NORTH-WEST Water is to start charging for some of its car parks in the Lake District.

And fears are growing that it could mark the start of moves towards blanket charges for car parking on all the land it owns -- including Bolton's favourite playgrounds of Rivington, Entwistle and Jumbles.

Parking has always been free on the Swirls and Legburthwaite parking and picnic areas near Thirlmere, the north Lakeland reservoir that sends water to Bolton down a 90-mile aqueduct.

But now Allerdale Council is considering a planning application by the water company to install pay and display machines at the two Thirlmere parking areas.

The company can charge without anyone needing to give permission, but it needs planning consent for the ticket machines.

Both the car parks have toilet blocks. The Swirls is popular with people climbing England's third highest mountain, Helvellyn, and the Legburthwaite one is used by climbers from far and wide because it is in the shadow of the rock climbing mecca, Castle Rock of Triermain.

In 1997, there was an outcry when NW Water announced plans to start charging for parking in Lever Park, Rivington. The plan was to raise up to £150,000 a year towards the upkeep of the country park.

Chorley and Bolton councils and many local groups objected so strongly that that the water company eventually dropped the proposals.

A NW Water spokesman insisted to the BEN yesterday that there were still no plans to extend the Thirlmere idea to Rivington or any other company-owned car parks in the Bolton area.

"We are the only ones in the Thirlmere area who do not charge for parking. We believe it is a fair and reasonable thing to do and the charge will be minimal to cover the costs of maintaining the car parks, the toilets and making environmental improvements," he said.

Proposed charges are 60p an hour or £2 all day.

People who live around Thirlmere, however, have already objected on the grounds that parking charges will mean motorists will clog up narrow lanes in the area and impede farmers.