Lord Judd

A Labour peer is stepping down as president of a conservation charity, and will be replaced by a Conservative farming and landowning member of the House of Lords.

Lord Judd has been president of the Friends of the Lake District since 2005.

During his time with the group, it has been involved in major campaigns including stopping the Whinash windfarm, opposing a large holiday lodge development at Low Borrowdale, and in the last year, joining the opposition to the coalition Government’s plans on selling off the nation’s forests.

Lord Judd has been personally involved in much work in the Lords on national parks and countryside issues including the new national planning policy framework.

The retiring president said: “It’s been an inspiring seven years working with the dedicated staff, supporters and volunteers of Friends of the Lake District.

“We’ve faced many challenges and there is still much work to be done. Some of the future challenges include the upgrade of the distribution network of the national grid and potential new large electricity pylons, the implementation and consequences of new planning and local government legislation, and the vital need for affordable housing for genuinely local people.

“When our countryside and national parks are all under pressure from development I am certain that the need for organisations like Friends of the Lake District who campaign to protect our environment has never been greater, and I wish them every success in future.”

Frank Judd was a Labour MP for Portsmouth West and Portsmouth North and served in various Labour ministerial posts. He is also a former Parliamentary Private Secretary to Harold Wilson.

He remains a national parks supporter as a vice-president of the Campaign for National Parks and a vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on National Parks.

Friends of the Lake District’s new president for the next year will be Lord Inglewood, a Conservative member of the House of Lords since 1989.

A landowner and farmer Lord Inglewood is also, in addition to his other business interests and directorships, vice-president of the Campaign for National Parks, president of Cumbria Wildlife Trust, and president of Cumbria Tourism.