A LONGSTANDING community campaigner claims she was unceremoniously ousted from her seat on an authority by her political rivals.

Coniston resident Anne Hall has represented South Lakeland on the Lake District National Park Authority for the past eight years.

But the Conservative member has now been replaced by a Liberal Democrat councillor - Vivienne Rees, from Grasmere - after a vote in the South Lakeland District Council chamber last week.

Cllr Hall, 73, who is a member of Coniston and Lowick parish councils, SLDC and Cumbria County Council, said she was 'saddened' representation on the LDNPA had become a 'political tool'.

"I recognise it's a political world, but this situation saddens me, because all I wanted to do is to fight for survival of communities in the Lake District," she added.

"National parks were not, and never should be, political.

"I am very sad to be removed from the Lake District National Park and that my extensive knowledge and understanding of communities within it is being thrown aside for political purposes by whipped voting from members of SLDC's ruling Liberal party."

The Lake District National Park Authority is made up of representatives put forward by district councils in Cumbria, Cumbria County Council and experts appointed by the Home Office.

The committee rules on planning applications for properties and land within the national park boundary, as well as deciding upon its policies.

But SLDC leader Cllr Giles Archibald described the situation as a 'spat'.

He added that the vote to fill the authority's two designated places on the national park's committee with Liberal Democrat members had been taken democratically.

"We had three good candidates and the councillors made the tough choice of selecting two.

"I really didn't want to start my time as leader of the council with a spat like this.

"We very much value Anne's service, as we value the service of any councillor who sits on an outside body and volunteers their time.

"But it's always good to renew and have different people coming forward with a different perspective, and that has been the case here."