sewage wasn't going into Windermere. I was told there wasn't a problem. And I was told that no further investment was planned to protect the lake.

Today's announcement tells a very different story.

For the past 15 months, we have been independently overseeing a landmark engineering feasibility study to answer a question that, for years, many dismissed as unrealistic: Can we completely eliminate sewage pollution from Windermere?

The answer is unequivocal. Yes, we can.

The study has demonstrated that it is technically possible to end United Utilities' sewage discharges into Windermere, Grasmere, Elterwater, Esthwaite Water, Blelham Tarn, Rydal Water and the surrounding rivers within just seven years.

And the findings go much further.

Eliminating these discharges would tackle the most significant cause of the problems we see today, create the conditions for ecological recovery, strengthen the lake's resilience to climate change and deliver substantial benefits to the local economy.

The evidence is clear that sewage pollution is the principal driver of Windermere's declining ecological health, contributing to harmful algal blooms and threatening the future of this extraordinary ecosystem.

For the first time, we have a credible, evidence-based pathway to achieving what we have been fighting for since day one.

This is a historic achievement, and one that deserves recognition.

It would be wrong not to acknowledge the leadership of United Utilities' Chief Executive, Louise Beardmore, in bringing her organisation to this point.

But we must also be absolutely clear.

This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. It is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Proving that we can eliminate sewage pollution is one thing. Making it happen is another.

The next stage is critical. The project must now move from feasibility into detailed design, development of engineering plans, funding arrangements and environmental permissions needed to make this project ready for construction. We must hold those responsible to account to deliver this.

We have been told that this work can be completed within two years. We must now do everything in our power to make sure that happens, and that the necessary preparations for the tunnel, the financing arrangements and the environmental permits are all delivered without unnecessary delay.

We cannot afford to lose momentum.

Every year of delay is another year of sewage entering our lakes and rivers, another year of ecological decline and another year in which the future of Windermere remains at risk.

Today, we have proved that a future without sewage pollution is possible. Now we must ensure that the ambition, political will and investment are there to deliver it.

This is a moment to celebrate, but it is also a moment to draw a line in the sand.

We have shown that we are willing to work with anyone who shares our ambition to protect Windermere. But our willingness to collaborate must never be mistaken for a willingness to compromise on the outcome or accept unnecessary delays.

The question is no longer whether we can end sewage pollution in Windermere. It is whether those with the power to deliver it will act with the urgency our lake deserves.

Our fight continues, and we will need your support more than ever in the months and years ahead.

Thank you to each and every one of you who has stood alongside us. None of this would have been possible without you.

Matt